I LOVE the new Focus Class format at the 10:30 hour. If you missed this past week, we discussed the sermon we just heard! Our pastors always provide us with such a feast of God's Word, I love having time to savor it with my church family and really take the time to let it go from my head to my heart! It's kind of like a 'spiritual potluck'... Our pastors provide the main course and each of us bring our own life experiences and insights as the side dishes to make it a very satisfying spiritual meal!
But as I considered that, it reminded me of something that has been on my heart lately...
I am mom to 4 children, my husband travels quite a bit and it has been a crazy busy spring season for my little jewelry business that I wear all the hats for... designer, manufacturer, purchasing agent, sales person, marketer, web designer, accountant...you get the picture.
It's funny, but used to (in my younger days), I could work all day, skip meals and be no worse for the wear. But lately, if I skip a meal, my blood sugar plummets, I lose all of my energy and my mind feels so foggy.
But it has struck me that the same is true when I continually skip my spiritual nourishment (which I've been doing far too often lately in all of the busyness). I'm not a legalist about quiet times and I don't think I have to have a feast in God's Word every day; but, I do think I need to be like the Israelites and go out and collect my daily 'manna' to stay well nourished and well connected to my source of life and joy, Jesus.
Exodus 16:31 tells us what the manna was like... "it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey." Wafers and honey... Yum, what a great way to start the day. It seems that it was easy to gather, nourishing and sweet to the taste. Maybe that's what we need to consider each morning as we gather God's Word for our day.
What if we took one verse and meditated on it all day? Or chose a verse for the week, praying through it each morning and asking God to teach us more about that verse throughout the week? Maybe seeking to learn one new thing about the verse each day? Or, like many, use a short devotion, written about a verse, as our manna... There are so many ways to 'gather our manna' each morning. But we must be intentional or we'll go hungry, lose perspective and become spiritually foggy.
Our Sunday feast is such a blessing. But as savory and satisfying as that spiritual meal is each week, I still need to spiritually feed myself throughout the week... It is an essential part of living the life of a disciple and experiencing the abundant life that Jesus paid such a high price to give us.
I would love it if you would share how you collect your daily manna that sustains you through the day! And if you have a special devotion that has meant alot to you, please share that also! One of my favorites is The Satisfied Heart, by Ruth Myers. What's yours?
Sharla
No comments:
Post a Comment