Old Corn

When we returned from vacation, the catalpa tree was stripped bare – like dead-of-the-winter bare!  No doubt, the catalpa worms had a feast!  Egypt’s Pharaoh had a dream: “… he was standing by the Nile, and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows.” (Genesis 4:1-4). As odd as this illustration may seem, this is exactly what happens when we retreat from Bible study and prayer. Spurgeon refers to it as “fits of worldliness.”  When we aren’t moving forward or reaching toward godliness through prayer and study, we are actually backing up or losing ground.  Such is our human [fleshly] nature!  If we’re not careful, Pharaoh’s dream will become our own reality!  Of course, it’s good to take a rest from the routine of obligations, but it’s never good nor acceptable to take a break from the godly disciplines of study and prayer.  It is wise to pray, Help me, Lord, to never lose all the spirituality I have attained, but rather draw fresh supplies from heaven – the old corn in my granary never consumed by the famine which rages in my soul. (Spurgeon).