The first woman was not very different from this woman. She had a perfect, sweet relationship with God, walking beside the Creator of her perfect world in a sunrise aurora each morning. One morning, she tossed that intimacy aside like a stripped chicken bone—exchanging face-to-face conversations with God for a bite of fruit.
I have never had a perfect relationship with God. But I have, when faced with a stretch of time, discarded meditation like a stripped chicken bone—exchanging intimate conversations with God for a big bite of Apple (or Microsoft, as the case may be).
Sleep was the apple for the disciples waiting in Gethsemane . This present world was the apple for Demas. And technology is often my apple. Technology is not wrong, but when it or society or sleep or any other thing distracts us from meditating on the words of God, they become our apples.
Think of meditation as gorging your soul on the Bread of Life and on the sweeter-than-honeycomb words of God written to you. In spite of that potential feast, stupidity often carries the day for me, and I still hold up my palm and say, “I’m good—I’ve got my Red Delicious of the knowledge of good and evil.” It’s a fruit that tantalizes your tongue but paralyzes your soul.
So when you contemplate your apple today, when you gaze at your reflection in its glossy ruby skin, when your fingers reach out to caress its buxom shape: choose, just choose, to talk to God instead. After your tongue tastes the honeycomb, you won’t ever want to go back to Apple.
Photo Credit: Helga Weber
Hi Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI would love for you or your sister to do a piece on your feelings about the Olympics - so many of the athletes praise God for their victories, but in some sports there are also modesty issues to contend with. It would be interesting to know which events you do or don't watch and why!
Best wishes,
Samantha
This post is quite timely for me. Too easily I settle for what is instantly gratifying rather than choosing what is eternally satisfying. Thank you, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteLauren,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing this post. I was attracted to this post because of something I read this morning. I read that Eve exchanged her perfect sight, perfect relationship, and the perfect world for something that she hadn't seen. And that was sin. Anyway... I was excited to see that!
Thank you for the encouragement. How true it is that we can get sidetracked and caught up in daily life and forget the LORD. Thank you so much for this refreshing post. It needs to be heard! Thank you!
Blessings to you!
~Emily
This is just what I needed, Lauren! Thanks for the timely reminder. :) Keeping our eyes fixed soley on Jesus is the only thing that will truly satisfy us.
ReplyDeleteAbiding in Him,
Kaylyn
What are the idols of our hearts? Every morning we should wake up with the mindset of "kill the flesh". Thank you for this blogpost!
ReplyDeleteSamantha--Thanks for your idea--it's a challenging and thought-provoking one that I will be praying about!
ReplyDeleteRuthie--I do exactly the same! I'm so thankful that God is so faithful! How are you doing over there with Andy and Karina gone?
Emily--Yes, why did Eve and why do we assume that sin is more satisfying than all God's blessings?! Meditation and contentment are both things that I am constantly working on! Where did you read that quote?
Kaylyn--Yes! Thanks for joining me in keeping our eyes fixed on Christ! It reminds me of the hymn "Look and Live" and the Old Testament story that goes along with that. Do you know that hymn?
Abby Kay--Thanks be to God that I am already dead to the flesh in Christ: Romans 8:2 "And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." I do think I need to paste this reminder by my bed so I can see it each morning!