The Heart’s True Diet
Well, hello there, friend, come right on up the path and step on up to this ol’ front porch. Well, I do declare, it’s a mighty big pleasure just to have you stoppin’ by here today. Pull that ol’ rocker over here and sit yourself down. If this porch had a personality, it’d wave you in with the same enthusiasm as an ol’ mountain granny spottin’ some real good company comin’ up the holler for a lil’ ol’ visit. You look like you just might be someone searchin’ for what truly keeps a soul alive the way a determined ol’ raccoon searches for supper under a loose barn plank. So, settle in now because we’re about to walk through a truth that feeds a whole lot deeper than fresh-baked cornbread and beans simmerin’ on a wood stove.
“Jesus answered, It is written. Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). That verse sits plum at the center of spiritual survival like a wise ol’ hoot owl perched high up on a cedar limb. Experts will tell you that you need air, water, food, shelter, and sleep. They’re sho’-nuff’ not wrong. Your body needs those things to function. But your soul needs something more, though. You downright need faith more you need than food. You need hope more than shelter. You need love more than oxygen. You can have every physical need met and still feel a whole lot emptier than a hollow stump in winter.
The disciples had food, water, and shelter. They had each other. Yet after Jesus was crucified, they were as empty as a feed trough after a hungry ol’ goat gets through with it. They had lost faith, hope, and love. Without those three essentials, all the bread in the world couldn’t even begin to satisfy ‘em. Jesus reminded ‘em of His purpose when He said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). And Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” That verse stands tall like a sturdy ol’ oak tree that refuses to bow to the howlin’ wind. It tells us that true life comes right straight from God Himself, not from the things we gather or consume.
Jesus came to give you more than survival. He came to give you abundant life. Abundant life requires the ability to believe, the capacity to hope, and the power to love. These essentials are found only in Christ. Without Him, you can exist, but you’ll never truly be livin’. With Him, you can face anything, endure anything, overcome anything.
Lord, feed my soul with Your truth. Strengthen my heart with Your presence. Teach me to seek what truly sustains me. Fill me with faith, hope, and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ok now, friend, as you rise from this here place and git headed toward whatever daily doin’s you’ve got planned, you can make sure that your courage can stand taller than a scarecrow guarding a summer field. Your trust in God can settle deeper than a river stone restin’ exactly where the current placed it. Your hope can shine brighter than a glowin’ lantern hangin’ on a cabin wall at dusk. And your heart can follow the Lord’s leadin’ with the steady confidence of a wise ol’ deer that knows every good trail in the woods. Go on now, friend, and carry His life and light within you so you can let it shine for others to be seein’.
With joy,
Gwen
