It’s often more difficult to stay on top than it is to get there. This is true in sports: A young boxer trains hard as he fights his way through the ranks, but once he wins a championship he becomes lazy and loses his title to a new, hungrier challenger. This is also true in business. A rising star puts in long hours as she climbs the corporate ladder, but she loses her edge when she begins to enjoy the wealth and privileges that come with her success.

This is also true in our walk with God. Have you ever been spiritually dry? Your heart yearned for God in what seemed like a barren wilderness. You fought the malaise until finally you broke through. God mercifully illumined His Word as verses leapt off the page and into your heart. You shouted His praise and poured out your love and adoration. You thought you had tasted heaven.

If this has happened to you, you know that the days that follow a spiritual high are extremely dangerous. First, we may become tempted to chase ever-escalating emotions. But feelings are fickle, and it’s impossible to create a high, let alone to stay there.

Second, we may become content and overconfident in our spiritual life. We recklessly click on websites, watch movies, and share gossip that we normally wouldn’t. We feel so close to Jesus that we presume these actions must be okay, simply because we’re doing them. And so we fall—sometimes hard—and the cycle starts all over again.

How can you stay hungry when you are spiritually full? Remember where your food comes from. God told Israel, “I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land” (Hosea 13:5). When you’re full of gratitude, there’s no room for pride (Hosea 13:6).

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Esther 3:1-15