Finding and giving nourishment
As with all seasons, fall has its own unique beauty as the changing colors of foliage bring forth a majestic landscape of red, orange, yellow and brown. Fall smooths the pathway for those of us challenged by sudden changes in temperature, helping us transition from the heat of summer into the cold of winter. Another amazing characteristic of fall is its ability to rejuvenate the earth with the gift of leaves to nourish the soil for the future growth of plants and trees.
Thanksgiving is here! The holiday season seems to last from Thanksgiving through Christmas and most of us will have no shortage of nourishment–the kind we get from food. Nutritional sustenance is necessary for us; we must have food to live.
But we need spiritual nourishment as well.
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’.” Matthew 4:4
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
When we eat a meal, we are going to be hungry again soon. Unless it is Thanksgiving and we might be so overstuffed that we cannot eat until the next day–but we will be hungry again.
The miracle of the amazing love that Jesus has for us is that the nourishment He provides lasts forever. That is not to say that we don’t need the spiritual nourishment that comes from reading the Bible, praying, and worshiping with other believers. Sometimes, we even use the analogy that we are “hungry for God.” We crave a relationship with Him that draws us closer and closer to Him.
We are blessed that we can always have that close connection with our Lord.
Jesus assured the Samaritan woman at the well:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13
Many of us “hunger and thirst” for that closer relationship with God. We feed this hunger with prayer, meditation, Bible study, and worship. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit enters us, fills us, completes us. We have a bond of love with our Lord that nothing can break.
Our God is faithful and we are called to respond in faithful service.
Just as the leaves of fall enrich the soil and nourish future plants, we are called to nourish future generations. By our example–living as loving and compassionate members of society; sharing the good news of Jesus with others; and being positive role models for our children and grandchildren and all young people–we can bring others to Christ and nourish them in their walk with our Lord.
Do you have suggestions as to how we can nourish others in their journey to and with our Lord? Please share a comment.
On your journey, being in the Word of God can nourish you. Feed Your Soul with the Word of God is a wonderful Bible study (also an inspiring daily devotional). It is available from www.lighthousebiblestudies.com or on Amazon.
Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving, my friends. I pray that you will be nourished on your journey and that you will be a blessing to others as you share the love of God with them.
Wonderful reminder that with Jesus we will be content and never hunger nor thirst. Thanksgiving helps remind us to always be thankful.
Aren’t we blessed that He loves us with a power and grace even beyond our understanding? I am thankful for your friendship and so grateful for your prayers.
I love the idea of enriching the earth. Beautifully written.
I am a farm girl from way back, so I am blessed by my affinity toward this beautiful Earth God has granted us as our home. We are so blessed! Thank you for your encouragement. Happy Thanksgiving!
I love your comparison, Katherine. We are so busy in this season – Christmas rush has already began – that we forget to be kind. An encouraging word or a kind act greatly enriches the lives of those around us.
Thank you, Sherry. I know exactly what you mean by the “rush.” I think it begins at Halloween! But, it has been my experience (for the most part) that Christmas brings out the best in people–that we love one another better during Christmas. I pray that we all will be kind to one another during this busy season (and the rest of the year, too!) Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving and peace during the “rush.”
Wonderful, heartfelt post Ms. Katherine. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us; this week especially ma’am. God’s blessings; and Happy Thanksgiving to you and “Farmer Bob.” Am going to have to send him a ball cap one day. 🙂 Us farmers have to stick together!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Diane! Hope everyone on the ranch (including the cattle) has an happy, healthy, and blessed holiday. I enjoy seeing those pictures of your new babies. Yep, we farmers do need to stick together–we feed the world!
Love your post and the comparison on our physical and spiritual nourishment. Jesus told us He is the Bread of life and we do need to continue feeding oh Him to stay spiritually healthy.
This seems to be a special time for us to remember that, Barbara–Jesus as the Bread of Life. The holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas is a time of joyous celebration that most often involves food–and plenty of it! Thank you for reminding us to feed on the Bread of Jesus as we indulge (or over-indulge) on the culinary delights of the holidays. Merry Christmas!