Welcome my friend, come on in & we’ll enjoy a cuppa together while reflecting upon life’s difficulties & how to thrive not just survive.
First, let’s grab a mug of our favourite hot beverage, a treat & get comfy for our time together. Today I’m having an Australian Bush tea accompanied by a slice of gf Date Loaf. Both delicious!
Now we’re settled let’s begin…
Life is a Wilderness Experience…don’t you think?
The other day I was reading some posts that I had written a few years ago & the following statement stood out to me;
“Life is an extreme experience that has its adverse affects upon us all!” Ref
These posts were observing the contestants in the TV series Alone in the inhospitable Alaskan wilderness where the contestant who stayed the longest in the wilderness won.
What I had observed in this program is that all contestants had different strategies for getting their food & nutrient needs.
Some relied on their wilderness skills & experience while others had bulked up their weight before entering the contest.
Where the most skilled hunters amongst them had caught plenty of food they actually miscalculated their nutrient needs & literally starved their bodies. Because they were over cautious in conserving their food supply & consumed far too little for their body’s daily needs.
But in the end no matter what strategy they used the wilderness proved too hostile for each contestant with all suffering physically & mentally.
This had me thinking that there is a spiritual lesson for us in the above examples, asking the following;
Are we properly utilizing the spiritual nutrients God supplies for us when facing life’s difficulties?
Habitation & Cultivation of our own Wilderness
Firstly, let’s start at the beginning when we enter this world, we all have within us a wild & inhospitable wilderness, especially to the Spirit of God.
But when we become a child of God the habitation of the Holy Spirit takes place & the cultivation process begins.
Although this cultivation may take awhile because we believe deep down we can still do certain things Alone. So we wrestle with giving up some areas of our life to the Lord.
Thus we trek through different life experiences & while each season may reveal areas of beautiful growth nurtured by Him, other areas reveal persistent untamed wildernesses.
It takes daily absorption of nutrients to grow…
You see my friend we are all dependent upon God’s continual supply for our spiritual wellbeing.
However, those supplies are not going to sustain us if we don’t utilize & absorb His nutrients properly.
For example; the strategy of bulking up our spiritual weight on God’s Word in one season, thinking that strategy will get us through without further daily nourishment in another may seem like a good idea at the time.
And may even give us some reserves for awhile but eventually will take a high toll upon our spiritual & emotional wellbeing for it will quickly deplete!
Conversely, not absorbing enough spiritual nutrients day to day, though the supply is plentiful will begin to malnourish our soul!
For a well balanced spiritual diet, we need the daily nourishment of reading God’s Word, time with Him in prayer & most of all a redeemed relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[a]Hallowed be Your name.
10 [b]Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
[c]On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day [d]our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [e]evil.[f]’
Matthew 6: 9-13 NASB
As this prayer is not only for the nourishment of our physical body but more importantly for the nourishment of our souls.
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2024 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photo by James Wheeler at pexels.com
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As I continue on this road called life, I face many challenges, some large and others small. As you mentioned above, for a well-balanced spiritual diet, we need the daily nourishment of reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer with Him. It is very important. Thank you for sharing your post with us at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party #51.
Thank you Stephanie 😊
I was remembering this quote as I was reading, Grow through life and not go through life. Thank you.
Thank you Lakshmi ☺️
oh i’ve been in those seasons of barely surviving. i cherish these thriving seasons where i feel alive in His love, grateful for health and energy, an interest in other people and in creating.
Thank you Linda, yes it’s such a blessing to cherish & appreciate His love through all seasons. Lovely having you drop by today my friend.
Jennifer, you are so right – we cannot bulk up. Your post brought to mind the daily manna God provided for His people as they trekked through the wilderness. He does the same for us through the provision of His Word. May we partake each day. Blessings to you, sweet friend!
Thank you Joanne, yes the manna in the wilderness is a great example. Blesings to you too my friend!
As always, your posts are uplifting and encouraging. This is a great question you posed, Jennifer.
“Are we properly utilizing the spiritual nutrients God supplies for us when facing life’s difficulties?”
God gives the believers all we need in His Word and through communion with Him. We just need to be faithful to do what we know to do.
May God pour out His blessings on you and your family, my friend!
Thank you Pam. I echo your following statement;
“God gives the believers all we need in His Word and through communion with Him. We just need to be faithful to do what we know to do.”
Blessings to you sweet friend, Jennifer 💕