Daily intake of the Word nourishes the Spirit. Jeremiah's Menu is an exercise in recognizing God's Word made flesh in and around me. Eating the Word in a way that supplies the spiritual nutrients needed to grow. The Menu is offered with the hope of inspiring you to taste and see that the Lord is good. Bon Appetite!
Quote Du Jour
Quote du Jour
Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. ---Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
A new read... sees every day needs... routines... as metaphors for spiritual needs...
When it comes to eating for everyday nourishment... she says our daily spiritual nourishment is found in Christ through Communion and the Word...
Christ is our bread and gives us bread. He is the gift and the giver. God gives us every meal we eat, and every meal we eat is ultimately partial and inadequate, pointing to him who is our true food, our eternal nourishment.
Here she reminds... the everyday physical food Jesus provides is a temporary fix... but He is the Bread of life who satisfies us spiritually... eternally...
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life;
he who comes to Me will not hunger,
and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
John 6:35 NASB
Hunger... thirst... both have a meaning of strong desire...
an emptiness longing to be filled...
For me... communion with Him... via the Spirit... has become an every day way...
I eat His Word each day... seeking to let it fill me... define me...
and I find I hunger less... and less...
for the things of the world...
and more... and more... for Him...
What are you hungering for these days...?
a temporary filling...? or something more substantial...? eternal...?
Consider how you might include the Bread of life... in your every day way...
satisfy your hunger... satisfy your thirst...
with life... abundant...!
"...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ..." ---Jesus
The pastor challenged us this morning...
this first day of the year in worship...
to begin a new discipline...
to draw closer to God...
Already... before the pastor challenged...
God had called me... to something new...
(maybe not new to you... but new to me...)
a spiritual discipline inspired by a chosen devotional for the year...
A Charles Spurgeon devotional... an updated edition... Look Unto Me... The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon...
Early this morning... in the original preface... I read...
If you do not have time to read both the morning devotional and at least one chapter of Scripture, I earnestly entreat you to dispense with this book, for I would be greatly grieved to know that anyone read the Word of God less on my account.
---Charles Spurgeon, December 1865
As I read the words... at least one chapter of Scripture...
the thought came to mind... This year... read through the gospels... a chapter a day...
My new spiritual discipline... to draw closer to Him...
will take me through Matthew... Mark... Luke... John...
four times this year... if I keep the pace of one chapter a day...
(yes... I did the math...)
An idea I've thought of before... but never committed to...
never felt called to... till now...
The gospels tell Jesus's story...
at least the part He lived on earth...
as God-man... as Word made flesh... as Lamb of God...
the place where we live now...
facing the same temptations...
the same challenges He did...
The author of Hebrews tells us to consider Him...
so we do not lose heart...
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12:3 ESV
So this year... I will spend more time...
considering Him who endured...
and looking to Him... who perfects our faith...
...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 ESV
Ask Him what He wants you to do this year...
to draw closer to Him... to look to Him...
and see Him better...
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth;
It started yesterday...
the explaining of the one big Advent lesson...
and continues today...
Advent is a state of heart...
The songs of Behold the Lamb of God...
specifically... A Labor of Love...
and the personal practice of daily communion...
brought me to this understanding of Advent...
The kind we do at Christmas...
just four-ish weeks out of the year...
preparing for a thing already done...
is no preparation at all...
The call to daily communion...
led to inviting those in my home to the table...
The few days around Christmas...
at times... found all five of us sharing the meal...
remembering Him...
In one of these times...
the invitation given...
my three children gathered...
the Word read...
bread blessed and passed...
the beautiful young woman...
the one I call Baby Girl...
she yawns... as she takes the bread to her mouth...
And that's when I saw it...
I wish I could've captured the moment...
I saw the early church...
the one described in Acts...
gathering daily...
for prayers...
lessons from the apostles...
fellowship...
and the meal...
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
...
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking
bread in their homes, they received their food with glad
and generous hearts, praising God...
Acts 2:42, 46-47 ESV
Daily they came...no matter how tired...
daily... to share... and remember...
daily... to gather as the church...
It came to me a few years ago...
every believing marriage... the basic building block of the church...
every believing family... a church in and of itself...
And here in my kitchen...
gathered around the island...
makings of dinner...
a single votive...
a single cracker...
a single glass of wine...
we remember Him...
we are the church...
I remember His life...
His death...
His resurrection...
I remember we are currently in a time of waiting...
a time of advent...
We are waiting for Him to return...
No one knew the date or time of His first coming...
No one knows the date or time of His second coming...
Like those who were prepared for His first arrival...
we are to prepare for His second...
To truly practice advent...
is to practice it in the everyday...
in the ordinary moments of life...
In the practice of weekly worship...
in daily communion...
in hopeful waiting...
in obedience...
in righteous living...
daily...
daily...
daily...
moment...
by...
moment...
remembering...
waiting...
Advent is a state of heart...
Father God... help me hold on to the lesson of Advent...
So... we're done with Advent... but are we...?!
The biggest lesson I learned from Advent this year...?
Advent is a state of heart...
From the practice of daily communion...
and songs from Behold the Lamb of God...
I now see advent as... everyday...
I'll try to share with you here...
the source of insight...
(most likely in two parts...)
It began with a song...
re-listening... on a walk... A Labor of Love...
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyway that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
Little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
And no mother's hand to hold
--- Andrew Peterson, Behold the Lamb of God
Listening... I realized no one was prepared...
for the very first Christmas...
Only four knew for sure He was coming...
but even His parents... Mary... Joseph...
were unprepared for His arrival...
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be registered. This was the first
registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town
of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
lineage of David, to be registered with Mary,
his betrothed, who was with child. And while they
were there, the time came for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped
him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7 ESV
There were no wreaths on doors...
no wrapping of gifts to celebrate...
no carolers in the streets...
no special services... to prepare hearts for His birth...
The first Christmas was an ordinary day...
people going about their daily lives...
in the life of the Roman Empire...
The irony of Advent... waiting... preparing for Jesus's birth...
is that it's already done...
we see it from the rearview mirror...
It's easy to prepare when you know the date...
But Jesus... His first coming... came quietly...
Those who were prepared to see Him...
were those who... in their everyday way...
positioned themselves before God...
humbly... daily...
Practicing daily prayers...
practicing weekly Sabbath...
practicing righteousness with neighbors and strangers alike...
despite His four hundred years of silence...
To prepare for Christmas...
to practice Advent just the four Sundays before...
is no preparation at all...
It's done...
it's past...
it's not what we're waiting for...
I'm not saying don't celebrate...
I'm saying... it might need to look different...
more like the daily... than just a season...
more of a living in... what's already come...
than a re-enacting of... what's already done...
Walking one morning this week... feeling the pressure of limited time...
desiring to be ahead in the writing of devos... and Bible study days...
I brought my angst to Him...
As soon as I did... the story of the widow and her son came to mind... the one Elijah was sent to for help during the three year drought...
When he arrived she was about to make her final meal... there was just enough flour... just enough oil... for one more meal for her and her son... then they planned to die...
And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said.
But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward
make something for yourself, and your son. For thus says the Lord,
the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil
shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord
sends rain upon the earth.'"
1 Kings 17:13-14 ESV
So she went and did as Elijah said... and she and he and her household ate for many days... the jar of flour was not spent... neither did the jug of oil become empty...
And I'm sure this widow must have felt the same sort of angst as me...
no surplus of oil and flour... just enough for each day...
from jars that looked almost empty...
No guarantee... but the word of the Lord... that there would be more...
My flour and oil... words... teachings... insight... they have come...
but just for the day... the week... the moment...
and me feeling almost empty in between...
No guarantee of more... just the understanding of His call to continue...
I discern greed in my desire for devos written days ahead....
seeking rest... and ease... in a place of excess...
the angst a sign of little faith...
Why can't I rest...? with words just coming as needed...?
The lesson of the oil and flour... just enough for the day... an exercise in trust...
The same lesson learned by the Israelites in the wilderness... the manna coming just for the day...
The same way Jesus teaches His disciples to pray... Give us this day our daily bread... not a week's worth... or month's worth... but just for today...
God tests... stretches faith... by calling us to live a season with narrow margin...
An uncomfortable place... but one I'm becoming at rest in... as I practice thanks... rather than greed...
What in your life do you want more of...? where have you not been thankful for the just enough? where is He stretching your faith... with narrow margin...?
Father God... thank You for the words for today...
and the time that is just enough... Thank You...
for stretching my faith... teaching me to live...
with narrow margin... and be content... with daily bread...
What holds up the everyday...? the sunrise... and set... the moon in all its phases... the gradual change of the perpetual seasons... slowly... slowly... ever-changing... each day... the ordinary...?
Behind it all... and underneath... is hesed... the Hebrew word translated often as... steadfast love... God's hesed...
His loving kindness... endures... daily... keeps life going... and is often hard to see... easy to forget... or neglect... because it is so common...
It's not the stuff of the well-planned and prepared... not cultivated... it just appears... without any work on our behalf...
I'd love to know what ordinary blessings you are thankful for... consider leaving a comment at the bottom of this post... [email subscribers click the post title and it will take you to Jeremiah's Menu where you can comment...]
And you shall say to the people, This is the offering
made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord:
two male lambs a year old without spot or blemish,
two day by day, for continual burnt offering.
One lamb you shall offer in the morning
and the other in the evening...
Numbers 28:3-4 Amp
The Lord's direction for His people... given through Moses...
Daily... you shall offer a sacrifice...
morning... and... evening...
When I came across this morning and evening sacrifice in the reading through of The Journey... I didn't think much about it until... I consulted a commentary...
Every morning and evening, a lamb had to be sacrificed. The purpose of this is most important: 'Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God...' (Ex. 29:45-46).
The time of sacrifice for the Israelites played two roles...
The sacrifice of blood needed to cover their sins daily... that He might continue to dwell in their presence...
A reminder that He is their God... and they are dependent on Him...
Today... we Believers live by faith in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God... Jesus... by Whom all sins are forgiven... and through Whom we have access to God's presence 24/7...
But the reminder... that He is God... that our days are His... and we are completely dependent on Him... may require a sacrifice in our life... a reminder of His presence... grace... mercy...
And I think about sacrifice today... and what is hardest to find... to give...?
Time...
Now my way with Him... has come to a place where every morning... I give Him time... willingly... joyfully... starting may day... in His presence...
This did not always come easily... it began with discipline... effort... but it is now carved into my day...
The evening however... is a different story... my day seems to end in a blur of tasks... fading into a time of relaxing with family... and finally an unconscious state (usually in front of the television on the sofa)...
There is no evening sacrifice to the Lord in my life...
I've felt the call recently to initiate one... but it has yet to happen...
With this Word... I feel the call even more intensely... and remember the effort made for the morning sacrifice to become deeply ingrained in my life...
So this week... I choose to begin to carve out... work for... sacrifice... some time with Him... for Him... in the evening... the twilight of my day... the day He has blessed me with... and walked with me through... faithfully and full of grace...
We'll see how it goes...
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
I confess... my attitude toward obedience has not always been great. A reflection of my feelings found reading Reliving the Passion:
Here comes Jesus, closer and closer to me. Ah, the closer he comes, the less I like it. His very existence threatens mine...
I've grown used to my way of life. I like familiarity. I know my place in society, my reputation, my rights and privileges, all of which are comfortable to me. I know what power I have and what responsibilities. I worked hard for these things and deserve to keep them. Behold, I am a person of some prominence --- small or large, it doesn't matter: I am! This is me. This is my identity.
But here comes Jesus... and all of this is threatened.
--- Walter Wangerin Jr.
To come closer to Jesus is to change. Transform. Surrender. Die.
And [Jesus] said, "If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ..."
Luke 9:23-24 ESV
It's hard to die to self. Daily.
A hard call... one that leads to discomfort... I usually receive with a heavy sigh... an Ugh!... and a pained expression.
This I want to change. I want to see obedience in a brighter light.
I know it's an invitation to intimacy... I know how I feel after completion... closer to Him... increased peace... and joy...
But in the midst of the struggle... discomfort... how do I receive dying to self with joyful acceptance...?
And it comes to me... anticipating an uncomfortable day...
Again... approaching the dailys with Him... first thing in the morning... coffee in hand... pressed to lip... feeling... breathing in...
Lord... If only I could experience physical sensations of You...
like coffee...
Then the thought it comes...
All of creation reflects who He is...
He gives us physical experiences... for us to connect with Him... see Him in it... through it...
Creation... it is incredibly beautiful... amazingly complex... beyond human understanding... filled with mystery and wonder... fragrances... tastes... sensations...
He knew we would break relationship with Him... from before creation He knew... we would not always walk with Him in the Garden... He knew...
So He prepared... a world... a universe... in which we can physically sense Him... get a taste of who He is... through what He has made...
Like coffee... He's warm... stimulating... fresh... each morning...
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory."
Isaiah 6:3
Look for Him today... sense Him physically... through what He has created... for us... for you... for me...
May He bless you... with a physical sense of who He is... today...
[If you are so moved... I invite you to share your experience here... with a comment... To add a comment click the title post... a comment box appears just beneath the post...]
Daily devotions... commitments to pray... two thirty-day prayer journeys... one over half-way done... the other just five days in...
My attitude feels... stale... my heart distracted by other things to get to...
Lord... how do I keep these daily devotions fresh...? I want them to be a living part of my relationship with You... not a box to check... I want to be with You... pray in agreement with You... listen for You... as I pray through these thirty days...
Thoughts they turn to things I do each day... for family... for me... repetitive tasks to begin the day... beginnings on my mind because this is where I am right now... beginning my day... my spiritual tasks before Him...
Coffee... it sits next to my computer... warm... aromatic... fresh...
Each morning making coffee is one of the first tasks... a chore that doesn't always feel like a chore... I enjoy the result way too much... even though it's decaf... the warmth of the cup... the smell... taste... feel... of each swallow... is a fresh joy each day...
So today... I see... the need to approach these dailys with Him... these commitments I've made... as spiritual coffee...
First things first... made fresh... a living... active... part of my daily day with Him...
Lord... help me keep it fresh... each day... in every way...
The study with sisters... defined... a heart of worship... mind... will... emotion... fully engaged... with God... continually... allowing Him to fill the broken places in our hearts... the places only He can fill... with Living Water...
The Greek... translated worship... proskuneo... a compound word... meaning... move toward... and... kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand...
A dog's relationship with his master... is dependent... humble... tail-wagging... leaping upon... adoration...
We have dogs... one cowers before me when skulking from the flower bed... where he does not belong... the other... she prances right up with dirt on her nose... oblivious to the error of her ways... digging in forbidden zones...
The one who recognizes his faults... seeks to be near... any of my family... running to the garage... when our cars arrive... tail wagging... bounding...
The one oblivious to error... always wags... her whole body...
But their lives... are highly focused on their family... their masters... the ones who feed... water... pet...
The other picture of worship... came from my treadmill read this morning... not mentioned specifically as worship... but gave a description of what we should begin to understand as the worship He calls us to... the chapter focusing on... leading from a Christ-centered heart...
Christ-Centered Leaders Focus on Growing Hearts, Not on Growing Attendance...
They are obsessed, instead, with challenging their congregation members to move closer to Christ. To live a sold-out life. To surrender it all. Nothing else is as important as that.
Worship... it does not happen on Sunday morning... (or Saturday night or Wednesday evening)... in a sanctuary... or auditorium... worship is a way of life... a way of the heart... mind... will... emotion... engaged... daily... (just like my family's dogs...) focused on... moving toward... Jesus... constantly... with a heart engaged... whether we recognize our sin or not...
The Master... our Lord... Jesus... He loves us... longs for us to move toward Him... surrender our lives to Him... be consumed with Him... in fellowship with Him... just as His love for us... compelled Him to die... for... us...
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice --- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Wrestling anew... with self-pity... regarding a diagnosis... one that changed my style of living... more than thirty-one months ago (but who's counting)... a state that will not change, but may grow worse, unless I remain self-disciplined...
A time of vacation... when ways become relaxed for those around me... but I cannot indulge... raises... stirs up... the pity...
Another's words... reminders of truth... provide a mooring... for a stirred up spirit...
The word "mindful," in the question, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" implies that man is a fixture in God's mind and comes to His remembrance continually.
He loves you not because you are worthy, but because He is God and you are a fixture in His mind. You are spiritually depraved, intellectually blind and morally corrupt. But God says, "Yet will I not forget thee" (Isa. 49:15). I believe that, and I base my life on that truth.
When we remember that everything God does is going to be done in a perfectly wise manner, so there is no mistake possible, a wonderful peace of heart comes, along with growth and spiritual strength.
To know God is to trust Him completely. In order to seek God we must look beyond circumstances and in holy fascination gaze upon the one who loves us.
To know that I am a fixture in God's mind... stuck there by His love... is a truth that anchors me... and by faith... enables me to trust and endure... what He has allowed...
My role... is to fix my mind on Him... just as He is on me... be... mind-full... of Him... and His truth...
Lord... I trust that You know what's best for me... I choose to trust Your love for me... whatever comes... whatever is... I trust Your purpose... and plan... for me...
Yesterday's thoughts... of drama overshadowing the ordinary... have me looking about for the blessing of the everyday....
What holds up the everyday...? the sunrise... and set... the moon in all its phases... the gradual change of the perpetual seasons... slowly... slowly... ever-changing... each day... the ordinary...?
Behind it all... and underneath... is hesed... the Hebrew word translated often as... steadfast love... God's hesed...
His loving kindness... endures... daily... keeps life going... and is often hard to see... easy to forget... or neglect... because it is so common...
It's not the stuff of the well-planned and prepared... not cultivated... it just appears... without any work on our behalf...
I'd love to know what ordinary blessings you are thankful for... consider leaving a comment at the bottom of this post... [email subscribers click the post title and it will take you to Jeremiah's Menu where you can comment...]
