FEAST ON THE WORD

“YOUR WORDS were found, and I ATE them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” – Jeremiah 15:16

Meditate on the Word. Feed on the Word. Delight in the Word. FEAST ON THE WORD: “Your WORDS were found, and I ATE them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jer.15:16). These are the pathways to enjoying the Fullness of the God’s Word and Spirit. Thinking of God’s Word as spiritual food helps us to better understand the crucial role the Word plays in our lives. It is not out of place to conclude that many of the problems we face today in the church derive from spiritual malnutrition and could be solved as we give the Word the proper place of pre-eminence in our lives. The Word of God supplies nutrients that are essential for success and fulfilment in life. As you feed on God’s Word, digest and assimilate it, strength, healing, wisdom, and life flows out of the Word and permeates the totality of your personality – spirit, mind, and body.

The Word of God is FULL of  His Life. Jesus is called the WORD MADE FLESH (Jh.1:14). The Bible is therefore, in a manner of speaking, God manifesting in His words! If the Word is food, then meditating on the Word is eating the Word. When you read, study, hear or meditate on the Word, you are FEASTING on spiritual food. The Lord Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of GOD” (Mt.4:4). Peter said we should desire God’s Word in order to grow spiritually: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the WORD, that you may grow thereby” (1Pet.2:2). In our meditation verse, we see how Jeremiah experienced great excitement, joy, delight, and rejoicing in finding and eating God’s Words and so can we!

Meditating on the Word day and night is the key to good success (Jos.1:8; Psa.1:1-3). Like food, the Word works when you take it in. The power is inherent in the Word to accomplish all it is meant to. You don’t have to instruct it what to do. Just assimilate the Word through your mind, in your spirit, and it goes to work in you. You don’t have to comprehend every word you read or become a Hebrew or Greek scholar. Simply read it slowly, reflectively, thoughtfully, and meditatively. But endeavour to surpass the minimum “day and night” requirement. Take a verse or two with you during the day and read it from time to time. God is very practical and gives us practical advice on how to get the Word in our hearts: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lied down, and when you rise up” (Dt.6:6-7).

God knew we would be busy and may have limited time to invest on His Word. So He tells us how to work the Word into our busy lives. We are to teach the Word to our children, and enjoy family time in the Word. Take some time to talk about His Word when you sit at home, when you walk by the way or drive down the street. Take some scriptures with you through the day and be ready to mention them to another or whisper them to yourself. Remember His Word when you lie down at night and feed on the scriptures when you rise up in the morning. It doesn’t take any extra time out of your day to do these. This is how you meditate in it day and night. Beloved, don’t handle the Bible like a daily horoscope. It doesn’t give specifics about every detail that would happen in your life at work, school or home. Moreover, to feast on the Word does not demand that every meal must be a feast! A little verse can be loaded enough to fill your spirit per time. Take the Word in measures, but take it!