TEXTS AND APPLICATION: Do you remember when you first became a follower of Jesus? When the Word of God was fresh and alive to you? When you couldn’t wait to read it and hear the voice of God?
I do remember those days. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, so the Bible was SO new to me then. And so exciting. And so powerful. I’ll never forget the first time I saw a rainbow after reading Genesis 9 for the first time. Those colors were not just refractions of light; they were a sign of God’s faithfulness. God did that to show us He keeps His Word. Amazing.
I could have said with Jeremiah in those days as he internalized God’s Word, accepted his calling, and delighted in God:
Jer. 15:17 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Yahweh God of Hosts.
Of course, Jeremiah let self-pity get in the way of his trusting the Lord, and God called him back to repentance (Jer. 15:19). Self-pity may not be our issue, but we somehow find other issues to lose our love for God’s Word. We could list so many: busyness, distraction, sin, confusion, no discipline, boredom, etc. Somehow, the Word of God no longer tastes as good as it did before.
If that’s where you are today, be honest with yourself. Confess your reality to God, and ask Him to make His Word again “sweeter than honey which comes from the honeycomb” (Psa. 19:10). Renew your commitment to faithfully dig into His Word. Taste even the drippings today, and you’ll long for more tomorrow.
PRAYER: “Father, make me long for You and Your Word this day. Let me not rest today until my soul has been satisfied by eating at Your table.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Jeremiah 18-22