Don’t you just hate it when you crave something terribly and it’s nowhere to be found? It’s all you can think about….this craving that gnaws on your insides diverting your attention away from the task at hand. For instance, one day I really wanted a good piece of chocolate. I could just imagine its rich, creamy goodness melting over my taste buds and sliding down the back of my throat. (My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.) I went to where I keep my stash, out of the sight and reach of little boys, to be sorely disappointed. No Dove dark chocolate squares! (Actually, I think the oldest son has located my stash.) Oh, there was chocolate in my hiding place but not the really good stuff. Now, I don’t want to knock the other candy makers so let’s just say I had a fun sized little bar of creamy nougat, caramel and milk chocolate. Well, I ate that one rather quickly and they were just those minuscule fun size ones. (Really I wonder about those….fun for who?) Any how….quickly I polished off another. You know, my craving still wasn’t fulfilled so I ate just one more. After my little foray into the chocolate stash, my yearning was a small bit abated but not completely satisfied. Still I desired the real thing. And what’s a chocolate craving girl to do with an opened bag of candy? Yep, eat just one more. Ok now, four fun size bars later I was beginning to feel a bit queasy. This simply wasn’t doing the trick at all and now heaped on top was the guilt and condemnation that comes with scarfing down empty calories. The funny thing is that years ago, before I ever tasted the first mouth-watering delight that is Dove dark chocolate, I was entirely satisfied with cheaper fun size candy bars. Dove has ruined most other candy for me. I still do enjoy a good M&M from time to time but my heart longs for Dove.
I can also recall another time when a craving presented itself. I had been seeing someone and the relationship was over. My heart was still tender over missing my friend. I happened to be in a department store near the fragrance counter. I glanced over… Actually, you know what? I’m going to stop right there and be totally real and transparent… I was hawking out his particular cologne so I could just smell him one more time. I furtively looked around to see if anyone was looking before taking the top off the bottle and inhaling as deeply as possible. For a split second, with tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes, I could smell him. Then before an associate could ask to help me or call security, I hurried out of the store. Strangely enough, that experience left me queasy as well. It was just a poor substitute for the original. It only represented a portion of what I desired. Again I was left wanting more.
The other morning as I was having my quiet time, I was working through my devotional book. My world was quiet and I was just reading bits of Scripture and moving along page by page. I finished one day’s worth and still the house was quiet so I continued onto another day. I was feeling really good about myself and the amount I was covering. Before I knew it, I’d worked through the material that was designated for four days. I was beginning to mentally pat myself on the back when I realized that I was almost in a frenzy. I was taking in the material, hungry for more truth, more God, when the Holy Spirit made a connection for me. Here I was again trying to quench a desire with just a substitute. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not downing devotional books at all. They really can be an excellent resource to get to know God. Actually, one day I’d like to write one, Lord willing. What I realized is that like my true desire for good chocolate can only be quenched with Dove dark chocolate, my burning desire for Truth can only be extinguished by the Word of God. That alone is the only option. I can spend all of the time in the world reading specific tidbits of Scripture and filling in the blanks in little books but until I spend intimate time with Him in His Word, I will always hunger for more. Like the chocolate fix and the fragrance fix, the devotional book for me is a fix. It works for a while but not nearly as good as the real thing. Time spent with Him, the real Him and His Word is the best. I leave my time with Him only wanting more of the same, not something else. Today I want to encourage you to accept no substitutes. Accept only His best.
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