Many who follow Jesus long for the fulness of blessings he’s promised, like intimacy with God, peace of mind, and life to the fullest (1).
When these blessings aren’t apparent, it’s natural to wonder why. A person might think, I just need to try harder, become more disciplined. Maybe I should severely limit recreation and sacrifice more.
Don’t get me wrong. Self-discipline and sacrifice are part of a dynamic Christian life (2), and actually become delights as we mature in our faith.
But what if:
Intimacy with our Heavenly Father doesn’t require a monk-like lifestyle but stillness and spending time with him in scripture.
“The world applauds achievement; God desires companionship. The world clamors, “Do more! Be all you can be!” But our Father whispers, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
If Bible study sounds like a chore, talk to someone who considers it a joy. Learn from them how to experience the same.
Faith doesn’t require long prayers about inadequate faith, but simply resting in what we know about God.
“If you feed your faith, your doubts will starve to death.”
Debbie MacComber
One way to feed your faith is to keep a journal of events that give evidence of God’s work in your life, his guidance, provision, and blessing (3). I promise, you’ll be amazed.
Peace doesn’t come from distracting ourselves with busyness, but from knowing God, focusing on him through worship, and meditating on his attributes.
Reverend Croft M. Pentz expressed it this way:
“No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.”
Croft M. Pentz
And Ruth Bell Graham discovered:
We’d do well to learn from her experience.
Hope isn’t generated by wishful thinking, but by affirming the Word of God.
Some of you will remember the old hymn, “Standing on the Promises.” The second verse offers this encouragement:
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
–Russell K. Carter
For every hope—of a problem to be solved, a relationship to be healed, and a need to be met—there are scripture-promises on which to place our hope. To trust God is to trust his promises.
Contentment isn’t the result of having all desires fulfilled, it’s the result of gratitude for what we already have.
When we begin to thank God for such delights as the friendly wave of a neighbor, the worshipful toll of church bells, the bright lady bug on a stem, we soon realize how many gifts he bestows.
Add to his daily delights the assurance that God is with us to support, within us to empower, and going before us to lead the way (4).
Most of our wants pale in comparison to the glories we already enjoy. . .
A rich and satisfying life doesn’t come through self-centered gratification, but through obedience to God’s ways.
“God’s commands are designed to guide us to life’s very best” (5), including the qualities we’ve considered in this post: delightful intimacy with God, restful peace, constant contentment, and more. That’s a life overflowing with joy.
Pursuing this kind of rich, satisfying life is a bit like making soup! Every ingredient that goes in the pot impacts the flavor of everything else in the pot. In the spiritual realm, everything we do, say, or even think impacts the flavor of our faith.
Gratitude produces contentment but also impacts our worship and quality of life. Faith grows our knowledge of God, but also grows contentment and spiritual strength. Scripture study instills peace, but also nurtures hope and tightens our connection to God. The list could continue but you get the idea.
The bottom line is this:
The question becomes, what actions will we pursue to genuinely impact the flavor of our faith?
1. James 4:8; John 14:27; John 10:10
2. Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:2
3. “Christmas Afterglow” includes several examples.
4. Isaiah 41:10; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Deuteronomy 31:8
5. Henry Blackaby
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From the Inside Out 
Such a beautiful post. Lovely and encouraging thoughts. Many golden nuggets throughout. May we pursue actions that positively impact the flavor of our faith. Thank you for this uplifting message. 🦋
Thank you, Bridget. I also found the wisdom of Joanna Weaver, Debbie MacComber, Ruth Bell Graham, etc. to be golden nuggets worth taking to heart. And AMEN to your prayer! I too want to grow flavorful! 😁
Nancy, you have a big list of great ingredients in this post. My father always said if he were limited to only a handful of words to describe how someone knows God, grows and is a person with their life seemingly together no matter the circumstance, his counsel would be to “Go to God’s Word, Get in the word and stay in the Word”.
Amen to that, Gary. Absorbing God’s Word into one’s spirit is surely the biggest life-changer for a Christ-follower!
I love the MacComber quote, Nancy (and isn’t she an author?) “Standing On the Promises” comes back to me like I sang it yesterday. I’m so thankful to have been raised in a Methodist church singing hymns that will stay with me seemingly forever. Some of their verses resonate as if straight from the Bible.
Isn’t that a wise word from Debbie MacComber? And yes, she is an author. I too am thankful for the hymns stored away in my memory from my growing-up years. (I suppose today’s kids will be thankful for the old praise songs they learned, when they’re adults!)
There is so much here, as always, in what you’ve written, Nancy. I’m reminded of Psalm 119:103 where the Psalmist says that God’s words are sweeter than honey to his mouth. I love how you used the example of soup ingredients that give the soup its flavor, and how our faith is flavored with what we say and do and think. Keeping God’s Word foremost in our lives certainly does give our faith the sweet flavor that God desires us to taste. Thank you for yet another very powerful blog, Nancy!
God’s Word is sweeter than honey–even more delightful, more satisfying as the years go by. I’m glad you liked the soup simile. I imagine more aspects of the process–simmering, taste-testing, etc.–could be added to expand the analogy. Thank you, Patty, for your kind words!
Nancy, thanks for the reminder of the power of God’s Word to give our lives fullness, meaning, purpose. Being still with Him is our key to peace and joy.
Have a lovely weekend, friend …
And the more we pursue that stillness with God, the more delight we find in Him. Such a wonderful phenomenon! Thank you for stopping by, Linda, and taking time to comment.
Hi Nancy,
I loved the quote that contentment is not that we have all that we want but gratitude for all we have. In that sense I am truly blest. Getting ready dmfor my 60th reunion. 🙂
Sam
I pray you enjoyed a glorious time at your reunion, Sam! God has blessed us too–with a wonderful family, delightful friends, a cozy home with a treetop view. He’s also blessed us with challenges that contributed to our spiritual growth and maturity! I’m thankful for those too.
I, too, love the old hymns. Once learned during childhood at church the words remain with us and their meanings multiply the older we get. I’ve been doing a study of hymns and have found it so rewarding as I learn about the authors and how their experiences led them to write those precious words.
I agree: background studies do enhance our understanding of and appreciation for the hymns and songs we sing!
Hi Nancy,
Yes. It has been tough to rest in the Lord. But that is the key. Hope all is well with you.
In Christ,
Gary
Oh, Gary, I pray that as you fix your eyes on Jesus and seek to follow his ways, you WILL find his rest more readily with each passing day. It is NOT easy (I’ve struggled with this myself at times), but the rewards will be great as you affirm what you know, express trust in WHO you know, and persevere in how you know he’d have you proceed! I pray you may sense his enabling presence on this difficult journey.
Great post!! The more we get closer to Him the more we grow in Him— becoming Christians who are seasoned with faith and gratitude that points others to Him.
Amen, Alicia. Growing closer to Him, seasoned with faith and gratitude, reflecting Him to others–THAT’s a satisfying way to live!
Praises to God for filling my daily cup of faith with overflowing hope. Nancy, feel so blessed to find this post.
And I’M blessed that YOU were blessed by this post, Richard. I praise God for his inspiration!
Our faith drives us
Yes, to know God more intimately and obey him more completely, with deep joy and satisfaction–THAT’s the abundant life (John 10:10), isn’t it! Thank you for stopping by, Amani, and leaving a comment!
You are so right!
It is not only faith that grows our knowledge of God, but our knowledge of God, grows our faith too…
You are so right–it is a reciprocal process! Thank you for adding that bit of wisdom to the conversation.
Thanks and glory be to our Lord Jesus, for the wisdom he gives us!