Door or Dinner with conversation???
OK, got this devotional in my email, and it really got me thinking. Do I as a believer and follower of Jesus Messiah want the door experience or the dinner with conversation experience? You probably think, "Well, DUH, who doesn't want dinner with conversation?" READ THIS FIRST AND THEN LET ME EXPLAIN FURTHER.
I'm convinced that people today know a lot more about how to become a Christian than about how to be one. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." This verse isn't just an invitation to become a believer, but to live as one ...
Jesus isn't knocking to see what he can give or what he can get. He is knocking because he wants to share a deep relationship. How do we have depth? How do we anchor ourselves in the knowledge of God so that no matter what happens-whether the winds of prosperity or adversity blow-we remain faithful? By knowing God...
Like the Israelites in the desert, I have found God's whispers to be like manna-something I need every day. The Israelites didn't wake up in their tents with full stomachs every morning; they had to go out and gather the precious, life-giving bread. In the same way, I need to gather God's Word and wisdom for my life every day ...
Many of us are hungry for God's presence. We want to know and to make God known. If we are going to be God's people, part of the kingdom, then we must have more than information about God to offer; we must have God dwelling within us.
-Hungry for God: Hearing God's Voice in the Ordinary and the Everyday,
by Margaret Feinberg
OK, let me ask you this, as I also ask myself, my mouth blabs the obvious choice words of "dinner with conversation", but do my actions? How "busy" am I that I haven't time to sit quietly and really take in the verse I read, to study it, to "chew" it, to make it part of my soul that I change and become more like Messiah Jesus the very one I say I "love and want to be like"? Hmm. Does my mouth blab what I desire but my actions keep Jesus at the door for a quick chat?
I believe it's the Quakers who have a "quiet time" set aside for no noise, no interruption, no speaking, just QUIET to sit and contemplate thinking of where they are in their relationship with God, with others, etc. Maybe we don't because we may not like the discomfort of the truth. Not condemning anyone, but examining myself here and trying to get us all to go deeper and higher with Jesus.
In Jewish custom, to invite someone in to eat a meal with you was no light matter. It meant you were entering into a covenant, that you wished to be friends, that as long as that person was in your home, you would protect them with your life, and this is calling us into intimacy with our Lord & Savior. Not where we throw a PBJ and Coke cola before we dash onto the next thing of to-dos, but an honest to goodness relaxed, no rush, sit down enjoying of each other's presence. How long can you and Jesus go on PBJs and Coke colas? Not long I'm afraid. I know I can't.
Think how they shared, and still do, share a meal. Notice MEAL? It takes time to get the food ready and time to prepare so nothing will interrupt the MEAL. Then, they leisurely reclined on pillows basically "stacked" upon each other, head in the other person's chest area laying on their side all around the table. For us it would be a table with elbow room only. A time of sharing, a time of LISTENING, a time of laughter, and mostly a time of intimacy and memory making. This art is lost in today's societal family and our society shows it. Heck, we don't even do this with our friends as we should!
I think it's time to toss the "convenient" paper plates and fast food wrappers in our lives spiritually as well as literally. Our kids, spouse and whomever else we wish to have a true intimate relationship with deserve better, more of us, less of to-dos, and a slower pace. Time is swift and it is the JOURNEY alongside one another with intimacy that counts more than the to-do list being completed.
Just a thought.....If not now, then when?
I'm convinced that people today know a lot more about how to become a Christian than about how to be one. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." This verse isn't just an invitation to become a believer, but to live as one ...
Jesus isn't knocking to see what he can give or what he can get. He is knocking because he wants to share a deep relationship. How do we have depth? How do we anchor ourselves in the knowledge of God so that no matter what happens-whether the winds of prosperity or adversity blow-we remain faithful? By knowing God...
Like the Israelites in the desert, I have found God's whispers to be like manna-something I need every day. The Israelites didn't wake up in their tents with full stomachs every morning; they had to go out and gather the precious, life-giving bread. In the same way, I need to gather God's Word and wisdom for my life every day ...
Many of us are hungry for God's presence. We want to know and to make God known. If we are going to be God's people, part of the kingdom, then we must have more than information about God to offer; we must have God dwelling within us.
-Hungry for God: Hearing God's Voice in the Ordinary and the Everyday,
by Margaret Feinberg
OK, let me ask you this, as I also ask myself, my mouth blabs the obvious choice words of "dinner with conversation", but do my actions? How "busy" am I that I haven't time to sit quietly and really take in the verse I read, to study it, to "chew" it, to make it part of my soul that I change and become more like Messiah Jesus the very one I say I "love and want to be like"? Hmm. Does my mouth blab what I desire but my actions keep Jesus at the door for a quick chat?
I believe it's the Quakers who have a "quiet time" set aside for no noise, no interruption, no speaking, just QUIET to sit and contemplate thinking of where they are in their relationship with God, with others, etc. Maybe we don't because we may not like the discomfort of the truth. Not condemning anyone, but examining myself here and trying to get us all to go deeper and higher with Jesus.
In Jewish custom, to invite someone in to eat a meal with you was no light matter. It meant you were entering into a covenant, that you wished to be friends, that as long as that person was in your home, you would protect them with your life, and this is calling us into intimacy with our Lord & Savior. Not where we throw a PBJ and Coke cola before we dash onto the next thing of to-dos, but an honest to goodness relaxed, no rush, sit down enjoying of each other's presence. How long can you and Jesus go on PBJs and Coke colas? Not long I'm afraid. I know I can't.
Think how they shared, and still do, share a meal. Notice MEAL? It takes time to get the food ready and time to prepare so nothing will interrupt the MEAL. Then, they leisurely reclined on pillows basically "stacked" upon each other, head in the other person's chest area laying on their side all around the table. For us it would be a table with elbow room only. A time of sharing, a time of LISTENING, a time of laughter, and mostly a time of intimacy and memory making. This art is lost in today's societal family and our society shows it. Heck, we don't even do this with our friends as we should!
I think it's time to toss the "convenient" paper plates and fast food wrappers in our lives spiritually as well as literally. Our kids, spouse and whomever else we wish to have a true intimate relationship with deserve better, more of us, less of to-dos, and a slower pace. Time is swift and it is the JOURNEY alongside one another with intimacy that counts more than the to-do list being completed.
Just a thought.....If not now, then when?
Replies
Thanks. I needed that \'adjustment\'!!!!
Yeah, it\'s an easy one to forget with all things pulling on our time.
I have spent more time lately trying to make my prayer time more of that quiet time. Not so easy but we have lots of time when we have to wait during the day like at the doctors office or exercising when we can \"think\" prayer and Jesus instead of what we need to get done. Im with you I want to \"know\" Jesus and that will take some dinner and conversation!
Yes, as I once said, \"We have altars all over our house, how often do we use them?\" We have the sink while we are doing dishes, the bed where we are making the bed, the washer & dryer as we do laundry, etc. Girl, we got LOTS of time to be \"quiet\" with God.