Not so “faithful” to “Old Faithful”

Posted by Kacy Fabie on Mar 31, 2010 in Daily Bread | 3 comments

Have you ever read a book and then gone back to it years later to discover something from it that you hadn’t noticed the first time around? Recently that’s what happened to me. While I was praying and having my quiet time, God led me to a book by Philip Yancey called "Reaching for the Invisible God." I had read this book probably about 6 years ago when I was attending university but had not thought about it much in recent years. As I read, an interesting story began to resonate with me. Yancey was talking about a trip he went on with his family to Yellowstone National Park to see the world renowned "Old Faithful." After they had seen one eruption up-close, they headed back to their room at the Old Faithful Inn. Upon passing the restaurant at the inn, which overlooks the geyser, Yancey stopped to watch the hustle and bustle of all the diners getting up from their seats to rush over to the windows to observe the big wet event! The restaurant had a count down clock for all to see, and every single diner was up from their seat, eyes glued to the window with cameras smashed against their faces, ready to capture this moment at any second. Oddly enough, Yancey also observed every waitress/waiter, bus boy and bartender continuing about their usual business. It seemed as if "Old Faithful" had grown entirely too familiar to them and had lost its power to impress the entire restaurant staff.

Yancey then makes this connection, "Religious faith can work the same way. Spiritual passion erupts like a geyser in the early days following conversion, then settles into a lukewarm pool, and finally may evaporate (because) of neglect or disillusionment." Have you grown too "familiar" with the things of God? Is your spiritual passion settling or evaporating? Take time right now to pray the words of David and ask God to restore that joy and passion that once filled your life.