In my last devotion, I told you about Tess’ foray into my tea collection. Well, I’m happy to announce that I’ve ordered some teas to replace those destroyed in one fashion or another. Not only that, the Lord opened my eyes to a tea-based thought in His Word. Don’t you love it when God takes something we view as a mistake and brings about something good?

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. - John 8:31-32

This is a very familiar passage, but I only recently dug into it a little closer and studied the word “continue.” What does it mean to continue in God’s Word? According to the Bible dictionary, the Hebrew word translated “continue” means to stay, to dwell, or to abide until completion. It makes sense, but if you study it out a little further, the word gives the connotation of being steeped like tea.

Anyone who knows me at all knows I love hot tea. My electric tea kettle runs several times a day. My tea collection ranges from familiar flavors like green tea, peppermint, and chamomile to more unusual varieties like Yerba mate, guayusa, and lemon balm. I even have herbal teas for cold and flu season. I’m serious about my tea.

That being said, I’ve learned a lot about combining flavors, steeping methods, and steeping times. A few teas (like ginger) are pretty strong and overpowering and need only be steeped for a few seconds. Most, however, get better the longer they are steeped. Allowing the tea time to soak in hot water brings out the best and brightest flavors. Steeping time helps the true character and benefits of the tea to shine.

When we continue in our quiet time with God, we allow ourselves to steep in the water of the Word. The more time we spend, the better we become. The steeping time brings out the best in us (i.e., Christ) and allows us to shine for His glory.

Too often, we feel we don’t have time to spend in our Bibles. We read a quick verse or passage to get on with our day, but we don’t take the time to truly meditate on what we’ve read. We don’t give it a chance to impact and change us. And so, like a tea that hasn’t had sufficient time to steep, we walk around weak and lacking. We must take the time to soak in the truth of God’s Word. Only then will we be all God intends for us to be.

Is anyone else getting thirsty?