Open Wide!

 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10 (NIV)

   The Andy Griffith Show was one of my favorite television programs as a young girl. Every week Sheriff Andy Taylor, his Aunt Bee, son Opie, and Deputy Barney Fife found themselves in a situation that seemed impossible to solve. Somehow, by the end of the 30-minute show, an answer was found - but not without hilarious moments for everyone involved. 

    One particular show had Aunt Bee out of town visiting relatives, Opie on a Scout trip, and Andy looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. That is until a friend arrives who wants to keep him company and even fixes Andy’s favorite meal: spaghetti. Andy cannot resist and eats beyond being full. Suddenly Andy remembers that he had been invited to another friend’s home for supper! He quickly drives to their house, only to find out that he has come for supper on the wrong night. 

   But this friend insists that Andy join him and his wife as they eat a meal of – what else – spaghetti. Andy proceeds to eat the second spaghetti supper. Suddenly he realizes where he is actually supposed to be: at his girlfriend’s home for supper! He excuses himself after the meal and hurries to her home – for a third spaghetti meal! He is barely able to choke it down and finally has to admit that he cannot eat one more bite. By the time Andy arrives home, he is so full that his relaxing evening turns into one of major indigestion and he vows to never eat spaghetti again. 

   There is a big difference between Andy being filled with three spaghetti meals and God filling us. Psalm 81:10 says  "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." We will never reach a point where we are so full of wisdom from God’s Word that we cannot take one more “bite.” He is continually filling us up through teaching, correcting, disciplining, forgiving, and directing our lives.

    When God says “Open wide your mouth,” He is describing a child who eagerly longs for food. In the same way, as we long for His Word, He encourages us to open our hearts to what He wants us to learn. He says, “If you really want to grow in your faith, open your heart as you open the Word and I fill you with my heart.” I encourage you today to open wide the Word of God and allow Him to fill you with the wisdom and love only He can give.

  Father, I desire more than anything to dig deep into your Word and to be continually filled with your wisdom, love, and direction for my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect 

• Have you ever had a day where you felt like there wasn’t that much more that you could learn from reading God’s Word?  

• If so, could that have been because you were so filled with the world’s wisdom that there wasn’t room for one “bite” of wisdom from God?

Apply 

• As you go through the Scriptures, journal the meal you received from a particular passage. For example, journal the “meat” (message) or what you read, and write how you can apply it to your life.

• Ask God to “fill up” your mouth as you “open wide” your heart to His teaching.

Power                                                                                                              

• Psalm 81:10 (NIV) "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it."

• Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV) "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, amen!"

• Psalm 119:103 (NIV) "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"