Thursday, October 13th, 2011
Today's Passage> Jeremiah 2: 1-19
Memory Verse> Psalm 42:1
There's an interesting phenomenon inside of me that I'm still trying to figure out. My body is 80 percent water, right? All my organs are made up of it and require it to function properly. My food intake can only be processed properly if I drink a certain amount of water daily. The cleansing of junk from my blood, which is basically done by my kidneys, is a difficult task if I'm not drinking enough to flush out what my body doesn't need. Even my throat helps me remember to keep the water coming when it feels parched.
So what makes it so hard for me to do the very thing I need to thrive? Why is it that, when my body sends signals that I'm very thirsty -- which unfortunately is already too late, and I'm seriously dehydrated-- I still find myself dragging my feet to get water? On the contrary, I reach for any and everything else that will only make the dehydration worse. I might get some dried fruit and nuts, which are actually good for you, but not when there's not enough water to digest them. I might even get some juice, but very rarely will I go for the real thing... the water I need. It turns out, we're the only species that chooses to give our bodies the opposite of what we need to survive. Just because we have intellect and creative abilities, we think this gives us the right to have options.
As frustrating as this scenario might sound to someone who drinks water religiously, let me tell you this happens everyday in the spirit realm. Even though we claim to love God, we have this crazy idea that we can allow Him to only come so far in our lives because WE want control. So the One Who created us, knows everything about us, and loves us is left outside of the inner workings of our lives because we think He wants to take away from us our individuality. But just like with our bodies, it'll only be a matter of time before we start to dry up so much that we won't be able to function in what the Lord is calling us to do. How far do you think we'll go if we don't get a steady refilling of the Living Water that the Shepherd provides? Not far at all.
If you find yourself not being able to connect with God, you're going to need to trace your steps to the place where you left Him. Could it be that you began with the assumption that you could handle your life from this point on? Sure, you needed God to deliver you from satan's grip; you may even have needed Him to walk you through a couple of problems you had while getting on your feet as a baby Christian. Now that you've got a few battles under your belt, you've toyed with the idea that things should go more smoothly from here on out, right? WRONG. There's NEVER a time when we can do without our Shepherd. We need Him constantly, just like we need to keep our bodies hydrated without fail. To do anything else would be to deprive our souls and spirits of the life-giving water that only He can provide. No matter what You try, nothing else will be able to satisfy.
Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding me yet again that I need You. I don't want to be self-sufficient anymore. My entire life is sustained by You. I choose to drink deep of Your clear waters that are lovingly provided, not from broken cisterns that hold dirty water. My life was a wretched mess until I let You in, and I'll always be grateful for the way You take care of me. May I never stop depending on You for the rest of my days. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Today's Passage> Jeremiah 2: 1-19
Memory Verse> Psalm 42:1
There's an interesting phenomenon inside of me that I'm still trying to figure out. My body is 80 percent water, right? All my organs are made up of it and require it to function properly. My food intake can only be processed properly if I drink a certain amount of water daily. The cleansing of junk from my blood, which is basically done by my kidneys, is a difficult task if I'm not drinking enough to flush out what my body doesn't need. Even my throat helps me remember to keep the water coming when it feels parched.
So what makes it so hard for me to do the very thing I need to thrive? Why is it that, when my body sends signals that I'm very thirsty -- which unfortunately is already too late, and I'm seriously dehydrated-- I still find myself dragging my feet to get water? On the contrary, I reach for any and everything else that will only make the dehydration worse. I might get some dried fruit and nuts, which are actually good for you, but not when there's not enough water to digest them. I might even get some juice, but very rarely will I go for the real thing... the water I need. It turns out, we're the only species that chooses to give our bodies the opposite of what we need to survive. Just because we have intellect and creative abilities, we think this gives us the right to have options.
As frustrating as this scenario might sound to someone who drinks water religiously, let me tell you this happens everyday in the spirit realm. Even though we claim to love God, we have this crazy idea that we can allow Him to only come so far in our lives because WE want control. So the One Who created us, knows everything about us, and loves us is left outside of the inner workings of our lives because we think He wants to take away from us our individuality. But just like with our bodies, it'll only be a matter of time before we start to dry up so much that we won't be able to function in what the Lord is calling us to do. How far do you think we'll go if we don't get a steady refilling of the Living Water that the Shepherd provides? Not far at all.
If you find yourself not being able to connect with God, you're going to need to trace your steps to the place where you left Him. Could it be that you began with the assumption that you could handle your life from this point on? Sure, you needed God to deliver you from satan's grip; you may even have needed Him to walk you through a couple of problems you had while getting on your feet as a baby Christian. Now that you've got a few battles under your belt, you've toyed with the idea that things should go more smoothly from here on out, right? WRONG. There's NEVER a time when we can do without our Shepherd. We need Him constantly, just like we need to keep our bodies hydrated without fail. To do anything else would be to deprive our souls and spirits of the life-giving water that only He can provide. No matter what You try, nothing else will be able to satisfy.
Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding me yet again that I need You. I don't want to be self-sufficient anymore. My entire life is sustained by You. I choose to drink deep of Your clear waters that are lovingly provided, not from broken cisterns that hold dirty water. My life was a wretched mess until I let You in, and I'll always be grateful for the way You take care of me. May I never stop depending on You for the rest of my days. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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