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'...not by bread alone'
Eating God's Word
"When Your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty"
(Jer 15:16).
By Elizabeth Clark
What a beautiful portion of Scripture upon which to reflect today!
As we read this verse, we notice three stages. First, is the finding of God's
word. Now this only comes to us when we search diligently for it. Second,
comes the eating. This is how we nourish the spiritual part of our being,
just as we feed our bodies with food.
But, God tells us that "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but
on every word that comes from the mouth of God' " (Matt 4:4). If Jesus took
time to reveal this divine truth to us, I think He wants for us to pay
attention and take seriously His exhortation.
Third, and finally, comes the rejoicing. "The kingdom of heaven is like
treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in
his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matt 13:44). Notice
also that in this passage we have the finding, the appropriating, and the
rejoicing? "Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for
me a joy and the delight of my heart."
I think it is safe to say that eating is the central thought in Jeremiah 15.
It is accompanied and followed by rejoicing. Eating is the only aim of
searching, and it is the only cause and life of rejoicing.
That great evangelist, Andrew Murray, uses a good illustration to help us in
the understanding of eating God's word. To understand the difference between
eating and finding God's words, he compares this with the grain a man has
stored in his granary with the bread he has on his table. All of his hard
work of planting, harvesting, and storing his grain, all the satisfaction he
has gained from this hard work, cannot benefit him unless he feeds on the
daily portion of the bread his body requires. The finding -- the harvesting
and storing -- are only the things to be looked at. In the eating, however,
the very opposite takes place; here the small quantity, and slow and
unceasing perseverance, characterizes the appropriation. Is this making sense
to you?
We need to find God's words, and by careful thought master them so we have
them stored up inside our minds and hearts for our own use and for that of
others.
Just as hard work may often bring satisfaction, the joy of harvest or of a
victory, we must remember that finding and possessing the words of God is not
eating them, which alone brings divine life and strength to our souls.
Neither will being deeply interested in attaining knowledge of God's Word
nourish the soul. "Your words were found" was the first thing, but "I did eat
them" brought the joy and rejoicing! Hallelujah!!
I suppose we should approach "eating God's Word" just as we approach the
manner by which we nourish our fleshly bodies. Do we eat only one meal a day?
Many do, but we all know that this is not the ideal diet by which to live.
Our bodies need small, steady doses of food several times a day, every day of
every year, all of our lives. This is how God designed our bodies to function
at their best.
Isn't it safe to assume that this same principle also applies to our
spiritual bodies as well? Now I can just hear many of you argue: "Yes, but
wait Liz, how can I possibly find time in my already overwhelming schedule to
study or eat God's Word daily?" It would be safe to say that if we asked our
LORD to help show us how to creatively schedule in little moments of time
feasting upon His Word, He would reveal it to us. What could be some of those
times? Let's see . . .
We could get up a little earlier each morning to read a chapter in our Bible.
We might pop tapes or CDs of the Bible into our car as we drive to work.
We might bring along a small pocket Bible into our break rooms, or even those
bathroom breaks.
We could finish off each evening by reading God's Word just before closing
our eyes for a well-deserved rest.
As you see, we have at a least two or three occasions by which to "feed" upon
God's Word throughout every single day. Doesn't it make sense to nourish our
souls as consistently as we do our bodies? Can you imagine what condition our
spiritual bodies are in if we are starving it on a daily basis? No wonder we
crumble into tiny pieces whenever we are faced with a crisis or trial. What a
great habit to develop -- feasting several times a day upon God's Word!
This all ties into that word "joy" about which I spoke the other day doesn't
it. When we begin to change our diets, finding quality moments to "eat of
God's Word," we will begin to see a renewal come to our hearts and our
spirits such as we've never known before. Joy is simply the byproduct of such
a diet as this!
Why not take this little challenge I throw out to you today. For the next
seven days, purpose in your heart to develop a healthy spiritual diet (plan
the menu), feeding on God's Word during your daily routine. Then at the end
of this time, see how it has affected your daily lifestyle. Are you feeling
closer to your Father? Are you experiencing less stress? Is there a peace
flowing in your life now? Do you end each day feeling energized and renewed?
Has the word joy become part of your vocabulary? I'll bet you will be able to
say "yes" to most of these questions.
If you think this challenge is silly, well I'll simply pray that whenever you
lift that fork up to your mouth over these next several days, you'll hear a
tiny little spiritual voice inside you crying out: "Feed me, too. I'm
starving in here!" *hee-hee*{very LARGE grin here}.
May we all strive to be our best for His Majesty Who deserves only our best!
Liz Clark and her husband, Bob, live in the beautiful mountainous area of
Northern Georgia.
EMAIL
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