Sweetness and Light

Even after a great dinner, I want something sweet. A small serving of ice cream is just right! It’s amazing to me the wide variety of things our tastes desire. The satisfaction of a well-prepared meal is one of life’s great pleasures – be it a simple bowl soup or a five course meal. Life gets so full of activities occasionally that I catch a meal ‘on the run.’  After a dash to the deli counter, I wolf down a sandwich. As tasty as a slice of pizza may be, it does not compare with a full meal! Eating that way does not provide anything like the satisfaction of sitting down to dinner with family.  Some people live on fast food and begin to believe that tacos, cheeseburgers, and pizza are rich fare.

My appetite for spiritual food is as real as my physical hunger. Like the Psalmist, I find myself saying, "I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, “Will I ever make it— arrive and drink in God’s presence?”  (Psalm 42:2, The Message)  A time of contemplative prayer, quietly waiting before Him, is so sweet.  An experience of worship with the church, singing songs of praise and hope, praying together, renews me like nothing else. Moments spent reading the Scripture bring new strength to my heart. Sometimes I grab a quick spiritual snack; something from a book of devotions, or a few lines of a song, or a moment of hurried petition in prayer.  But, I know that real satisfaction can only come when I take time to sit down at the Lord’s table!

Are you trying to satisfy your spiritual hunger without consuming the Word, lingering for a time in His Presence?  You might not even know what you’re missing. I encourage you to carve time into your schedule for regular times for dinner with the Father. Here’s His invitation. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:1-2, NIV)  We will attempt to satisfy the hunger of our soul. May we have the wisdom to pursue the One who truly meets our need.

God’s children need not experience malnutrition, need not go through the day weak from hunger. There is fullness in Him. "Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35, NIV)  

Here’s the word from the Word. I pray it draws you to seek sweetness and light in the Presence of God today.

"How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey." (Psalm 119:103, NLT)

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105, NLT)