What do you make of this story

I came across this very insightful observation from Leroy Eims. Read it and see what you think.

One spring our family was driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs. "I'm sorry," the waitress said. "I can't bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." 

At first, I was dumbfounded. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished our plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. 

Christians are sometimes like that. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food--but that many Christians haven't grown enough to know how to get it for themselves. - Leroy Eims, The Lost Art of Disciple Making.

1 Chronicles 22:19 - "Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God."

Questions:

1. Does this apply to us in any way?

2. How many Bibles do we have in our homes? Do we know how to read them?

3. How can we help others to 'squeeze the oranges to get out the juice?'

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Running from God

“He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” ― John Bunyan 

I have found this sentiment to be so true in my personal experience. Bunyan advocates for spending time with the Lord in the mornings, before the day gets too hectic and the demands of life weigh us down. 

I know that it is not always practical for some people, especially when there are children in the household. However, the overriding principle of spending 'some' time with the Lord during the day is crucial and as long as we do it, then we will feel connected with our Lord. 

Psalm 5:3 - In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

What time of the day do you find best to sit quietly with the Lord? 

Closing thought: It is a worthwhile practise to offer God the day before it unfolds.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Choosing a moment of silence

 

If anyone needed a reason to have a moment with the Lord as a form of devotion or quiet time, then this quote gives us one: "We are silent at the beginning of the day because God should have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep because the last word also belongs to God" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Too often I find that before I have hit the ground running there is already a cacophony of noise blaring for my attention. Being silent before the day begins (and as it closes) is a brilliant way of allowing God to speak to us.

Mark 6:32 - So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Living in Grace

D3LM3