Divine Soul Food

Think what would happen if on Sunday morning as you ran out the door to church you grabbed a quick cup of coffee and a doughnut and then would not eat again until the next Sunday when you would repeat this routine.  That would be abusing your body and certainly not good for your heart.  In fact, you wouldn’t live long if this were your eating pattern, would you?  This is pretty easy to see when it comes to taking care of our bodies.  No one would live like this unless they were suffering from some kind of abnormality.  But did you ever think that you might be falling into this very unhealthy habit spiritually?  It may seem strange to think of the Word of God as food, but in the Bible there are many references that do just that. Here are a few of them.

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live: …” Is. 55:1-3a

“He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers, know, that he might make you know that man

Does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deut. 8:3

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  1Pet. 2:2-3

We need to nourish our souls with the Word of God.  I like to think of God’s Word as being Divine Soul Food, which when consumed on a regular, consistent basis becomes a Heart-Healthy Diet.  Just like any diet, it’s hard to get started and even harder to maintain.  Here are some tips that have helped me begin and maintain a heart-healthy diet of God’s Word.

First, remember you really aren’t too busy to read your Bible. Yes, we have lots of responsibilities.  There are many things that we must do, but I urge you to have the courage to prioritize and put reading your Bible high on your list.  Keep in mind that we have an enemy and although he (Satan) can’t destroy you, but he can distract you.  We must prioritize our time and energies.

Second, don’t stop reading the Bible because you think it’s too hard to understand.  Focus on what you DO understand and digest every bite of that. 

Third, keep the Bible personal.  This is God’s letter to you.  It applies! 

Fourth, if you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up.  Pick yourself up.  Dust yourself off and start again.  You are going to have some stumbles along the way.  There are going to be some dry times.  But not every meal you eat is memorably delicious, is it?  You don’t recall every meal you’ve ever eaten, do you?  But that doesn’t keep you from eating the next meal.  Even ordinary, dry meals nourish your body.  And consistent reading of your Bible will nourish your soul.

Fifth, keep it varied.  Remember, this isn’t a book only to be studied.  It’s the means by which you nurture your relationship with almighty God.  Don’t get stuck in a rut.  Different seasons of life lend themselves to different schedules.  Find a time and place that works for you and stick to it until God shows you that there may be a better time and place for you to meet with Him.

Vary the format, too.  There’s a place for formal studies and a place for daily personal devotions.  You need a balanced diet.  Sometimes read through a book of the Bible.  Do a word study.  Read through the whole Bible.  Read the same book of the Bible over and over again. 

Sixth, be as interactive as possible.  Include prayer.  God’s speaks to you; you speak to God.  Take time to think and listen.  Write in the margins of your Bible.  Underline. Put in dates.  And talk about what you are learning from God’s Word with others. 

Seventh, when you pick up your phone, scroll through emails, Google, post an Instagram, text a friend, stop and ask yourself, “Have I spent time with the Lord yet today?  Have I read something from His Word?  Have I taken my anxieties, needs, joys to Him in prayer yet today?”  If your answer is “No”, put your phone down and pick up your Bible!

Eighth, and maybe the most important of all, remember that Jesus is THE WORD!  We so often approach the Bible looking for something, but in truth we always end up finding someone.  And that someone is Jesus.  Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  If you don’t, the Bible really isn’t going to make much sense to you.  Stop right now and ask God the Father, to make Jesus, His Son, real to you.  Ask Him to forgive your sins and be your Savior.  He will answer this sincere prayer.

Oh, friend, I pray you will love to read your Bible and that as you read you will discover that Jesus is real and He loves you very much. 

“Oh taste and see that the LORD is good!” Ps. 34:8a

WARNING:  Reading the Word of God can cause heartburn!  (Read all of Luke 24.)

“And they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’”

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Women's Discipleship Vlog - November, 2020