Especially in the colder months, I sometimes find myself wanting to eat an orange just for the smell of it. While peeling it, the aroma seems to be everywhere. After eating it, the sweet scent continues to linger on my hands. It’s unfortunate that I frequently forget just how great oranges are, and I eat junk food instead. Isn’t it ridiculous that, when an orange and an order of french fries are both readily available—and we know we’ll feel better while digesting the orange—we too often choose the fries? I think we’d all prefer to share the room with someone who smells of citrus rather than someone carrying the odor of a deep fryer.
Many of us try to cram too many activities into our calendars, usually at the expense of our mental, emotional, and physical health. I know that spending time reading my Bible is to a spiritual lifestyle what eating that orange is to a physical one. I still find myself making time for things that don’t matter, and the result is double the dissatisfaction! First, I’m guilty about wasting my time; secondly, I’ve done nothing to help deal with stress. It is no surprise to me that making time for Bible study makes the rest of my life fall into place.
Like that sweet smell of the orange lingering on my hands, the effect of devotional time stays with me for a while. It can begin to fade, though. Devoting time to God is such a fulfilling labor of love, similar to peeling an orange. Imagine that while you read a passage today, the effect stains your fingertips. When you next pick up your Bible, it will cover your hands. It will of course take time to completely saturate the center of your head and your heart. With every step, others will want to be around us more often because of God’s love radiating from us.
My prayer for you is that the Bible finds its way into your hands on a frequent basis, and that the sweet result is a combination of greater joy and inner peace.
Natalie Wray
1 comment:
Beautiful. simple, profound..
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