Seeds to Nourish my Soul
I can barely contain myself this morning. I counted five bright red cardinals a few feet beyond our patio doors. Chickadees and sparrows joined in the morning routine, sending little bursts of freshly fallen snow into the air. A blanket of white covered the forest of pines, just behind our property. Stunning!
It all appeared so effortless and enjoyable. Each feathered friend landed on the overflowing feeder or flitted along the ground, grasping a scattered seed in its beak and darting back and forth from feeder to trees. I wondered if that exercise was to invite more to the banquet.
My husband, Bob, carefully chooses just the right mixture of nuts and seeds to satisfy each appetite. As soon as the level on the feeder goes down, he dons his big, felt-lined boots, grabs the enormous bag and refills the plastic containers.
He delights in providing these beautiful creatures their daily sustenance and then stands back to watch them enjoy his provision. Some might argue that this generosity on Bob’s part ruins the natural instinct of the birds to find their own food, but without the seeds he provides, the birds would suffer during the long, cold Canadian winter.
God, too, has chosen just the right seeds to satisfy us. He simply delights when we approach his table of delicacies and taste each one.
Some say we should be able to live life on our own. But when we struggle to make it without the sustenance freely offered by our Heavenly Father, misery and hardship are the inevitable results.
God created us to be in relationship with Him, to be fully nourished by the banquet He provides: His presence, His strength, and power through His Word. Once you have tasted of this feast, nothing else could ever hope to satisfy the longings within. It’s an “all you can eat buffet”, but feel free to start with a few bites.
Oh, before you dive in, I am reminded of how much more fun it is to share a meal with others. So why not join me as together we enjoy tasting the delicious delights that God has set before us?
How about you? Have you tasted the goodness of God?
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Originally written foreword for Woman of the Word-edited
