Thursday, June 17, 2010

Are You Hungry?

I gave the following article as a devotional at our district women's leadership retreat a couple of weeks ago.
Feeding My Soul
by Jody Gates
Northeastern District Assistant Director of AWM

After spending three weeks away from my husband, visiting my mother and sisters, I could not wait to get home and see him. I was looking forward to spending time with my best friend.
As I thought about our theme passage and the spiritual disciplines we
will be studying this year, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my own relationship with my Savior. Do I have an intimate friendship with Jesus; that I long and cannot wait to spend time with Him through God's Word and prayer? Am I hungry everyday for God's Word?
I believe daily Bible intake through reading, studying, memorizing, meditating and hearing the Word preached is foundational to all other spiritual disciplines. Just as we eat at least three times a day, we need to feed our heart, mind, and soul on a daily basis. It is a deliberate choice to pick up our fork to put food in our mouth, so it should be with picking up our Bible and feeding the soul that Jesus Christ inhabits.
Do I long and hunger for God's Word as I do my daily food?
 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to
me a joy and the delight of my heart.
Jeremiah 15:16.
Does my soul pant for God? Do I thirst for Him? As a deer pants for flow-
ing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God,
the living God.
 Psalm 42:1-2

Do I long for God every day?

Several suggestions to help you feed on the Word of God:
*Read Proverbs or a Psalm according to today's date
*Use a Bible reading plan
*Read Psalm 119 a section at a time
*Read one chapter a day in one of the Gospels
*Attend a women's Bible study

No desire for spiritual food? God knows, ask Him to help you:
*delight in His statutes - Psalm 119:16

*incline your heart to His testimonies - Psalm 119:36

*to turn your eyes from looking at worthless things - Psalm 119:37

*to long for the pure spiritual milk of God's Word as a newborn longs for its milk - 1 Peter 2:2

I pray that the peace of Christ will rule your heart and the Word of Christ will dwell in you richly. Colossians 3:16

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