“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” Jeremiah 15:16a
I love to hike. To meander through the wilderness, to saunter through the jungle, to simply admire all that God has made in its original untouched splendor. So naturally I was pleased to learn that one of the best and well-known hikes in Mexico lay right in my own back yard. Called the Mexican grand canyon, or Barranca de Huentitán in Spanish, this great gorge resides a mere 30 minutes from my home in the city of Guadalajara in the Mexican state of Jalisco. So I planned my canyon hike and headed off to walk, climb, and photograph what God had created there, and God did not disappoint. Over 8 miles in distance and a half mile of muscle burning elevation change, I clambered down into the mighty chasm to witness waterfalls, lush foliage, wildlife, and the ever pleasant serenades of song birds all the while. But along with the hike came exhaustion, not only from the physical output but from the fact that I was doing it all at over one mile above sea level, the much needed oxygen harder for my lungs to locate. So halfway through the hike, feeling my energy greatly lessened, I rummaged through my backpack to find my only sustenance, a soft, sweet, chewy granola bar. And as I chomped on that granola bar, the sweetness of the sugar and the protein of the granola fed my energy level. As I took in the nutrients that my waning energy needed, it fed me, allowing me to continue on in my strenuous upcoming journey back up and out of the canyon. And folks, for Jeremiah, and for myself, I can say that the Word of God is no different in its beautiful nourishment.
We have physical food for the body and metaphorical food for the mind so why indeed should we not have food for the spirit? Yet to formulate a mind picture of eating your nearest Bible immediately sends us into mental overload. So what exactly is Jeremiah claiming here? What exactly does he mean when he says he ate the Words of God?
Just in the same way as my body had expended its energy stores hiking down the side of a grand mountain, our spirits endure the same expenditure, depleting their energy stores to deal with the problems of this world, the spiritual war that exists in the lives of all Christ-followers, and well, simply attempting to exist as the brightest light possible in a world of darkness. So how does God allow you to replenish the strength of your spirit? Well, through devouring His Holy Word in a very specific way. Through not simply reading it, not simply perusing it, through not only studying it, memorizing it, or treating it like a textbook. But by taking it into the body in such a deep and profound way that it nourishes the very soul it touches.
If you are not encountering the Word of God in this deep, profound, and soul nourishing way, try these 5 steps as you approach His Word daily.
1) Know what you are approaching. How do you truly see the Word of God? Do you see it as the very Holy Spirit breathed Words of God? Do you see it as divine, inspired, infallible, and inerrant? You see, when a life truly encounters Christ, admitting and repenting of their sin and then faithfully asking Jesus Christ to be the Lord of their lives, a miraculous gift ensues, the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The very spirt of God will come upon that new believer and they will no longer be the same, they will be a new creature indeed. And as that miraculous change ensues, the new creature will see the Word of God differently. True believers and followers of Jesus Christ will be allowed and afforded a view and relationship with His Word that countless others will not.
2) Do you schedule a meeting with God and His Word everyday? How would you handle a very important business meeting? You would schedule a day and a time and then honor that appointment, not letting the simple minutiae of your schedule affect it, dare cancel it. You would have a specific place in mind for your meeting. You would have that meeting in your office, door shut, or in a quiet place where distractions would be at a minimum. And you would not be looking at your phone, playing word games, or surfing Facebook during your important meeting. Treat your time in the Word of God just as any other important daily meeting. Schedule a time in a quiet place, free of all distractions. And then fight for this time, make it your top priority. Don’t let daily minutiae steal your time with God in His Word.
3) Prepare your heart to meet the creator of this universe. If your special meeting were with a famous dignitary or your favorite Hollywood super star, you would take it very seriously. Why should it be any different meeting Almighty God? Show up to your meeting with reverence, honor, and respect. Pray before you encounter God through His Word and praise Him that He promises He will be found by those that seek Him. Pray to Him to speak specifically into your spirit’s need as you encounter His Holy Word.
4) Be ready to hear from God. The question isn’t whether or not God is speaking, the question is whether or not you are listening. Now that you are in a quiet place, phone and distractions put aside, having already prayed to hear from the Lord…get ready to listen. Have a notebook handy as you read and listen. Take frequent breaks within your reading to pray some more and just sit still. For me, it is in these still moments that I hear His voice. And as He speaks, I take notes, for this is the message He has for me, to nourish me as I devour His Word.
5) Do something with the message. All Christians are preachers of His Word, just in different ways. The world is so good at selling its message but not so much the men and women of God. As you hear from the Lord, that message is intended to be shared with the world. For what God teaches you through His Word might just be exactly what your neighbor, family member, or co-worker needs to hear to either start their walk with Christ or empower and embolden it.
First find the Word of God, seek it out, make it a priority. And then get ready to make a meal out of it. To encounter it deeply. To intake it in a way that allows it to be digested fully, nourishing and refreshing your soul as it becomes part of you. And as you do, just as the good prophet Jeremiah proclaims, it will bring joy and rejoicing to your heart.
God bless you and keep you ~ Dan
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart”
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
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