food for thought

These words spoke to my heart today... may they speak to yours as well. :)

Isaiah 55:1-2, 6-7

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 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. ... Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on Him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Psalm 25:1-5

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Dueteronomy 8

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ... Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering Him. ... When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out. ... If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

How incredible it is that God is so much greater than our desires for "things" in the world. When we look to him, he truly satisfies us, not only our hearts but our bellies as well! I wonder how often I forget the Lord my God. Maybe not fully, but subtly, represented in my actions from day to day. How often do I eat and am satisfied and am blessed with so many "things" that I become confident in my own provision of these things that are fleeting and could be taken at any moment? If in fact I truly loved God with all of my heart, how much would the "things" of the world mean to me? How easy would it be for me to give them up? How would my attitude change and my heart be different? Some food for thought this beautiful Monday. Be blessed.
-Kara Joy