It’s not just about reading the Bible but learning to rely on it as food for our soul.
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I think sometimes we view the reading of God’s Word as something we need to check off the list. Yes, we should be reading the Bible but it has to become more than that. Jesus said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In saying that, He was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. Job said something similar.
Job 23:12 says I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.
But someone might say, “Sometimes I read the Bible and don’t really get anything out of it or it doesn’t blow me away.” To that I say “Join the club,” right? I’m not always blown away by what I read in Scripture. Sometimes I read and feel like, “What does this have to do with anything right now?” Maybe you’ve felt the same way as well. This is why I think we need to start looking at Scripture like we do physical food.
Isn’t this how we treat food as well? There are some meals you eat, simply because it’s time to eat. Our bodies need food to survive, a meal is prepared and so we eat. We’re not always blown away by every meal. In fact, the majority of meals we eat, we simply eat because we need food to survive. But then there are the meals that do blow you away. You experience a new restaurant, cuisine or style of food and it is a memory maker. That’s how God’s Word is as well.
Physically, we need food to survive and spiritually we do too. Spiritually speaking there are times we “eat” (read the Word of God) because we need spiritual food. If we eat consistently enough, we may not be blown away by every meal, but you’ll come across those moments where God’s Word explodes in your heart. It’s a memory maker moment with Scripture.
The video below captures this hunger for God’s Word better than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a video shot by a missionary in China of Christian believers receiving their own Bibles for the very first time. For many Christians in China, simply owning a Bible incurs scrutiny even persecution on their behalf. Some rural villages have only one Bible, or a segment of one that they share with all the Believers in the region. You’ll notice in the video, these Christians are devouring the Word of God. They are treasuring it more than daily food. They even say, “This is exactly what we needed most.” Wow!
Lord, help me cultivate a hunger for your Word that equals or surpasses my hunger for food!