CHEW. THE. CUD.

About five years ago, I first led a women’s small group called “Mesaage in the Messages.” We would gather and watch sermons (messages) from various pastors and Bible teachers, then do a deep dive into what we learned from it. (Awesome group, btw.) Seemed like such a unique thing as we pulled videos from

YouTube and “feasted” on the Word together. 

This summer, Holy Spirit spoke to me and this is how it went down….

A friend I used to work and worship with had a second job. At night, he drove a sweeper truck around parking lots to clean them up while they weren’t being used. He told me that there was rarely a time that he drove through a buffet restaurant lot when there wasn’t vomit to clean up. (You’re welcome! So glad you stopped by! 🤣!) Why? Because people ate so much so quickly that it never had time to digest. 

They ate so much so quickly that they never got any nutritional value from the food they ate. 

We always hear about cows “chewing the cud.” They chew. They swallow. They regurgitate. They chew again. They swallow again. And they continue the process until they can best digest their “food” and benefit from all it has to offer. (One site I read said these cows had better milk production.) 

There is definitely something I needed to learn from this. Spiritually, I have a lot of sources of input. (This not a bad thing, btw) sermon at church. Podcasts. Apps with more sermons. Devotionals. And while I’m taking in good “food,” how much am I chewing….and swallowing…..and bringing back up….and chewing….and swallowing….until it’s digested? Sometimes, I find myself busy and “eating” all of the time….but often missing the digestion part. The digestion is where the nutritional value comes….thus producing fruit from what is planted inside of me!!! 

Psalm 1:2 says this…..”but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

Merriam Webster defines MEDITATE as “to focus one’s thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over.” Sounds a lot like chewing the cud. 

Holy Spirit, help us slow down, chew, swallow and revisit Your Word until we digest it….benefit from it….and live out what’s in us. ‭‭