GOD’S WORD IS FOOD OF THE SPIRIT

“Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” – Deuteronomy 8:3b

Just like the body requires nutrition, GOD’S WORD IS FOOD OF THE SPIRIT: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut.8:3). God provides more than earthly food. He has given us the Scriptures as non-optional Food for spiritual nourishment (Jer.15:16). The Bible is the active, living, Word of God, in which God speaks in the first person or through His representatives (2Tim.3:16; Heb.4:12; 1Pet.1:23; 2Pet.1:19-21).

The Bible is God’s communication to Man and the instructional manual by our Owner and Maker, which we must diligently consult for daily life on earth, perpetually attend to, and obey (Deut.6:6-9). Through the Word, God opens our eyes and the Holy Spirit instructs us (Psa.119:18; Jh.14:26). However, the diet of the Word comes in many forms, including the following spiritual disciplines:

Hear the Word: “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Pro.28:9). We must cultivate the habit of listening attentively when God’s Word is proclaimed. We can improve retention by taking notes, thinking carefully about what is being said, and comparing or discussing the content with others.

Read the Word: “Till I come, give attention to READING, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1Tim.4:13a); “Blessed is he who READS and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev.1:3). Reading was a key commandment of God for kings in Israel: “And it shall be with him, and he shall READ therein all the days of his life...” (Deut.17:19a).  It is good practice to read the Bible regularly and thoroughly, using a systematic plan rather than randomly.

Study the Word: “STUDY to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Tim.2:15 kjv). Studying is more than reading through a passage: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so”  (Acts 17:11). Studying involves digging deep; writing down key thoughts; asking questions or sharing thoughts with others; and applying scriptures personally (Pro.2:1-5).

Memorize the Word: “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 lie down, and when you rise up” (Deut.6:6-7). The surest way to hide God’s Word is to memorize it: “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psa.37:31). We may forget much of what we hear and read, but we can retain everything we memorize, if we review regularly (Pro.7: 1-3). The memorized Word is invaluable. The Lord Jesus quoted from memory in resisting satan’s temptation (Mt.4: 1-11).

Meditate on the Word: “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways” (Psa.119:15; see also vv. 23, 48, 78, and 148). To meditate is to ponder, muse and converse with oneself silently or aloud (Jos.1:8; Psa.1: 1-3). It is thoughtful reflection upon some truth or aspect of the person of God (Phil.4:8). It can be likened to the calm and leisurely way in which a cow chews its cud.

Our attitude to God’s Word greatly affects effective intake. The devout student of the Word is committed to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the application of His Word to daily life. Intake of the Word is a humble spiritual interaction with God, not mechanical routine or arrogant academic dissection by an observer sitting in judgment on God’s Word. How much does your spirit hunger for His Word?