Hope

Thank you, Daddy and Aunt Velma, for your posts. They made me laugh and were very encouraging.

It's funny to me that we think it's odd when God speaks to us. As if we find it surprising, when he speaks to us all the time--it's just that sometimes we are more apt to listen to him than others.

Well, tonight after I got out of the bath, I heard his voice. Normally I go straight to writing, but he impressed upon me that I really needed to go read my Bible. He didn't put a particular book or verse in my head, just to go read.

(Be prepared, this is a long story...)

As I was sitting down, Luke made a comment about feeling bad about all the years he's wasted, and I paraphrased the verse about God redeeming the years the locusts have stolen. He asked me to look it up, and I thought it was from Jeremiah, so I randomly turned to Jeremiah, to Chapter 15. But it wasn't there. So I went and looked it up, and turns out it was in Joel.

Anyway... (told you this was long)

I felt like I should read Jeremiah Chapter 15 anyway. And this is what I found in Jeremiah Chapter 15, verse 16:

"Your words were found, and I ate them. And your word to me was the joy and rejoicing of my heart. For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."

I cannot tell you how reading this verse changed my heart instantly. Before I felt low and depressed and lonely, but after reading that, I am encouraged so much.

My subsistence should be God's word, my relationship with Him, not food. Food is not my comfort; food cannot fill my soul. But God can, and does. I belong to Him. And I can gorge myself on His word any day.

I am praying for you guys, everyone. Because as silly and as ridiculous as it seems, if food distracts us from our relationship with Him, if we turn to food to comfort us or bring us joy instead of going to Him, then we are cheating ourselves.

And I would challenge you, every time you pray a blessing over your food, to take joy in Him. Let Him satisfy your heart's craving.


Love,
Ashley