Spiritual Nourishment

In this day and age we have access to God's word so easily, so readily in so many different forms. Hundreds of translations, various methods of telling the stories, thousands of sermons available online at the click of a button and all typically for free. Yet, for some reason we seem to be the most spiritually malnourished generation since Jesus' time on Earth.

Along with this easy access to God's word comes easy access to so many other forms of entertainment, distractions that is. We are so concerned with what's going on in the news, or our favorite TV shows of the year that time with God gets pushed back more and more and more. We say things like "I'll read my Bible tomorrow." But tomorrow is always tomorrow.

Until we change our attitudes, until we change how we think and look at the world, tomorrow will just be tomorrow. It's time for tomorrow to be today; time for later to be now. We can't just sit around waiting for change. If we want change, especially in ourselves, WE have to start it.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

-Mahatma Gandhi

God has given us the nourishment we desire, we just have to seek it, and spend our time in it.

“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 you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

-Isaiah 55:1-3

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

      You don't really need to read all of these, just get the basic idea.
NVI, Genesis 1 (respectively numbered):

 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."
⁹ And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.
¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 
²⁰ And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  
²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them. 

       Words. Powerful words. Through words alone God shaped our world, and created us in His image. As pointed out by a dear friend of mine, words are a powerful tool that we received from our Father; our God. But this tool is more often misused then not. Even in simple ways. If I say I'm going to do something, I try to the best of my abilities to do it. Of course I'm not perfect; I forget from time to time. It seems to me that some people just don't care thought, "Sure, I'll help you on Saturday." Friday night they think 'Oh actually I'd rather do that then help him...'.

     If you say you are going to do something, then do it! If you have no intention of following through with your word, don't say anything! If you aren't sure you will be able to, then either don't say you will, or say you will try but might not be able to. Its an easy concept. By taking a few minutes, or even a few seconds you can usually determine whether you will be able to follow through with whatever you are thinking about saying.


NIV, Matthew 5 (Paying attention specifically to 37):

 ³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

      Words can be very hurtful when misused. And very moving, doing much good when used appropriately. Go out! Be responsible! Think! Think! Think! Do good with your words!