Friday, February 6, 2015
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My wife and I have some hummingbird feeders. Because those busy little guys, they're fascinating to watch! You know, they come as back porch visitors. You've probably seen them. Their wings go so fast you can hardly see the wings. They're virtually like God's little helicopters. They hover, they fly backwards, and then they fly away. I love to watch them. And do they like sugar! My wife mixes up this concoction that's basically sugar-water and they flock to it. Then they'll fly off in this burst of acrobatic energy, only to return a few minutes later for a refill.
Now, I've been told that if they go very long without some sugar, whether it's the natural kind they get from flowers or from our backyard potion, they become sort of catatonic or whatever...maybe "birdatonic" is a better word! If only birds could talk human talk, you might hear them say as they come back for their forty-seventh consecutive drink, "Must have sugar! Must have sugar!" See, God has got a lot of spiritual hummingbirds in His family. Here comes one now, "Must have sugar!" Spiritual sugar that is; the kind too many of us Christians actually depend on to keep us flying.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Move From Jesus-Highs to a Jesus-Life."
Our word today from the Word of God comes from Luke 6:47-49. Jesus is describing here two different kinds of believers. "I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice. He's like a man building a house who digs down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
All right, two believers; one whom the storm cannot shake because his faith is "well built"; another one who falls apart because he is without a foundation-collapsed. What's the difference? What does it say here? You hear, you study the Bible, and then you do what you read. That's the only way to have a storm-proof durable relationship with Jesus Christ. It all has to do, not just with hearing His words. The difference is putting them into practice in these verses. If you're not strong in His Word, you are not going to be an all-weather follower of Christ. And just when you need to be the closest to Jesus - in a storm - you're going to be falling apart.
I guess we could call the Bible God's spiritual protein; the diet that gives you consistent energy and commitment. But a lot of us are like those hummingbirds. We're addicted to sugar; the major fuel for our relationship with Jesus is that next spiritual high. "Must have a retreat! When's the conference! When's the next spiritual speaker? I need the feeling. I need a sign from God."
For some of God's birds, or children, church is a weekly sugar fix where you feel good and you feel God for a little while only to return to the same old spiritually catatonic state the rest of the week. Maybe you're getting tired, maybe even disillusioned with this spiritual roller coaster. Are you tired of that roller coaster?
I've often said to young people, "You don't need to get another high. You need to get a life." That applies to believers of all ages. You're ready for some spiritual consistency aren't you? Some reality? You ready for a life with Jesus? Well, then, it's graduation time! It's time to step up to the discipline that makes the difference: meeting your Lord Jesus one-on-one each new day in His book; getting up early to get into His Word. To anchor your day to a personal "word with you" from the living God, and not just trying to resurrect some faded spiritual high back there.
You've tried the sugar diets, the bursts of energy followed by the collapse. Aren't you ready for the real food? Well, that's a regular time with Jesus. That's the fuel that's going to keep you flying all the time.