Good Food

This past weekend I had the priviledge to go to Indianapolis to a Christian Writer's conferemce. It was held at the Weslyn church's International headquarters. There were a lot of workshops and chances to meet some great Christian writers. The main speaker was Jerry Jenkins who wrote the "Left Behind" series.

In one of his talks he spoke of an interview that he did with Billy Graham. Mr. Jenkins asked the evangelist this question: "You have spent your whole life providing spiritual encouragement to millions of others, including twelve presidents. What is it that nourishes your own soul?" His answer went something like this. "I daily search the scriptures and I pray without ceasing." Mr Jenkins then asked "Billy", "what about the days when you just don't have time to do that. And Mr. Grahams said, "I never get to busy too eat and I never get too busy to nourish me soul."

I have been thinking about that. Rarely do I go without food. I love food and I need food. My stomach begins to rumble and reminds me if I have not fed it. When I look back at my life, I realized that there have been many times that my soul has "rumbled" with the pain of being undernourished. There have even been times when I have become spiritually anorexic. I would not do that to my body, why would I do that to my soul?

I woke up this morning at 4. My stomach was not rumbling yet but I fed it anyways, i have learned  from experience that if I don't feed it, it will soon tell me to do so.. I have also learned that if I don't feed my soul, it too will soon begin to rumble with doubts, anger, disillusionment and it will make me weak when i face temptation..

I think all of us know how to "search the scriptures", the praying without ceasing has sometimes been a mystery to me. A few weeks ago, my own pastor talked about this. How do you pray without ceasing?

This is how I will do it today. Right now, I am praying that God will use what I am writing right now to help someone from becoming spiritually anorexic. I am praying that as I spend the day with Jack and Natalie that I will be loving and patient and be able to do something that will help nourish their little spirits. I am prating that l will be able to see the blessing of life and KNOW that they are from the One in heaven who loves me. I pray that if I am tempted in anyway today that God's strength will help me to resist it. I am praying that as I go through my day, the love of Jesus will radiate from my life. God knows that this is the prayer from my heart today, and it is the one that will come from my heart "without ceasing" today.

I highly recommend dining on the scriptures and communicating with our Maker today. It is great nourishment for the soul!

One other note. You can't get fat on spiritual food.  As you take spiritual nourishment in, it gives you spiritual energy to burn it off by doing spiritual exercise. that exercise is your daily walk with Him!