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The Godly Wife

07 May
The Godly Wife

We’ve been going through Peter’s first letter to the church. We’re now in chapter 3, which deals with husband and wife relationships. The apostle continues to give some insight for wives.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV

He starts by saying that the beauty of a godly woman should not be all about the external view. This is true even though we live in an externally conscious society. Unfortunately, many Christians have fallen into this trap.

It’s not the elaborate hairstyles or gold decorations that should be impressing people about who you are. He also makes a statement that should speak volumes to the women of our generation. You shouldn’t be following the investing of yourself into the clothing of the world.

What kind of look is he talking about? It’s the outfit that screams, “LOOK AT ME!!!” That’s the world’s way of adornment.

This self-promotion shouldn’t be the priority of the believer. Our world view should be more toward emphasizing the concealed person of the heart. The question is; would you rather them comment on your new hairdo more than your prayer life?

You have to come to the realization that your life is not all about you. It’s about your relationship to Christ and your husband.

The fact is that everything in the first statement of the above passage decays and goes out of style. But the second half gives you spiritual power.

The word, gentle, above, is actually the word meek. I know we don’t like that word, but in reality, meekness is not weakness. The Scriptural definition is your strength under the control of the Lord.

The next way Peter describes the godly wife is with a quiet spirit. This literally means that you are undisturbed. You know who you are and where you belong and nothing can move you from it.

God says that this type of life is extremely expensive. That’s why so few women pay for it. They’d much rather get the clothes, jewelry, and hairstyles.

For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

1 Peter 3:5-6 NIV

This is the conclusion of the issue. As a wife, you know your husband’s shortcomings. So, what you have to do is to put your hope – your expectations – in God and not your husbands. (They are fallible and will let you down.)

The godly women of Scripture learned how to arrange themselves correctly under God, by arranging themselves under their husbands. Then, they had nothing to be afraid of.

This does not mean that a wife is a doormat to be walked on by her husband. She can be a strong individual. Look at Sarah in Genesis 21, where she made it clear to Abraham how she felt about Ishmael. He followed her exhortation.

The path to godly womanhood reaps eternal rewards.

Question: Do you see any examples of this in your life?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2025 in Relationships

 

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Outside Vs. Inside

20 Jun
Outside Vs. Inside

As we continue through the book of Luke, we come to a meeting between Jesus and a Pharisee. I don’t think that the Pharisee knew what he was getting into as he ate with the Lord.

When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.

Luke 11:37-38 NIV

The first thing we need to realize is that Jesus did not have bad hygiene. The washing this refers to, is a ceremonial washing. It was a tradition that sometimes could take up to an hour to accomplish before a meal, even though everything that was washed was already clean.

When He saw the Pharisee’s surprise, Jesus takes the time to explain things to him. The Lord wants to show this leader that there are more important things than following tradition.

Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?”

Luke 11:39 NIV

Jesus is talking here about the Pharisees themselves. They are very outward conscious. What people thought about them was more important than their inner character. Jesus is now going to bring that to their attention.

He literally tells them that they’re acting mindlessly. They’re not taking into account the fact that God places greater importance on what’s on the inside of a person.

He sees their lives as full of greed and wickedness. They grasp at what they want with no regard to God’s will for them. They have evil motives, but no one can see this part of their lives.

“You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside [the dish] to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.”

Luke 11:40-41 NIV

The Lord makes it clear that they should be following God’s law instead. They should live as givers. They should be trying to be a blessing to those around them who are in need. That would be a “cleaner” lifestyle.

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”

Luke 11:42 NIV

Jesus makes it clear that these Pharisees were practicing tradition over substance in their walk with God. They were doing some of the things required by the law, but neglecting the heart of it.

Actually, what they were doing amazes me when I think about it. They even tithed (donated ten percent as an offering) from the herbs they grew in their gardens.

I wouldn’t have even thought about doing that. Counting how many basil leaves I picked and then giving ten percent to the temple. It would be a tiny amount. Yet these leaders were doing just that.

The problem was, they were doing it to look good in front of the people. They loved the reaction. “Look! He even tithed from the mint he grew!”

They weren’t doing it out of love for God. They wanted the adoration of the people.

But that brings me to the application of this. Why do we do what we do? Do we have pure motives for how we serve God?

Why do we attend church every week? Is it because we worry about what people would think if we missed? Or, is it because we love being in the presence of the Lord and His people?

This is the same for any “religious” activity. We need to be asking ourselves if we’re doing it because of tradition, or out of love for our God? God looks at the heart. Motives are everything.

Make it a point to cultivate a true love for the Lord. All that we do should proceed from that relationship.

Question: How is your love for God being manifest to those around you?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 20, 2022 in Faith, Legalism, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Jesus and Fasting

21 Jan
Jesus and Fasting

We’re continuing our walk through the Gospel of Luke. Today’s post will talk about Luke 5:27-38. You may want to read that passage before continuing with this article.

The Pharisees were starting to get annoyed by Jesus’ style of teaching. He was reaching out to the members of society that they felt were not worth their time. These self-righteous leaders didn’t want to associate with tax-collectors, prostitutes, or drunks.

Jesus, on the other hand, saw them as people who God loved and wanted to restore. In trying to find fault with this, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about fasting. They asked why the Lord’s disciples didn’t fast on the religious fasting days.

In His answer, Jesus basically told them that there was going to be a transition from Old Testament fasting to that which would take place in the New Testament. Jesus gives a description of the differences in parable form.

He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.”

Luke 5:36

First, the Lord talks about the outside – a garment. The old way was to take an old cloth and patch an old garment. Fasting in the Old Testament was only a patch. At that time, fasting was all about getting God to listen to me. I needed to patch things up between God and me.

If I try to patch the garment in the New Testament it only makes things worse. Then how do I get God to hear me? I DON’T!!! In Christ we now have access to God 24/7.

Now we are a new garment and we don’t need a patch. But a new garment (back then) would shrink with usage. Fasting under the New Covenant shrinks the outer garment. That’s what we look for – the flesh to decrease. We want the voice of the flesh to get quieter.

Fasting forcefully puts down the flesh. This is because now it’s about me hearing from God. God hears me in Christ. But I need to hear Him when He speaks. And that’s where fasting comes in. Fasting helps me drown out the noise of my flesh.

But Jesus gave another parable…

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

Luke 5:37-38

In this parable the old wineskins stand for those who walk in legalism. Once wineskins were used, they became empty, used up, dry, and unyielding. That’s a good description of many of the Pharisees. They had nothing on the inside to give that would bless others.

In the natural, new wine is unfermented grape juice. As it becomes wine, it produces gasses that pressurize the skins. Old, dry and unyielding wineskins would burst under that internal pressure.

A New wineskin – one that’s unstretched, oiled, soft, and pliable – is ready to be used in this process.

As we get that new wine of the Holy Spirit in us, it starts to ferment. There’s a spiritual pressure that builds up. That’s what brings growth.

Now you’re hearing from God and something is being poured into you. The pressure is building. You have something to give and pour out into someone else.

Listen to Jesus’ next statement.

“And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
Luke 5:39

Once you get a taste for legalism, you don’t want the new work of the Spirit. Why is that? Simply put, legalism is intoxicating and addictive.

Legalism strokes my ego. “Look at what I’m doing for God. I read my Bible and pray every day. I go to church every week. I’m better than most.”

This “intoxication” with self-righteousness will put us to sleep, spiritually speaking. We don’t feel the need to hear from God. We can live the way we want as we perform our minimal church obligations.

Basically, we can live for God without being changed by the Spirit. That’s the deception of legalism.

I want to be prepared to hear His voice. This requires that I allow the Holy Spirit to work His change in me – to sometimes shrink my flesh, and stretch my inner man at other times. It may feel uncomfortable, but it’s worth it to see the Lord working through me.

Question: How often, and for how, long do you fast?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2022 in Fasting, Legalism, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Looking Below the Surface

02 Sep

As we continue through Second Corinthians, Paul is talking about the authority we have in Christ.  We’ve been given powerful spiritual weapons that everyone needs to know how to use.

He now talks about why this is the case.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:6

The way this verse is written in English makes it sound like we get spanked for our wrongdoings after we’ve already started obeying.  That’s not really what it says.

In Greek, both the words disobedience and obedience have the root word of hearing.  There is no word, act, in the original.  This is about hearing and doing God’s will.

The disobedience that Paul is talking about could be either a misunderstanding or a willful ignoring of God’s will.  Now that the church has received correction from the apostle in his first letter, this has been resolved.

So, in essence, Paul is telling them that there is vindication because they’re now walking in obedience to God’s plan for them.  They listened to, and are now following Paul’s correction.

The key is, how well are they listening?  It goes toward motive.  When we know what God wants us to do, are we willing to obey?

This goes right along with something Paul wrote earlier in this epistle.  He referred to the sorrow and repentance that his first letter caused.

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
2 Corinthians 7:11

They had done some things that looked like they were ignoring God’s desire for them.  It might have been done innocently or willfully.  The point is that when Paul brought it to their attention, they repented and turned back to obedience.

That is what vindicated them.  Now they need to examine their inner man.

You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.
2 Corinthians 10:7

In this verse, Paul is simply talking about drawing logical conclusions.  Looking on the surface it’s clear that the Corinthian people belonged to Christ.  By that same line of reasoning, Paul and his ministry team belong to Christ as well.

We need to see through the eyes of Christ.  Sometimes what believers do, doesn’t exactly line up with what the Lord wants them to do.  However, that doesn’t make them any less a follower of Christ.

We need to give people the opportunity to grow and mature without judging and accusing them.  Allow the Holy Spirit to work in His own way.

Question: What are some things that you’ve changed as you’ve matured in Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2020 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Let Yourself be Stretched

15 Jan

BandsI’ve been posting about the place of fasting in the believer’s life. In my last article we saw that there was a difference between fasting under the Old and New Covenants. The New Covenant fast is so that you put down your flesh to better hear from God.

We don’t seem to hear the voice of the Lord as well as they did in the early church. I don’t think it’s as much God not speaking, as me not listening. Fasting helps me drown out the noise of my flesh.

But Jesus gave another parable…

“Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:17

The Old Testament fast is likened to old wineskins; empty, used up, dry, and unyielding. They have nothing of value on the inside.

In that culture, new wine was unfermented grape juice. The fermentation process produces gasses that pressurize the skins. Old, dry and unyielding bags would burst. You can’t live for God like that.

A new wineskin was made of unstretched leather. Then it was oiled to make it soft and pliable. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit in us – to prepare us to receive God’s Word.

Then we get that new wine in us. It starts to ferment, the pressure builds up and the wineskin stretches.

That’s another reason why fasting is so important to us. Fasting increases the inner man. When you fast, there’s a spiritual pressure that builds up.

You’re hearing from God and something is being poured into you. The pressure is building. Now you have something to give.

You’re now able to pour out into someone else. Then the pressure is released – for a little while anyway.

By fasting you have something on the inside that stretches the outside. I don’t know what God wants to do this year, but I want to be prepared to hear His voice.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Matthew 4:1-2

Just before Jesus started His public ministry He went on an extended fast. He knew that He was going to be tempted and tested. In order to prepare Himself, He fasted.

Do you think you’ll be tested this year? What are you going to do? How will you enter the test? Prepared? Or not? How will you answer the enemy?

The truth is that fasting prepares us for the battle ahead. I don’t know what’s coming. But I know this; the enemy is good at predicting it based upon what he sees lining up in the spirit world.

We don’t see it. We have to rely upon what we hear from God. Are we going to have a Word from God for our generation? That’s what’s needed.

I want to be prepared to face 2016 and all it holds. The blessings, callings, testings – everything. So I fast to hear from God. Enter into the blessing that fasting brings.

Question: How will you incorporate fasting into the New Year?

© Nick Zaccardi 2016

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2016 in Fasting, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Are You Tired?

06 Nov

ClimberI don’t know about you, but sometimes I just get tired. Tired of the battles, the problems of life, and everything that society throws at me. It’s times like that when I need to seek the encouragement of the Word of God.

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joy.
Colossians 1:11

The Apostle Paul understood how to live victoriously in spite of all the stuff that was happening around him. He knew where to go to receive strength in his time of need.

One of the things that the Holy Spirit desires to do in us is to build us up in our inner man. He wants to give us the power we need to stand our ground for Christ.

This life is very draining on people. I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as an easy life. Of course, as the saying goes, the grass is always greener in someone else’s yard. We look at other people and think that they have it so easy.

The reality is that we’re all different. We all see life from a different perspective. The things that you find difficult to deal with, I don’t have any problem with. And some of the things that trip me up, you don’t struggle with at all.

The simple fact is that everyone needs an abundance of endurance, patience, and joy. Those are the qualities we seem to lose so easily. Yet that’s exactly what the Lord wants to bring into our lives.

Apart from the Holy Spirit we would give up too soon. I want to see the finish line and cross it with strength. I don’t want to barely finish then collapse in exhaustion.

Finishing strong requires me to rely on His strength for my life. I must come to the realization that without Him I can do nothing.

It’s a humbling experience to tell the Lord that you need Him. But that’s why Scripture teaches that if you humble yourself before Him, He will exalt you.

That’s why we need to run to God’s Word. The verse above is especially encouraging. I’m so glad that the apostle didn’t say, “Being strengthened with some power according to my best efforts.”

When I draw on the power of the Spirit, I have access to all power – all the power I need overcome in every area of my life. This power isn’t based upon what I can do. It’s all because of the Lord’s unlimited resources. He’s the One I look to for help.

Draw on the power of the Holy Spirit today. Spend quality time in His presence and watch what the Lord can do in a life that is yielded before Him. Make use of His promises. Let Him grant to you His endurance, patience, and joy.

Question: How have you seen the difference between living in your power vs. the Holy Spirit’s?

©Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2015 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Secret of Inner Power

26 Aug

PackageDid you know that it’s what’s on the inside that counts? The things that are happening around us don’t determine our destiny. We need to learn to live above our circumstances.

…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joy.
Colossians 1:11

One of the things that the Holy Spirit desires to do in us is to strengthen our inner man. He wants to give us the power we need to stand our ground for Christ.

This life is very draining on people. I don’t believe there’s any such thing as an easy life. We all have to go through struggles and trials.

We look at the lives of others and think that they have it easy. That’s only because the things that get me down don’t affect you in the same way. Conversely, the things that you’re having trouble with don’t bother me at all. We all experience things differently.

That’s why everyone needs an abundance of endurance, patience, and joy. Those are qualities we seem to lose so easily. But they are the things that the Holy Spirit wants to equip us with.

Endurance. This comes from a Greek word that means to remain under. Sometimes we have to go through experiences that are uncomfortable. We feel like giving up. The Holy Spirit can give us the power to see it through to the final victory.

Patience. This one sounds the same as endurance but it’s a little different. It literally means to be long passioned. In other words, it’s the ability to go through a hard time without “having a meltdown.” Sometimes in the midst of problems we say or do things that we’re sorry for the rest of our lives. The Lord wants to keep us from making these kinds of mistakes.

Joy. Joy is an interesting concept in the New Testament. It’s very different from the emotion of happiness. Happiness is based what happens. Joy is based upon the knowledge that you are in Christ and nothing can touch you without His permission. Therefore, you can have a positive outlook on life because Jesus has the final say.

The fact is, apart from His Spirit we would give up too soon. I want to see the finish line and cross it with strength. I don’t want to barely finish my race then collapse in exhaustion. I want to enter Heaven with my head held high, knowing that the Lord has brought me through victoriously.

To finish strong I must rely on His strength for my life. I must come to the realization that “without Him I can do nothing.” It’s a humbling experience to tell the Lord that you need Him. But that’s why Scripture teaches that if you humble yourself before Him, He will exalt you.

Draw on the power of the Holy Spirit today. Spend quality time in His presence and watch what the Lord can do in a life that’s yielded before Him. Make use of His promises. Let Him grant to you His endurance, patience, and joy.

Question: How have you seen the Lord’s strength working in you recently?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on August 26, 2015 in Power of God, Prayer, Spiritual Walk

 

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Warning: Legalism is Addictive

17 Mar

PillsIn my last post, I talked about hearing from God and receiving vision for your life and ministry.  This is important, because under the New Covenant, believers need to be hearing from God.

I’m so glad that whenever I pray, God hears me in Christ.  But I also need to hear Him when He speaks.  I don’t think it’s as much God not speaking, as it’s me not listening.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus made a startling statement that many have overlooked.  But first, let’s look at the context.

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.  If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”
Luke 5:37-38

In this parable the old wineskins stand for those who walk in legalism.  Once wineskins were used, they became empty, used up, dry, and unyielding.

That’s a good description of many of the Pharisees Jesus had to deal with.  They had nothing on the inside to give that would bless others.

In the natural, new wine is unfermented grape juice.  As it becomes wine, it produces gasses that pressurize the skins.

Old, dry and unyielding wineskins would burst under that internal pressure.  You can’t live for God like that.

A New wineskin – one that’s unstretched, oiled, soft, and pliable – is ready to be used in this process.

As we get that new wine of the Holy Spirit in us, it starts to ferment.  There is a spiritual pressure that builds up.  That’s what brings growth.

Now you’re hearing from God and something is being poured into you.  The pressure is building.  You have something to give and pour out into someone else.

Listen to Jesus’ next statement.

“And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
Luke 5:39

Once you get a taste for legalism, you don’t want the new work of the Spirit.  Why is that?  Simply put, legalism is intoxicating and addictive.

Legalism strokes my ego.  “Look at what I’m doing for God.  I read my Bible and pray every day.  I go to church every week.  I’m better than most.”

This “intoxication” with self-righteousness will put us to sleep, spiritually speaking.  We don’t feel the need to hear from God.  We can live the way we want as we perform our minimal church obligations.

Basically, we can live for God without being changed by the Spirit.  That’s the deception of legalism.

I want to be prepared to hear His voice.  This requires that I allow the Holy Spirit to work His change in me – to stretch my outer man sometimes.  It may feel uncomfortable, but it’s worth it to see the Lord working through me.

Question: How far are you willing to be stretched by the Holy Spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on March 17, 2014 in Legalism, Prayer

 

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There’s no Excuse for Lack of Vision #Vision

14 Mar

BlurThe following is adapted from my book, Breaking Free from the Pack – Developing a Spirit of Excellence.

And he uttered his oracle: “The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:”
Numbers 24:3-4

Even though he was a spiritist and an idolater, Balaam understood something about vision.  Vision is the ability to see and perceive the way ahead through the eyes of your inner man.

We need spiritual eyes that see clearly.  In verse 4, when Balaam says that he hears the words of God, a Hebrew word is used which means to hear intelligently, to give attention to.

In your walk with the Lord, you can only go as far as you can see.  We get into trouble when we’re not seeing what God is showing.  We need to stop assuming that we know it all.  The attention and focus must be upon what God is saying to us.

For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll.  And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.”  Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
Isaiah 29:11-14

I’ve found that many people have excuses as to why they don’t know God’s vision for their life and ministry.  To some it’s a mystical thing, words sealed on a spiritual scroll that they can’t open.

They say, “I’m waiting for God to reveal it to me.”  All the while, they’ll sit back and do nothing until the sky opens up and they see angels ascending and descending.

Others think so little of themselves that they believe God can’t possibly give them vision.  They believe that they could never read the spiritual climate they’re in.  They feel that they’re not worthy, not strong enough spiritually, or not mature enough in the Lord.

God is simply looking for a person who’s willing to listen to Him.  He wants to open up His heart.  He wants to show us His vision for our life and ministry so that we can use it to chart the course we will follow.  The Lord doesn’t care if you’re just starting out or if you’ve walked with Him forty years already.

Human nature would rather talk about serving God than actually doing it.  If I’m content to worship God with my lips, then I will not go to God personally to hear His voice. Instead, I want the pastor to hear from God and tell me what I need to do.

Some prefer rules taught by men rather than the discipline that it takes to seek God for themselves.  I can never enter into the fullness of God’s blessing with that attitude.  It’s up to me to spend time in His presence and receive spiritual vision.

Question: What’s the God-given vision for your life at this point?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on March 14, 2014 in Ministry, Spirit of Excellence

 

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Food for the Journey of Life #wordofGod

21 Oct

TrailHave you been starving your inner man?  Spiritual victories require a healthy soul.

The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.  Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.  With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
Exodus 12:37-39

Israel was about to leave Egypt.  Moses, the man of God, had warned them days before that they would need to depart quickly.  In order to accomplish this, they took along dough made without yeast.

I’ve shared in the past that I like to get away now and then to hike and pray in the wilderness.

I’ve learned a lot of spiritual lessons along the way.  It comes as no surprise that one of the most important hiking supplies is food.  Thru-hikers walking the Appalachian Trail plan “food drops” to be waiting for them at strategic post offices along the route.  This way they can easily resupply along the way.

One Friday night in a shelter, I met a young man who was out of food and money.  This was a big problem for him even though he had a supply box waiting at a nearby post office.  Ahead of him was a full day’s walk to the post office (which closed at noon on Saturday).  This was compounded by the fact that this particular Monday was a holiday.  That would be three days without food.

I happened to be at the end of the section I was hiking – so I was able to bless him with a ride to pick up his drop before the post office closed.  Needless to say, he was very grateful.

That got me thinking of a spiritual application.  The Word of God is our spiritual bread.  There are many Christians who try to hike the road of life with only one or two meals a week.

So often we wonder why the obstacles of life take such a toll on us.  We blame God and ask why it’s so hard to serve Him.  All the while we live in spiritual starvation.

We need a constant diet of God’s Word if we’re to be victorious.  In the same way that we can’t be healthy without nutritious food, we can’t live for God without a diet of His Word.

Please don’t neglect this vital nourishment.

Question: What do you do to keep well fed in the spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on October 21, 2013 in Word of God

 

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