Nibbling on Hay

The morning routine is almost always the same. Feed in the troughs, horses in the barn to eat, back to the house. Finish writing and quiet time, hay to the hay rack outside the barn, let the horses out. Same routine every day.  When the horses walk out of the barn, there is a big supply of fresh hay in their rack. 

Two of the horses realize the big supply is just outside the door, and they hurry out to start nibbling. Cali, however, moves a little slower. She is more deliberate. Cali has learned that the back right stall is the hay storeroom and that there is almost always a handful or two of fresh hay on the floor outside the door. There's generally a scattering of hay all the way to the hay rack. She wants her share of the hay in the rack, of course, but Cali also wants the little extras along the way. It's odd to me that the other horses seldom make the effort to get that extra hay. They only want the easy bites. Not Cali. She wants to get it all. 

Perhaps we are a little like those horses when it comes to Bible study and quiet time. Most of us want the easy pickings. We read a verse or two, maybe a devotional and a quick prayer, and go about our day. It takes considerably more time to actually study Scripture, make application to our own lives, and spend time in prayer, allowing our Lord to move in us as He sees fit. It takes more time and effort, but it is so much better to "get it all"!  

As you think about your morning routine, consider whether you might benefit from slowing down a bit and gathering a few extra "mouthfuls" of truth and direction. You might be glad you did. 

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalms 119:103 NASB)