Cultivating Dependence

Those who wait on the Lord . . . shall walk and not faint —Isaiah 40:31

There is no thrill for us in walking, yet it is the test for all of our steady and enduring qualities. To “walk and not faint” is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word “walk” is used in the Bible to express the character of a person— “. . . John . . . looking at Jesus as He walked. . . said, ’Behold the Lamb of God!’ ” (John 1:35-36). There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, “Be spiritual,” but He says, “Walk before Me. . .” (Genesis 17:1).

When we are in an unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we always look for thrills in life. In our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit; in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to the destruction of our morality; and in our spiritual life, if we insist on pursuing only thrills, it will result in the destruction of our spirituality.

Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the psalmist speaks of— “We will not fear, even though . . .” (Psalm 46:2)— will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God’s presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it.

Then we will exclaim, “He has been here all the time!” At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, “Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that.” Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to our spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.

Wisdom@Work - WB Journal
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The Bread of Life

For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." - John 6:33

No bread that is prepared on the earth will nourish a human soul. In all our worldly work and ambition we think only of the part of us that will someday die. We are looking only after the poor, frail house, while we are allowing the resident within to die of hunger. There are many souls starving in bodies that are comfortably cared for. A soul cannot feed on meat and fruit. The finest luxuries of the world will never satisfy a soul's hunger.

Manna is called once in the Bible “angels' food,” but this was only a poetic term, referring to its falling from the sky. Manna did not really come down from heaven. It was not the food of angels. It was food for bodies, not for spirits. Angels could not have lived on it. Imagine an angel coming to live in some millionaire's mansion on the earth. Would he care for the magnificent things filling every room? Would he sit down and eat at the rich man's fancy meals?

Souls and angels are much alike in their needs; both are spirits, unable to survive on material food. Yet many people live as if their souls could be clothed in earth's fashions and fed and satisfied with earth's natural food.

Bread for souls must literally come down from heaven. It is the nature of the soul to feed upon immortal things. It's hunger and thirst are for the forgiveness of sin, for peace, for communion with God, for holiness of character, for Christ-likeness, for restoration of right standing with God. The bread for these spiritual hungers must come down from heaven. It must come in the form of mercy, of grace, of love and of relationship with Christ.

Such food is not found on any table on earth. It grows in no earthly place. It can come only from God. It is for God, the living God, that our souls hunger and thirst.