It’s What You Eat

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“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4 ESV

What if you ate food as often as you read God’s Word? A 1:1 ratio. Read God’s Word, the Bible, you eat food. 

Let’s say you read the Bible one time a week, thus, you eat food one time a week. What would your body look like?  Malnourished? Gaunt? 

What if you read God’s Word daily? Thus, you’d eat once a day. How would your body be? Better? Not as malnourished, not as gaunt. Healthier, although still not in full health.

We don’t think twice about eating three, four, or even five times a day. Why is it we think we can skip or ignore God’s Word?

Jesus knew you and I cannot live on food alone. We must live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Hanging on every word. Seeing its immediate, mid, and long-term impact that even one word from God can have on your life.

I trusted Christ when I was twelve. No one showed me or told me to feed on the Bible. By the time I was 15, I became uninterested in anything Jesus. At age 16, my friend was killed in a car/train accident. The news ripped me apart. Kevin was known for his love of God’s Word. As early as grade seven he’d be up super early before school to read the Bible. It showed in his life and his ability to handle typical middle school growing-up stuff. 

After his funeral, I recall finding my dust-covered King James Bible deep under my bed. I devoured it. Granted, the King James version was old English, so I got a more modern translation, but I could not get enough of hearing from Jesus. 

It’s been five decades since my friend died and God woke me up to the Bible. Cumulatively, I’ve missed about three weeks over those decades. (One week was during my heart surgery.)  

Don’t think of getting into the Bible as some mechanical checklist duty. That is the furthest from my mind. Yes, I’m a consistent guy, but what drives me is this thought:

The Bible is the only book on the planet, in the Universe that has the 100% endorsement of God. He wrote it! It is supernatural. When I read it, the Holy Spirit uses the Word to speak deep, deep into my soul. It’s rooted in His unconditional love for me. 

I get to hear from the God of the Universe, why would I want to miss that?

So, back to the original question, What if you ate food as often as you read God’s Word? 

Here are three easy steps to build consistency in reading God’s Word.

1. Read a hardcopy of the Bible. (Digital has its place, but there is something to be said about putting your hands on a physical copy that you can mark up and highlight.)

2. If you are new to the Bible, start with the Book of John in the New Testament. Read a paragraph or two at a time. Soak it in. Invite Jesus to meet with you and speak through what you are reading.  “Jesus, what do you want to say to me?”  Stick with the Book of John. Once you finish it, Jump to the Book of Genesis. There you will discover how things began.

3. Tell someone what you are reading. This is vital. I journal as a way to capture what God is saying to me. Sometimes, I’ll send a photo of my journal to someone; as a way to encourage them.  When you let others know what God is saying to you in the Bible, it solidifies your relationship with Jesus. 

As Max Lucado once said, “It’s about inspiration, not information.”

Need more help with getting into the Bible?  Reach out to us at info@mentoring-warriors.com

Warrior On!