Daily Devotionals
Monday, June 10, 2024 (Mary Ann)
New Growth
Sure, every season has its own beauty. Ah, but then spring comes along right when you think you’re stuck in an endless winter! I say there’s no contest when it comes to which season wins for being packed with hope and joy. Buds, blooms and new growth are everywhere you look in spring. It’s a season of renewal and packed with miracles!
All that new growth is necessary. Because stunted growth in the spring is a sign of one or more deficiencies in what a plant needs to thrive or even live. What plants — from lowly dandelions to mighty oaks — need to survive are the basics: water, air, nutrients and light.
(Someone want to cue the inevitable analogy for a devotional? Well here goes ….)
Spring is a lot like Bible study. Whether we’re brand new believers or we’ve been walking with the Lord pretty much since we could walk and talk, we still need steady new growth that’s necessary for long-term spiritual health and a rich, meaningful life. So how do we get that growth? It’s taking in those same basics: water, air, nutrients and light.
And here’s where we get our steady diet of essential nutrients:
Jesus is the Living Water. In John 4:14, Jesus says, “…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Jesus is the Breath of Life (air). When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22. So in the truest sense, the Spirit of Christ is the breath of new life.
Jesus is the Bread of Life (nutrients). In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” It’s so true that the only way to full satisfaction is through Christ alone.
Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Bible, light signifies God and the good things that come from him. When Jesus was on earth, he referred to himself — and his followers — as light. John 12:35-36 reads, “So Jesus said to them, ‘The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’”
It’s no accident that all the above references are from the book of John because that’s the book we’ll be diving into starting tonight at our Rachel’s Closet Bible study. I wish you all could join us in person, but join us in study. It’s going to be an exciting opportunity for new growth as we feed on our essential spiritual nutrients!
It’s time to thrive!
Mary Ann
Sure, every season has its own beauty. Ah, but then spring comes along right when you think you’re stuck in an endless winter! I say there’s no contest when it comes to which season wins for being packed with hope and joy. Buds, blooms and new growth are everywhere you look in spring. It’s a season of renewal and packed with miracles!
All that new growth is necessary. Because stunted growth in the spring is a sign of one or more deficiencies in what a plant needs to thrive or even live. What plants — from lowly dandelions to mighty oaks — need to survive are the basics: water, air, nutrients and light.
(Someone want to cue the inevitable analogy for a devotional? Well here goes ….)
Spring is a lot like Bible study. Whether we’re brand new believers or we’ve been walking with the Lord pretty much since we could walk and talk, we still need steady new growth that’s necessary for long-term spiritual health and a rich, meaningful life. So how do we get that growth? It’s taking in those same basics: water, air, nutrients and light.
And here’s where we get our steady diet of essential nutrients:
Jesus is the Living Water. In John 4:14, Jesus says, “…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Jesus is the Breath of Life (air). When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22. So in the truest sense, the Spirit of Christ is the breath of new life.
Jesus is the Bread of Life (nutrients). In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” It’s so true that the only way to full satisfaction is through Christ alone.
Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Bible, light signifies God and the good things that come from him. When Jesus was on earth, he referred to himself — and his followers — as light. John 12:35-36 reads, “So Jesus said to them, ‘The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’”
It’s no accident that all the above references are from the book of John because that’s the book we’ll be diving into starting tonight at our Rachel’s Closet Bible study. I wish you all could join us in person, but join us in study. It’s going to be an exciting opportunity for new growth as we feed on our essential spiritual nutrients!
It’s time to thrive!
Mary Ann
