Day 22 - Physical and Spiritual Food

For most of us, eating food is a daily habit. Sometimes we eat alone, sometimes with our families, or we may share a meal with family or friends. When we eat, we take time to set the table and prepare for the meal or travel to a restaurant. We choose our food according to our needs. Sometimes we eat because we are hungry. Sometimes to be sociable. Other times we just eat out of habit!

We select the right utensils to cut up our food and eat it. We chew it until it is broken up and ready to be swallowed. The food goes to our stomach where it is churned up until it is ready to be absorbed into our bodies. Once it is ingested, it can have many effects on our bodies. It may be used to provide energy for mental or physical work. It is used to power and warm our bodies. If it is good food, it will improve and maintain our physical and mental health. Our bodies may need it to heal damaged tissues or to help us grow. If our body doesn’t need the energy or nutrients at that instant, it will store them to be used at a time of future need, when there may be limited access to food.

Jesus spoke to Satan in the wilderness: “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4).

So, in the same way we feed our physical bodies, we also need to daily and habitually, feed our minds and spirits with the Word of God. We may do this on our own, or even with our families. Other times we may go out and meet with other believers where someone else has prepared a spiritual meal for us, say, at a bible study or in church.

When we prepare to receive spiritual food we also need to take time to prepare to receive it. We may select our readings to meet a particular immediate need, or habitually partake of a more structured menu, such as a daily reading plan. As long as it happens, it will feed our souls and provide spiritual sustenance and energise us to do our spiritual service. In order to get the maximum goodness out of it, we need to chew over, or meditate on it. As we let it churn over in our hearts it will build our spiritual health and well-being but it has to become part of our heart, mind and spirit to give the full benefit.

2 Tim 3v16 states: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

This means that none of God’s Word is junk food! His Word build us up, help us to grow, correct us, teaches and trains us. They also have the power to sustain, repair and heal us.

None of this spiritual food is wasted. If we do not need a particular word at that time, it will be laid up in our minds and spirits to be used to empower us, or others, when the need arises and spiritual food may not be readily available.

Steve Horton