Shopping Spree

 

Once every quarter, we take the trek to the area Walmart, and I put everything on the shelves into my buggy; or so it seems! I load up on items from the meat, dairy, fresh veggie and frozen veggie aisle.  

As the cart gets fuller, our bank balance gets smaller; and when I get home, I have hours of work ahead of me. I pre-cook and then freeze all of the meats and veggies in order to preserve their freshness.

This also allows me to have simple, quick meals for the months ahead, and to save space in the freezer. Today, I have been cooking and freezing since 4PM, and it is after 10PM; but I am only three quarters of the way finished with this process.

I wonder, at times, why I put myself through this. However, I enjoy the fruit of my labor on the hectic work days, when I can serve a fully home-cooked meal in minutes instead of hours.

Our Christian walk is very much like this shopping and cooking spree. When we come to Christ as a baby Christian, we have no resources to provide for our needs.

We are extremely hungry for God, as well as to learn about Him and His principles; therefore, we go to every church service, read every book and listen to every radio and TV preacher we can find.

We stockpile this spiritual food in our newly reborn spirit, all neatly categorized and shelved in all the right places. Then, in years to come, we have a storehouse of spiritual food and reinforcement to see us through the roughest trials life has planned for us.

Prayer:

Father God, there is nothing more fulfilling than fellowshipping with You around Your table. We thank You for Your generous provision for us in body, soul and spirit, throughout our lifetime. We give You all the praise and glory for the peace and joy we enjoy in Your presence, regardless of life’s trials.

Remind us to continue to gather Your spiritual food, regardless of how often we read through the Bible or how many verses we committed to memory. Every day with You is “sweeter than the day before” (Robert Claire Loveless).

Thought for the Day:

If you are going through a trial, and feeling famished for the presence of God, remember the first principles you learned when He came in to dine with you that very first time. 

– Revelation 3:20

Come as a Child

Unless we are little children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). Not a child in age, size or maturity; but a child at heart - innocent and captivating.

When I took my first baby on his inaugural stroll in the park, I realized that he had no recognition of what his little blue eyes gazed upon.

A tree, leaf, bird, flower, clouds, ants, beetles were unremarkable to him. He had no reference point, no knowledge to draw from, in order to categorize what he saw.

With a clean slate for a mind, a pure heart and total trust in my care, he gurgled with his head bobbing from side-to-side to take in all the sights and sounds.

Unspoiled by the negative influences, harmful people and ungodly choices in life, he relied on me to meet all of His needs (1 Corinthians 14:20). I wanted to protect him from harm and hurt and to bring him joy all the days of his life.

As human parents we are either aggressive, permissive, nurturing or a combo of these parenting styles. God calls us to love in a nurturing manner with unconditional love, just as He fathers us (Luke 11:13; 1 John 3:16).

Our Father God calls us to come to Him as children with innocent trust in His faithfulness (Matthew 19:14). Those who are converted, humble and childlike will have the greatest position in God's eternal Kingdom in Heaven (Matthew 18:3-4).

Prayer:

Father God, as Your children, our angels are always presenting our needs to You (Matthew 18:10). You protect us as the apple of Your eye (Deuteronomy 32:10). You are our Father when our natural fathers abandon us, and you set us in families when we are lonely (Psalm 68:5-6). 

You know what we need even before we ask for it (Matthew 6:8). We have constant and continual access to You and help from You through Christ by Your Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Thank You for lavishing Your love on Your children (1 John 3:1).

Thought for the Day:

In times of trial and adversity, we calm and quiet our soul like a contented, weaned child within us. - Psalm 131:2

Fairytale or Reality

Read: Acts 19:8-10

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything." - Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NKJV)

Paul appealed to the people in his day, and quite successfully convinced many of them about God’s reality. Others refused to believe the Gospel, and some even mocked it. The same is true today. Since scientists cannot examine God under a microscope they explain Him away. They have no proof of the origin of electricity, the wind or magnetism either; yet, they accept these assumptions as facts. With God, however, since they cannot prove Him scientifically, they dismiss Him as a fairytale. This is not consistent, nor is it logical.

Not only can we see the handiwork of God in our universe, we can also see the consequences of His work in a Believer’s life. The miscreant transforms into a productive citizen, the selfish woman considers her family first, and the wandering husband spends his time at home every night.

I thank God that He is not finite and measurable; but that He dwells in infinity. I would not want to serve a God, which I can categorize, allegorize and automatize. I much prefer serving a God that I can apotheosize.

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, Your Spirit creates a difference in our thoughts, words, and actions. Till the soil in the lives of those around us, so that we can successfully plant the seed of Your truth.

Thought For The Day ~ As long as Believers live in our universe, there is absolute proof that God is real!