When I was growing up, a common warning from my mother as we neared suppertime, and she saw me or my siblings snacking was to stop, so that we didn't "ruin our appetites." It was a fair warning, because we tended to want to gorge on things that held little nutritional value, and leave us with little or no desire for the dishes she would prepare and most certainly did. I see a great parallel to this in our spiritual lives today. We seem to be gorging ourselves on the junk food of this world, filling our lives and souls with "food" that has no eternal value, yet leaves us with no appetite or desire for those things that do. I once read of a case study of severely overweight people who were literally starving to death because their system was not receiving the basic nutrition it was designed by Him to have. How overweight are we today with the "food" that does not last, while starving to death for that which does?
Isaiah 44:3 reads, "For I will give you abundant water to quench your thirst and to moisten your parched fields." As I once saw it put, before one can be filled with the water of His life, he must first realize how dry and thirsty he truly is. The "soda pop" of this world which we've been guzzling, masks our true thirst, leaving us craving more of a drink that doesn't quench our thirst, but enhances it. The Lord said that He would "pour water on him who is thirsty," but life most often seems to find us congregating at the local soda pop machine instead of the living stream of His water. This is true of an individual, a household, a ministry, and a church. Do we know how truly parched we are, and if so, are we running to our favorite soda pop dispenser, or to Him who is the Source of all Living Water?
Decades ago, pioneer singer Keith Green, in his wonderful song, "Asleep In The Light," asked this question of the church; "How can you be so dead when you've been so well fed?" Could it be ruined appetites? We may faithfully attend to our daily devotions, our weekly home groups and worship gatherings. His Word may be shared, placed before us, but it's not received, taken in, made a part of us. It can't be, because like my siblings and I, we've already filled up on all the junk food that's all around us. The prepared dinner, no matter how sumptuous, goes uneaten. We've been to His table, but we've partaken of nothing. Asleep in the light, starving to death in the midst of plenty. What will this day, week, life, hold for you and I? Another visit to the pop machine and candy bar dispenser, or to feast at His table, to drink deeply of His water? Both options are before us. Where will we be found?
Blessings,
Pastor O
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