Have you ever tried one of those diets where you can only eat one kind of food for a specific period of time? Like all protein, all fruits with a core, or all Twinkies (yes, that is an actual diet). If I were going to do a “one food” diet, I think I’d have to start by trying the all dark chocolate diet. It claims to be the best antioxidant diet out there. Of course, although my body may be cleared of free radicals I probably won’t shed any pounds.
Some people are fad dieters, going from one new diet to the next in a never ending search for a magic fix. Some people are chronic dieters, always limiting what they eat and almost always in a bad mood because of it. Some people drive the first two crazy by eating anything and everything, and never gaining any weight at all.
Regardless of our eating habits, many of us are chronic dieters when it comes to God and His Word.
We’ve talked before about being snackers of time with God. We grab a handful on Sunday mornings and hope it will sustain us all week. It never does. Or we take a quick bite each morning with a short passage of Scripture and a rushed prayer, and off we go to do life our way. Even the Twinkie diet provides more nourishment than that.
What’s interesting is that many people feel that religion is like dieting. It’s dry and ritualistic, and they enjoy it about as much as eating cardboard. I think they’re right.
Religion is dry, ritualistic, and tasteless.
And that’s why God doesn’t want religion. He wants a relationship. An intimate love relationship. With each one of us.
The truth is that God loves us more than anyone we’ll ever know. More than we can ever comprehend because even we can’t love someone like He does. God doesn’t want to live separate lives. He wants us to allow Him to be a part of every aspect of our life. And so He did two things. He sent His Son, Jesus, to come to earth and bridge the gap between Him and us. To let us know that He understands how hard it is to live on earth among people–people who love us, and those who don’t. And then God went a step further and sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that we can know with certainty that nothing and no one will ever separate us from God. He is with us. Always.
But many of us don’t have an intimate love relationship with God.
We’ve never taken the time to get to know Jesus. We’ve turned our back and run away. We’ve starved ourselves of the one thing (one Person) that can actually fill us with true joy.
We complain about feeling empty inside as we live a life without meaningful purpose. We won’t find a church that teaches about a loving relationship with Jesus, or even read in our Bible, because we don’t want to become “one of those people” limited by Christian thinking. Again, there’s a big difference between religion and relationship with Christ.
We can’t let any fear of religion or bad experience of the past keep us from God.
And sampling all the world has to offer isn’t going to give us new life. It’s as if we’re forcing ourselves to diet by locking away the life giving, truly satisfying foods of God’s Word and time spent with Him in heartfelt prayer. All that’s left are the fancy wrappers of the things we buy to fill our voids. They look good but ultimately satisfy us as much as cardboard.
Girls, growing a relationship with Jesus doesn’t take the fun or zest out of life. Getting to know God and seeing His plan for our life unfold as we begin to walk with Him is like opening the doors to the fanciest banquet hall and seeing table after table filled with the most delicious, most extravagant, and yet healthy-as-spinach, spread of gourmet food we could ever imagine.
And God has invited you to be His honored guest.
Accept the invitation. Come fill your spirit with the buffet God has placed before you. Feast on God’s Word, don’t just nibble on it. Leave the table full for a change. See how it can strengthen you like never before. Spend time with God. Talk to Him. Cry to Him. Laugh with Him. Love your time with Him. Ask questions and really get to know Him. Let Him be a part of your everyday life. Let Him satisfy your soul like nothing else ever can.
It can start by spending an evening with Him, just the two of you, feasting on His Word.
“You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy.” Psalm 63:5 (NLT)
May I pray?
Father God, we’re hungry. We crave life giving, soul satisfying, nothing compares fare. Help us to realize that we can’t find it anywhere but with You. Help us to take that first step of accepting Your invitation and spending a night together feasting on Your Word. Jesus, please open our hearts to You so we may begin to know You and love You intimately. Amen.
Q4U: Will you accept God’s invitation to spend an evening with Him feasting on His Word?