This morning as I've sat here reading my Bible, a devotional, and just reflecting on various things I read from my emails, one has really stuck in my mind. It was an email from Thomas Griffin. I have no idea who he is, but on a whim a few months back I bought some cds he was offering titled 'Secrets of the Secret Place'. Now that book, by the same name and written by Bob Sorge, is my very favorite devotional and I can't tell you how many times I have read it. In fact, I know the book 'Secrets of the Secret Place' so well, just starting each reading, I already know it. But I keep reading it. Why? Because it still speaks to me. This morning I found a devotional from Thomas Griffin in my emails and I paused to read it.
In this devotional, he talked about his very young son, Judah, who was raiding the pantry one night in hopes of finding a late night snack. Thomas went to the kitchen because it had gotten very quiet - and as we all know, a quiet young child who is awake can be frightening. So he went to investigate. Judah was standing by the pantry holding an empty box of crackers. Someone had put it back in the pantry empty. (Since he said he had six boys, I'm sure it was one of them!) So Thomas said he reached inside the pantry for a box of pretzels and got a bowl to put some in for Judan. As he did so, a few fell on the floor and Judah started grabbing and eating those, although they were broken and in crumbs. He told his son to stop, to look up and see the bowl he had prepared for him. But Judah kept eating the ones that had fallen on the floor.
And it made me think of how often we satisfy our hunger for things, even for God, by keeping our eyes down, looking at and eating the crumbs that fall on the floor. We are so hungry, and yet, what falls on the floor, we go after it.... when all we have to do is 'look up!' God has filled our bowls so full they are overflowing and all we have to do is look up - look to Him - and allow Him to give us all we want. But we settle, so many times, for the crumbs.
Are you one of those people, who settle for the crumbs of life and don't look up to God and see what all He has for you? How many times have we refused something - for whatever reason - but often think "oh, this is good enough. This will get me by. I don't need anything better." I know I have said it, and I have thought it. A lot of my upbringing was based on I wasn't good enough, and what I had was enough. It met my need. The crumbs I picked up could satisfy that hunger. Oh how wrong I was!
When I dive in to a Bible study, or even in reading my Bible or a book that will help me grow, I am looking up into the bowl of all that God has for me. I'm not looking at the crumbs on the floor to just get by with what I know right now. I.want.more. I want the whole thing; not just the crumbs.
I often pray that God will increase my hunger for Him, to know Him .... and the courage to make Him known to others. And sometimes it happens unexpectedly. And it changes lives - mine included. Let me tell you a story - a true story at that.
There was a lady I worked with at another company and when we had an opening where I am now, knowing she wanted another job, I shared it with her and even recommended her for the job. She got it. About six months in, for an unknown reason, she started spreading lies about me. Others told me things she had said and I had no idea why. Another friend whom I had been close to suddenly stopped speaking to me. I had no idea what had happened or what was going on. Others noticed the attitudes around me. If they asked me, I just said 'I don't know'. For I didn't. I went out of my way to be kind to this person who said these things. I didn't bring up what she had said to others. I just reached out in ways as a friend.
Her husband got really sick at work and had to be taken to the hospital. Then she got seriously ill with her heart and ended up taking a year off work on short term disability. When she came back to work, I welcomed her back with open arms. Nothing was ever said about what had happened.
I finally figured out what I thought it was. As we sat together at lunch one day - before all the trauma in her family - she mentioned she had Budda statues all over her house, hanging on her walls, etc. I was shocked as she professed to be a Christian. And, because I was so shocked I said what came to my mind - "but those are idols! You shouldn't have those in your houes!" And she responded that she thought they were just 'cute fat babies'. From then on, she would have nothing to do with me.
Fast forward back to about a year ago... she was back at work and started asking me via email questions about Jesus. I responded to her questions, even sent her a couple of my favorite devotionals to read. As she asked questions and I responded, a friendship developed again. And now, time and again, she will email me that she is reading her Bible, doing studies, and is now leading a women's class. I don't know if the things are still in her home, and I'm sure if they are, someone will say something to her in her class. I think this week is the first week in her home; it's been at her church they have met for the past six weeks. But what I'm sharing is that she has actually called me her mentor and says that she can't thank me enough for helping her understand who Jesus is.
But it wasn't me at all. It was the Holy Spirit drawing her unto Jesus. All I had to do was let Him use me in this circumstance. I had to continue to be kind when I really wanted to give her 'what for' on how she had treated me and lied about me. But I held my tongue and now we are good friends. She often shares how God is working in her life. She is witnessing to her husband and family. Her grown children now go to church with her occasioally. And she makes sure they pray over their meals and she has carved out several hours of her day to read her Bible and study. To God be all the glory.
I'm not telling you this story to get accolades... but when we let Jesus have the crumbs of our life, He can take those and feed others. He can take all our mistakes and wipe them clean, and use them for our good. He loves us so much that He died for us. A horrible, tortureous death.
Oh how I wish words I write in this blog will cause your heart to yearn for the love of God! True, much of what I write is just my daily stuff, which I'm sure bores you. But Jesus will never bore you. Pick up your Bible and start reading in it. You will find rich gold in the words. I'm starting Ephesians tomorrow morning - would you read through it with me tomorrow? Just a couple chapters a day - and in a couple days you will be finished. If you don't have a Bible, please let me know in comments and give me a way to contact you; I will send you a Bible.
You can't learn about Jesus without reading the Bible. You can't learn of God's love, of His commandments that will help us live the life He craves for us without reading His Word. Don't delay any longer. Start with the book of John, and you will learn of how much Jesus loves you. The old testament about Numbers and Leviticus can bore you at times because it is all about numbers (duh) and laws of the priests. But "read the red" as some people say, in the New Testament. Those are the words of Jesus. Read them, reread them, and read them again.
Larry Lea wrote a book years ago called Could you not tarry one hour? That book spoke to me when I read it 'way back when' in my early walking with Jesus. He talks in this book of when he first became a Christian and he 'read the red' so that he would know Jesus.
And that is - or should be - our goal. To know Jesus, and to make Him known. Glory to His Name.
Don't settle for crumbs.... look up.... go for Jesus and all that He has for you on His table.
Blessings!
