Well, summer time is a’comin’ and along with it comes wedding season, vacations, VBS, swim team and over all mayhem in the McBride household. In general this is a very nostalgic time of year for me because I love summer and all that it brings with it: tree frogs, long days, fresh cut grass and lots of ice cream. But, it also means that my time blogging is cut nearly in half! It is very hard to have so much to say and no time to say it! It’s like telling the birds to hush up for a few months! Needless to say, I am already missing you!
This year our church has four couples that have recently become engaged and are planning weddings all within two months of one another! If telepathy had been one of my spiritual gifts I would have taken out a “wedding” club account to save up for all of the presents I have to buy! As it is, however, I am so excited for each of them and I lurv being able to actually attend a wedding as a guest especially when I can be there with Kraig. There’s something so romantic about sitting close together, listening to wedding vows, reciting them in your own heart and committing to them all over again. The only difference is that this time you actually KNOW what you are promising! (It’s a good day when you can say that you would still do it again!) Even though marriage is hard at times there is such a sweet satisfaction in looking back over many years together and being able to say, “We made it, thank you Jesus and can I get a PRAISE THE LORD!” I love that about weddings! I also love the reception for two very important reasons: food and food! Oh, and I forgot cake and food! I will tell you that nothing excites me more than a good feast! If you know anything about me at all you will know that I am a self-professed foodie - and I am no respecter of food. Anything will do. I love everything from twinkies to the finest delicacies and everything in between.
Recently, I was thinking about food in the Bible. There are a myriad of references to food, feasts, banquets, suppers and the like. Even the Bible itself is set forth as the food for our spiritual nourishment. Jesus called Himself “The Bread of Life” and we are promised to spend eternity dwelling in a land of milk and honey! All of this got me thinking (and hungry) about how we feast on the banquet of God’s word and the different kinds of eating habits we tend to develop in regards to scripture. The rest of the post highlights these trends in hopes that we can all get the most out of our time spent at the banquet and feast wisely. Notice only one woman is eating well - is it you?
The first kind of eater is the “picky eater”. This is the woman who picks and chooses which passages appeal to her based on what her feelings are for that day. Mostly, she chooses passages that make her feel good about herself, affirm her choices and appeal to her tastes. She is quick to avoid those scriptures that might convict her of sinful patterns or encourage her to change her lifestyle. (All scripture is breathed out by God. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. 2 Timothy 3:16a; 4:3-4).
The “over-eater” is next. This woman is fat on the word. She is the bible study queen with an arsenal of workbooks and a week full of studies, small groups, counseling sessions and mentoring meetings. She is always in need of more knowledge never taking the time to pass on what she has learned to others or serving out of her plenteous reserves. (For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women..always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:6-7).
The “leftover eater” is our next culprit. She is constantly going back to the last good meal that she had in God’s word. She is reheating and microwaving from the one mountain top experience she had at the ladies’ retreat or conference she attended a few months back. The food was so good that one time that she has refused to try anything new. (Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Hebrews 6:1)
The “skimpy eater”, otherwise known as the “dieter” is only eating enough to get by. Unfortunately, she hasn’t looked in the mirror lately or she would realize that she is slowly wasting away! She is a thin shell of what she used to be and now she is gaunt and just plain unhealthy. Her lack of nourishment has left her hungry and weak. (My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6).
Last is the “nutritious eater”. This woman feasts on a well balanced diet of the whole counsel of God! She is daily balancing her time in the word making sure that she is full enough to serve but not gorging herself so that she has some to share with others. She is sure to look for new things in scripture, examining and spending time on passages or books she is unfamiliar with knowing that ALL of the word is God breathed and profitable for her. This woman is disciplined in her pursuit of wisdom and is eager to sharpen her knife. She will always be satisfied. She will always be healthy. She will always be strong! (How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103).
I encourage you to really take the time to identify your eating habits when it comes to the word of God. This is the banquet that the Lord has left us to feast upon and gain nourishment until He comes again and we feast with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Eat well ladies, eat well!
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14
No comments:
Post a Comment