Most of us live in a culture that knows little of hunger, and that's both a blessing and a curse. Nutritious food is essential to good physical health, but it can easily be detrimental to spiritual health.
"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Moses reminded the children of Israel that the humbling of hunger pangs and the divine provision of manna for food was for the express purpose of teaching them that true life is found in God's word rather than natural food. The most poignant example of this great truth is Jesus rebuking the devil's temptation to turn rocks into bread after forty days of fasting Matthew 4:4). No one needed natural food more than Jesus did on this occasion, but His six-weeks experience with fasting had taught Him well this truth about the true nourishment of God's words.
Fasting from food is an important discipline, but no guarantee of a true spiritual appetite. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were known to fast twice a week (Luke 18:12), but this discipline did little to prevent them from rejecting their Messiah. The true priority is not on rejecting physical food, but on craving spiritual food; the words of Yahweh God.
I've read the Bible in its entirety several times in my life, but reading it from cover to cover is no true test of spirituality. At least one of those times I read it through to merely complete the assignment of reading it through in a year. It was far from a productive venture because my heart was not focused on being nourished by what I read.
Few verses are as precious to me as Psalm 119:11 - "Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." The Psalmist knew well the truth that Moses expressed in Deuteronomy eight, verse three. A key reason to value and treasure God's word is because it alone is the safeguard against sin. The key is not a perfunctory reading of it, but in "treasuring" it in the heart; eagerly desiring it more than the best food at a lavish feast.
Some people have voracious appetites, while others seem to subsist on meager meals. The same seems to be true for those with an appetite for God's word. The key, regardless of the size of one's appetite, is to consume regularly. While few people would consider a weekly six-day fast, some are in this habit spiritually. Daily nourishment, whether little or much, is vitally important.
May you be nourished beyond measure today from a rich feast on God's word.
Steve
"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Moses reminded the children of Israel that the humbling of hunger pangs and the divine provision of manna for food was for the express purpose of teaching them that true life is found in God's word rather than natural food. The most poignant example of this great truth is Jesus rebuking the devil's temptation to turn rocks into bread after forty days of fasting Matthew 4:4). No one needed natural food more than Jesus did on this occasion, but His six-weeks experience with fasting had taught Him well this truth about the true nourishment of God's words.
Fasting from food is an important discipline, but no guarantee of a true spiritual appetite. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were known to fast twice a week (Luke 18:12), but this discipline did little to prevent them from rejecting their Messiah. The true priority is not on rejecting physical food, but on craving spiritual food; the words of Yahweh God.
I've read the Bible in its entirety several times in my life, but reading it from cover to cover is no true test of spirituality. At least one of those times I read it through to merely complete the assignment of reading it through in a year. It was far from a productive venture because my heart was not focused on being nourished by what I read.
Few verses are as precious to me as Psalm 119:11 - "Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." The Psalmist knew well the truth that Moses expressed in Deuteronomy eight, verse three. A key reason to value and treasure God's word is because it alone is the safeguard against sin. The key is not a perfunctory reading of it, but in "treasuring" it in the heart; eagerly desiring it more than the best food at a lavish feast.
Some people have voracious appetites, while others seem to subsist on meager meals. The same seems to be true for those with an appetite for God's word. The key, regardless of the size of one's appetite, is to consume regularly. While few people would consider a weekly six-day fast, some are in this habit spiritually. Daily nourishment, whether little or much, is vitally important.
May you be nourished beyond measure today from a rich feast on God's word.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:52 AM
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