Preferences come to mind as I wake up this morning. I think about how, as a little girl, my parents would make me a cup of coffee to enjoy with them. My cup was a tiny version of theirs. And my coffee was a milky, sweet, concoction with very little coffee in it. That’s how I preferred it then. I never drank coffee after I got older. So when my hubby and I got married, I had a hard time remembering to even make coffee, although he drank it. Finally, he talked me into trying some with him. I had the same preference as in childhood – milk sweet and very little coffee. Over the years I have grown to love coffee and our coffee time together is special every day. My preferences have changed greatly. I prefer it stronger and with various flavors as the mood hits.
Oh beloved, God speaks to my heart – you cannot have preferences when it comes to the Word of God. It’s not a fix as you like recipe – it is your life and breath. As believers we are instructed to take it all in. As children we do desire the sincere milk of the word but it’s not watered down or bereft of instruction – it is what we grow by.
God wants you to know this morning that He has intimate knowledge of all your ways and He understands your life. He is here with us to provide all the sustenance an of us will ever need. But we have to learn to take it all in. We cannot live by our own preferences alone. We live most fully when we live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Just as I had a hard time remembering to make coffee before I liked it for myself, we have to put forth the effort to take it in even if we don’t see the need or remember why. But as you and I take more Word in, and as we apply it to our daily life, everything changes. It’s alive. Unlike coffee, whose caffeine will fade at some point, the Word will never fade. The more you take it in, the more you are going to like it, live it and walk in it.
God knows your situation and He’s aware you want to give up. The Word will revive you. It will give you restoration even in the destructive times. He knows you feel unloved as well. But His Word is pure love – the kind that will sustain you, carry you and keep you free from the temptations of life. He is thrilled to see you join Him through the Word. He is ready to bless your efforts when you give up your own preferences and take it all in – every drop.
God loves you and He’s for you. Drink freely from the fountain of life. Let Him fill you to the full with Himself. Allow Holy Spirit to grant you wisdom, power and love as you drink of it. And live, beloved, with His Word in your hand and in your mouth and on your mind every single day!
I Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
Hebrews 5:14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Rebekah Beene 