DID YOU KNOW...
Insights from my quiet time in God's Word.
Quiet time with God is essential for my day. And even though I KNOW this, honestly there are still days and ashamedly sometimes even weeks that I allow other things to interfere and interrupt this time. One day turns into two and two turns into three and then I find myself in a bad spot and often with a poor attitude. This state I find myself in not only affects me but everyone around me as well in addition to my relationship with them.
When we deprive our body of what it needs, it doesn’t function in the manner it was created to. Who gets cranky when they get hungry? Our moods and emotions change because we lack what our body is asking for. This lack hinders our minds from thinking logically which can lead us to respond in ways that differ from how we normally would. This state of being “hangry” may only cause short-term struggles, if we were to continue to deprive ourselves of what our bodies needed, day after day, the long-term effects would be devastating.
In John 6:35 Jesus tells the large audience that has surrounded Him what they are truly in need of when He says:
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This verse plus the few that follow, reveals the truth that Jesus was sent by God to be the fulfillment of His perfect plan and to offer eternal life to those that would “come” to Him.
When I am “hangry”, I don’t sit on my couch and hope that food is going to fall into my mouth and fix the problem. Instead, I recognize the problem and that if the situation is going to improve then it requires action on my part.
In the same way, without connection to God and the “bread of life” that He offers we are not sustained. Our days do not go the way that they are intended because we have not taken the time to pray for God’s direction and guidance.
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:6
What I have found to be true in my own life is that when I am not intentionally seeking Christ and time in the Bible, my decisions are most likely not based on His wisdom and direction. And day by day, my heart shifts toward the desires of my flesh. My approach is misguided and I find myself seeking temporary comforts, but quickly realizing that they only offer temporary happiness. My nature becomes much more selfish and much less humble. My tongue is not guarded, my heart is not softened and my attitude is not serving.
Just as our bodies cannot thrive or even continue without food and water, our hearts and lives cannot be sustained without the “living water” and the “bread of life”.
For those of you who have joined us in the Finding Joy in January Bible reading plan, I would for you to share some interesting things that you have learned and maybe something that you did not know already before your reading.
For me, one thing that caught my attention was in John 6:20 when Jesus’ disciples were scared because they were on a boat during a storm. During the raging storm, they see Jesus walking on the water towards them. The sight of a man walking on water frightened them, but Jesus said,
“It is I; do not be afraid.”
This statement (“It is I”) can be interpreted as ego eimi, which is a Greek phrase that means “I am”. In Exodus 3:14, God says to Moses “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.” Here God identifies who He is to the people of Israel in the Old Testament. And in John 6:20 Jesus uses essentially the same phrase to reveal that He is the Messiah.
So what did you learn? My heart is that through our time spent reading the Bible, God would reveal to us things that we can share with those around us. As a thank you for following along, I have created a complimentary graphic for you to use to share something that you have learned from your daily readings. You can text it, email it, or share it on social media with a caption that tells others what you have learned.
I have also included a way for you to invite and encourage others to join you as you Find Joy in January.
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Joyfully HIS,
Jennifer N. Pearson