Spiritually Fed

Day three hundred forty-three

I have met some extraordinary people at work lately.  The kind of people that share their story with you and invite the Spirit. The things these people have overcome or have done in their lives are miraculous.  They recognize that God has worked in their lives and they have a humble gratitude about it.  As I help them find what they are looking for and listen to their stories I can't help but feel motivated to improve myself.  Their strength, perseverance, humility, and grace are inspiring.  I thanked God for bringing these people into my life.  In the brief encounters we had they have taught me lessons that touched my heart.  I am so grateful for these mini lessons!    

Job 23:12

"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

In Job's day, the scriptures had not yet been written by Moses.  The Lord's teachings had come verbally through the descendants of those who heard from God. Even though there was a limited supply of God's words Job  treasured them. He knew, even way back then, that the word of God was important to his life. How important? It was even more important than physical food.  

How many of us hunger for the scriptures like Job did? Are we feeding our spiritual bodies with the words of God or are we spiritually malnourished?  What do we gain from spiritually feeding on God's word?

Here are two of my favorite scriptures about studying God's word:

1 Peter 2:2-3 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious "

Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Notice the blessings that come from knowing the scriptures:

 "that ye may grow"
When I started my study of Job I stated that his story is about how our relationship with God affects the way we deal with trials.  Studying the scriptures helps us "grow" our relationship with God.  The scriptures are where we find His nature, His characteristics, His example, and His love.  When we want to get to know someone in our lives better we spend time with them.  Reading the scriptures is one way that we can spend time with God and get to know Him better.  The stronger our relationship is, the more blessed our life will be.  It doesn't mean that life will be easy, we will still face trials.  It does mean that we will have a better understanding of the fact that we don't have to face those trials alone.

"taste the Lord's grace"
Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word "grace", as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. Grace is God's love in action. It is His doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. (Music with a Message:Episode 8)

We all need grace in our lives and we can have it in abundance if we will learn to love God's word.

"that I might not sin"
Job understood that there is a connection between his obedience to the Lord and having God's word in his heart.  I think anything that helps us stay away from sin and the damage it can cause our relationship with God should be at the top of our list of things to do each day.

As I researched for this post I came across this story:

"A friend of mine married a woman who'd grown up in Romania under the terrible dictator Ceauchesku. Being quite illegal to own or carry, Bibles were a true treasure. Many churches had just one Bible, distributing just a few pages to each family, reading them, devouring the words, memorizing them, before passing them on to another family, and praying that more pages would come their way." (Daily Devotional) 

It is hard to believe that there are parts of our world where God's word is illegal to own.  As a former seminary teacher it breaks my heart to think that there are people out there that are craving to be spiritually fed, but are being starved by another's actions. I think I need to add them to my prayers.

In contrast to the people in Romania, many Americans today have a shelf full of scriptures - different translations, various publishers, cover colors, and study aids. And although they've spent their treasure buying the scriptures, many haven't treasured the word itself. It is at their fingertips and they choose not to partake.  There is sadness in this story too.

Like Job, I have a great love for the word of God.  Sharing the joy that it brings to my life with others is one of my greatest blessings. I pray that at the end of my life, I will be remembered as someone who instilled a love for the scriptures in others. A love that shows that they have learned to treasure the scriptures more than food. The kind of love that brings an abundance of blessings to their lives and much joy even in the time of their afflictions. The type of love that will help them know God's love for them and help them recognize God in their own lives. I can't think of a better gift to give someone!