notesbynora

My sourdough starter died yesterday.
I forgot to feed it.

At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. I had skipped a day before, and it always bounced back with a little care. But this time, when I opened the jar, the bubbles were gone. The sweet, yeasty smell had turned sour. What was once alive and growing had gone flat and lifeless.

As I stared at it, I realized—this is exactly what happens when I neglect to feed my soul.

Our spiritual life is a lot like that sourdough starter. It needs consistent care. A starter can’t thrive on yesterday’s feeding, and neither can our spirit live on yesterday’s prayer or last week’s scripture reading. We need daily nourishment. Without it, the life inside us begins to fade.

When we spend time in the Word of God, it’s like adding flour and water to that starter—it activates something within us. The Spirit begins to bubble, grow, and strengthen our hearts again. But when we ignore that time with God, we begin to settle. Our joy lessens. Our patience thins. Our hope falters.

It’s not that God walks away from us—He’s always near. But our awareness of Him begins to dim. We start to live off our own strength instead of His. We find ourselves more anxious, more distracted, and more easily hurt because we’ve stopped feeding the very thing that gives us life.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We feed our bodies every day, often without fail. But how often do we remember to feed our spirit? The Bible is living bread for the heart—it sustains us in ways nothing else can.

Some days, all we can manage is a small bite—a single verse, a whispered prayer, a moment of gratitude. But even that little bit keeps our faith alive. Just as a baker can revive a tired starter with patience and fresh ingredients, God can revive us when we come back to Him. No matter how long it’s been, His mercy is new every morning.

The truth is, a thriving spiritual life isn’t about grand gestures or perfect routines. It’s about consistency. It’s about showing up with a willing heart and saying, “Lord, here I am. Feed me today.”

So let this be a gentle reminder—open your Bible, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Whisper a prayer. Let your soul be nourished. Because a heart that is fed daily by God will never go flat.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Help me to remember that my soul needs You just as my body needs food. Forgive me when I neglect that time with You. Stir my heart to seek You daily, to crave Your truth, and to find strength in Your presence. Breathe life into my spirit again, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.