Religion Without the Bridegroom Leaves You Hungry
The feast is about the Bridegroom, not the plates.
Devotional Credit: eManna, Witness Lee
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Fasting can be good. So can Bible reading, serving, and giving. But Matthew 9 shows us something better. When questioned about why His disciples were not fasting, Jesus answered with a picture, the wedding party does not mourn while the Bridegroom is with them. Presence changes the point of the practice. The feast is not about the plates, it is about the Person.
Witness Lee’s reflection helped me slow down and see the difference between doing things for God and doing life with Jesus. John’s disciples and the Pharisees were serious about fasting. Their sincerity was not the problem. Their separation from the Bridegroom was. I needed that reminder. Practices can become a new kind of distance if the Person is not central.
This lands close to home. I can stack up good routines and still run on empty if I am not receiving from the Lord who lives in me. Religion measures. Jesus supplies. Religion manages outcomes. Jesus shares His own life. When He is near, even simple acts shine because they carry His presence.
So today I am grateful. Thank you, Witness Lee, for nudging us back to Jesus Himself. If my habits are not leading me to the Bridegroom, then I want to set the habits down and take His hand. The abiding life is not a calendar of duties. It is a continual drawing from the One who is our Redeemer, our life, and our all.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am with you, and I live in you. Walk with Me as you received Me, by trust and not by self management. I am the Bridegroom, and My nearness turns mourning into joy. Do not trade My presence for performance. New wine belongs in new skins, and I have made you new in Me. Reckon yourself alive to God, and present yourself to Me as one brought from death to life. I am your peace and your access to the Father. I am your righteousness, your wisdom, and your life. Abide in Me, and I in you, and you will bear fruit that remains. Where My Spirit is, there is freedom. Behold Me, and you are changed from glory to glory. Worship by the Spirit, rejoice in Me, and put no confidence in the flesh. Set your mind on the things above, for I am your life, and when I appear, you also will appear with Me in glory. There remains a rest for the people of God, and the one who has entered My rest has ceased from his own works, just as God did from His.
Real-Life Analogy
Think about a toaster that is unplugged. You can load the bread, push the lever, and watch the coils, but nothing warms. The design is fine. The routine is correct. The missing piece is the connection. Plug it in, and the same simple steps now produce heat and a good breakfast. The change did not come from the toaster trying harder. It came from drawing power.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit indwells you to express the life of Jesus through you. Reading Scripture, singing, serving, and fasting can be beautiful when connected to Him. Try this the next time you face a task you usually do on autopilot, maybe answering an edgy email or stepping into a tough conversation. Pause and say, Lord, I trust You to be my patience and truth in me as I write this reply, then proceed, letting Him shape your tone and timing. That is not white knuckle restraint. That is connection that produces warmth.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You for being the Bridegroom who is with me. Thank You for living in me as my life. I gratefully receive Your peace, Your access to the Father, and Your sufficiency for every good work. I rest from self driven religion and turn my face to You. Today, I enjoy Your presence, and I trust You to express Your life through me in ordinary moments. All glory to You.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Matthew 9:14 to 15; Mark 2:19 to 22; John 3:29; John 15:4 to 5; Colossians 2:6 to 7; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:11 to 13; Romans 5:1 to 2; Ephesians 2:18; Romans 8:9 to 11; 2 Corinthians 3:17 to 18; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 3:1 to 4; Hebrews 4:9 to 10; 1 Corinthians 1:30