Back to the Basics

The basics.
In school they are reading, writing and arithmetic.
Most reading this may not be in school,  but there are "basics" for just about anything.
There are basics for eating healthy, exercise, cleaning house, maintaining a car, balancing a checkbook, having good friendships. You name something...there are basics.

Today I wondered why is it so hard to stick to the basics?
Some days I just want to skip right over them and move on.
Some days I don't want to take time with the basics.
I think God knew we would be like that and thus why we breathe without thought!
Some of us wouldn't want to take the time to breathe if we had the option...we would want to skip right past that step and get on with whatever is next; whatever is better; whatever fulfills us more.

The basics. Are there basics that draw us nearer to God?
I think so.
 Last night as I drove home from Faithfully Fit I talked with God about "the basics".
My prayer life, my bible study time.
They are two simple things. Two basic things. But when placed together and given the importance they deserve they are anything but basic.
They are life altering, life changing.
They are like the heart beating and the lungs breathing.

In college our Sunday School teacher would ask a question and one answer we always knew would work was simply put, "prayer". It became a running joke but it was very true. Prayer is a basic. Prayer is life altering. Prayer is life sustaining.  Think of it as the heartbeat of your life with Christ.
Today as I read my bible I saw verses underlined, but as I read them they were fresh and new. They were water to my thirst. They were food for my hunger. The words I read tasted good and the Lord was satisfying my needs. Think of time in the bible as your nourishment.

The basics.
Skipping over them lends itself to great disorder.
If prayer is the heartbeat and bible study is our nourishment can we afford to forget them?
     "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."   He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ' "
                                                                                                                                 Luke 11:1-4
Give us our daily bread.
Today I encourage us to dwell long in the basics.
Start each day with the basics.
Draw nearer to Jesus with the basics.
Prayer the heartbeat. Bible the nourishment.