Drink from the river of life

"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart." Psalm 36:5-10

These verses were part of my Bible study the other day. Of course, "they feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights" jumped off the page at me. The basic premise for the inclusion of these verses was that we, as Christians, may know God and yet still long to do worldly things because they seem more fun, fulfilling or satisfying. I remember the analogy of doing the Christian-thing because it's good for us like bran but we desire the chocolate malt of what we mistakingly perceive people have who are not living according to Biblical principles.

How far that thinking is from the truth! God wants us to feast from His abundance and drink from the river of His delights. Beth Moore noted that in Christian circles, there are times that we're just simply doing what our parents did or what our church has taught us rather than trying to intimately discover who the Lord is and what He has for us. She discussed the Garden of Eden where God told Adam & Eve that they could eat of any tree except for one, and He had created an abundance for them to enjoy. Beth Moore said we've been living on apples & bananas and we're getting bored, but God has created all sorts of other things for us to consume and enjoy like mangos, papayas and pineapples. We're living off of sermons we hear and a strict diet of the same ol' thing when there's so much more that God has for us if we'd wholeheartedly follow Him! Within the confines of His authority, there are the greatest pleasures we could know! And, He doesn't withold good things from His children. He wants the best for us! He created love, marriage, family, and all sorts of other things for our enjoyment because He loves us.

God's love is unfailing. He will satisfy our deepest cravings. I'm learning that eating - while it may feel satisfying at the moment - does not really get to my deepest longings. I remember the feeling of being absolutely full and yet craving something to eat or munch on. Boredom or dissatisfaction was one of my biggest challenges. It's not certain types of food that will bring me delight - it's a relationship with the Creator of all sorts of delights. A river of them, in fact!  He encourages us to drink! He is the living water! And He is the giver of life. May you be encouraged to fall more deeply in love with Him today and feast and drink on what He has for you, which will make you healthier and thinner.

Dear Heavenly Father, first I must say how grateful I am that Your love reaches to the heavens and Your faithfulness stretches to the skies. Thank You for giving us refuge beneath Your wings and allowing us to feast on the abundance of Your house and drink from Your river of delights. Lord, I ask that You would take our breath away (well, not literally, but You know what I mean). Make us yearn for more of You. May we be satisfied in our relationship with the Creator of every good and perfect gift and not try to find some would-be-satisfaction from worldly pleasures that only make us feel more empty inside and fatter on the outside. Keep us in step with You and focused on You - show us the treasures You have for us. And, Lord, please make us healthy and thin for Your glory. We love You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!