Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
I consider myself to be one who has a spiritual appetite for strong meat. I enjoy going into the deep with my brothers in Christ of whom I have great respect and fruitful communion. So I was more than a little surprised when asked to digest some herbs of the spirit. It seemed such a small thing, it was not a big deal. What was surprising was that I found it distasteful. How can that be?
Joel 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
I did not offer this up to God as worship. I allowed pride to demand an answer without humbling myself before the source of all righteousness.
Exodus 11:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
I had forgotten the lessons of the bitter herb.
Exodus 11:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.
Do this in remembrance of Me, He said, and I had forgotten to honor from whom my joy comes.
It might seem like a small thing to many, but it burned in my heart and I had lost my peace. It was not a small thing to me.
Do not blame others for the bitter taste in your own mouth.
When I was just a kid, I had an uncle who was a great influence on my life. His favorite book of the Bible was the Song of Solomon. I heard his ministry on it, saw the effects of it in his life and came to an early realization that the Bible, the Word of God, is a book for the HEART, not just the intellect. God’s Word is designed to draw my HEART to Jesus, Who is the total object of the HEART of God. I bow my heart in silent worship!!!
Thank you, brother, for your wonderful blog post and the privilege to interact.