Blessed
are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart –
Psalm 119:2
I
recently saw a church sign that said there are some questions that cannot be
answered by Google®. It made me laugh
out loud, but it rings true, right? A few more noteworthy church signs of late –
·
We don’t appreciate spring until we’ve been
through a tough winter!
·
If we were never sick, we wouldn’t appreciate
good health!
·
It takes the cold to appreciate the warmth of
the sun! (The same could also be said by inserting “SON” for sun).
·
If we knew not evil, heaven’s race would not
be run!
These
simple statements are just that, simple, but can be quite profound to the true
Believer. It is factual that we must continue LOOKING and GROWING as we journey
through this pilgrim land. I recommend a self-assessment of your spiritual
nourishment.
Maybe
you’ve read or heard of the following example of Christian sustenance…
A faithful church member wrote a letter to the
editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church
every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have
heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can’t remember a
single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting
theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the
“Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on
for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time
my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall
the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all
nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had
not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had
not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”
Can I get an Amen? If we skipped or missed meals on
a regular basis, we would stay hungry! Life
Moment: Take a minute to examine your heart. Are you hungry for God? Status
quo? Are you making Him a priority? Where you were five years ago compared to
today? Two years? One month?
It is extremely important to stay committed,
hungry, and faithful to your local Christian body of fellowship. I, myself, don’t
like to miss a meal! However, don’t be confused on a technicality. It’s not the
church membership, vacation Bible school attendance, or a goodly deed which
saves us; it is the ONE whom we go to worship. It is HIM who nourishes us - who
literally saves us.
I
can say with all assuredness that while I adore my husband and the life that
God has given us, “I’m just a pilgrim passing through!” There is a song by the
Carter Family that so greatly captures these thoughts, “This world is not my
home! I’m just passing through! My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the
blue. The angels beckon me – to heaven’s open door – and I can’t feel at home
in this world anymore!”
How
about it, Christian? Are your thoughts on heaven? Or are your roots too deeply
invested in transient things verses eternal things? Are you focused on staying
the course for the One and True Living God? Just as we eat a physical meal
every day, we require daily nourishment from our Heavenly Father. It’s what
keeps us healthy! Thank God for our physical and spiritual nourishment!
During this pre-season of Easter, I encourage you to stay nourished. Turn
down the radio. Turn off the television. Take a moment to slow down – 15 or 30
minutes. Read His Word. Listen to God-honoring music. Pray. Keep your thoughts
on the Power of the Resurrection. Stay committed.
If you get knocked down, know that Christ is there to carry us
through. I understand that it sounds too simplistic, but it is a truth I’ve
experienced many times. He will carry us when we need Him to!
Faith grasps the invisible, believes the implausible
and receives the impossible!
When you are DOWN to nothing....God is UP to
something!
Look UP my friends!
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