FEEDING ON GOD'S WORD

11/4/13 To be fully healthy and live a life of abundant vitality, physical ingestion is only one part of our feeding. Spiritual nourishment is also necessary. Feeding on Gods's Word.

Photo by son-in-law, Corey whose Quiet Time allowed for feeding His soul.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

The original Hebrew translation from Deuteronomy 8:3 reads (I hope)

וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמֹּ֑ון אֶֽרֶץ־זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן

That's for dear friends Michelle and Brenda to think on this week.

SOUL FOOD

4/25/11 Soul food is what my “meditating Mondays” are all about since to me there seems to be a famine of God’s word these days. Yesterday’s “Feed my Sheep” chapter, from Laniak’s book, reinterated that. His devotional had me wondering if my blog nourishes readers with enough of God’s word. I don’t want to provide empty calories of wearisome words. That’s what the world bombards us with day in and day out. “ Vacuous options and synthetic substitutes.” (Laniak p. 63)

Here’s some real food (scripture)to chew on----

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

As you begin to feed yourself on God’s word, I pray that this verse of scripture from Jeremiah will become as relevant for your life as it is for mine. Spiritual “soul food” like Memphis soul food offers me not only delight but great comfort as well.

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; 
For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)

BREAD OF LIFE

11/30/09 Bread, bread, everywhere bread---at least at our house last week. Everything from hot dog buns and Orowheat round bread (HHS lunch bunch’s favorite find) to cornlight bread, Molly’s wonderful homemade rolls and Mary B.s Tea Biscuits (from Kroger, but the closest I can find to Mother’s “Gigi Biscuits”---her homemade ones, using only Sunflower flour milled in Hoptown.) Five different varieties of sandwich breads were also on hand to allow choice/favorites for lunch and toast for breakfast. Now there’s barely a crumb left.

Isaiah 55:2 says, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

From biblical times to the 21st Century, “bread” has been necessary for sustenance. “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

As we spend time each day with our “Bread of Life” we can eat His Word and be satisfied. Then we are ready to “feed” others---to be broken bread and poured out wine for their nourishment and benefit. Did I feed my children and grandchildren more than bread wrapped in cellophane this past week? Will they remember talking about Thanksgiving being a time to thank God ? Do they know that their Shug feeds on the Bread of Life? Ask yourself those questions.

Here’s some food for thought. Feed on it. Then go forth and be broken bread and poured out wine for someone else.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.” “He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

***PS Tears are streaming……………Last night, just as I had finished this blog draft, Noah, who is almost 6, called to tell us that he had asked Jesus in to his heart. He said he whispered it so that he wouldn’t wake Nathan and then he went in to tell his Mommy and Daddy. He was so excited! He too will feed on the Bread of Life. I know no greater joy than this.