"I'm starving!" That's a statement I often hear from one of my boys. No, they have never gone without food for days at a time. This statement is usually made when they have not eaten within 30 minutes or so of their normal meal time. If food doesn't arrive soon, that plea becomes a bit more dramatic and sounds like this, "I'm starving to death!" Fortunately, my kids have always received food in time and have escaped the horrible terror of death by starvation.
The truth is I was the same way when I was younger. In fact, I'm sure there are times more recently when I've said the same thing. Regardless of how long it has been since we've eaten, all of us need food. We cannot live without it. And while we will not die of starvation having missed one meal or two, if we go without food for a very long period of time, we will eventually starve to death. We were created in such a way that our body needs food. We need it regularly. Our physical bodies are sustained by physical food. We cannot live without it.
In the same way, we were created to need another type of food ... spiritual food. Scripture tells us that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3, Luke 4:4). Both times this statement is made in Scripture, it is speaking to our built-in need for "ingesting" or "absorbing" the Word of God. While physical food brings life to our physical body, the substance that brings life to our spirit is the Word of the Lord. Jesus declared that the words that He speaks "are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). While we indeed need physical food to sustain us, we need this spiritual food as well. Knowing this truth puts a whole new spin on the concept of a balanced diet. A truly "balanced diet" must include spiritual nutrition. We need to hear from God and not just every once and a while. God created us to need a daily infusion of His Word. Hearing His voice is not an option, it is a necessity. We cannot truly live without hearing His voice.
Back to my boys for just a moment. I can assure you that they have never truly been on the brink of starvation. I am pretty confident that over the course of their lifetime, they have never missed a meal. However, if for some reason their next meal is delayed a bit, I am confident I will hear those words ... "I'm starving." Oh, how I long for the day when that is the case when it comes to me personally regarding spiritual meals. In the same way, my boys crave their next meal, I long to crave the very thing I need ... a word from Him!
Unfortunately, I often find myself filling up on alternatives to the real meal. Spiritual "GMO" foods if you will. Or worse, I opt for what amounts to spiritual fast-food rather than a real piece of meat. A real meal takes a little bit of time. It requires me to slow down ... no, wait a second, it requires me to stop. It requires me to sit down at His table, not pull up at the drive through window. God is not in the practice of serving up fast food and trying to convince us that it's healthy for us. Perhaps you relate. Perhaps you find yourself filling up on what amounts to junk food spiritually. Maybe, you're craving everything but what you truly need. Ask yourself, "When is the last time I've stopped and taken the time to hear His voice? Am I starving? Your Heavenly Father has an open-ended invitation for you. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
For more on hearing the voice of God, watch "Wavelength - Part One" below:
You can also join us live on Facebook, Sunday 4/30/2017 and Sunday 5/7/2017 at 10:30 AM
If you live in or near Montgomery, TX, we would love to have you join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30. Westlake Fellowship is located at 19786 Suite 120, Hwy 105 in Montgomery. (beside Magnolia Diner)
www.westlakefellowship.org
The truth is I was the same way when I was younger. In fact, I'm sure there are times more recently when I've said the same thing. Regardless of how long it has been since we've eaten, all of us need food. We cannot live without it. And while we will not die of starvation having missed one meal or two, if we go without food for a very long period of time, we will eventually starve to death. We were created in such a way that our body needs food. We need it regularly. Our physical bodies are sustained by physical food. We cannot live without it.
In the same way, we were created to need another type of food ... spiritual food. Scripture tells us that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3, Luke 4:4). Both times this statement is made in Scripture, it is speaking to our built-in need for "ingesting" or "absorbing" the Word of God. While physical food brings life to our physical body, the substance that brings life to our spirit is the Word of the Lord. Jesus declared that the words that He speaks "are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). While we indeed need physical food to sustain us, we need this spiritual food as well. Knowing this truth puts a whole new spin on the concept of a balanced diet. A truly "balanced diet" must include spiritual nutrition. We need to hear from God and not just every once and a while. God created us to need a daily infusion of His Word. Hearing His voice is not an option, it is a necessity. We cannot truly live without hearing His voice.
Back to my boys for just a moment. I can assure you that they have never truly been on the brink of starvation. I am pretty confident that over the course of their lifetime, they have never missed a meal. However, if for some reason their next meal is delayed a bit, I am confident I will hear those words ... "I'm starving." Oh, how I long for the day when that is the case when it comes to me personally regarding spiritual meals. In the same way, my boys crave their next meal, I long to crave the very thing I need ... a word from Him!
Unfortunately, I often find myself filling up on alternatives to the real meal. Spiritual "GMO" foods if you will. Or worse, I opt for what amounts to spiritual fast-food rather than a real piece of meat. A real meal takes a little bit of time. It requires me to slow down ... no, wait a second, it requires me to stop. It requires me to sit down at His table, not pull up at the drive through window. God is not in the practice of serving up fast food and trying to convince us that it's healthy for us. Perhaps you relate. Perhaps you find yourself filling up on what amounts to junk food spiritually. Maybe, you're craving everything but what you truly need. Ask yourself, "When is the last time I've stopped and taken the time to hear His voice? Am I starving? Your Heavenly Father has an open-ended invitation for you. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
For more on hearing the voice of God, watch "Wavelength - Part One" below:
You can also join us live on Facebook, Sunday 4/30/2017 and Sunday 5/7/2017 at 10:30 AM
If you live in or near Montgomery, TX, we would love to have you join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30. Westlake Fellowship is located at 19786 Suite 120, Hwy 105 in Montgomery. (beside Magnolia Diner)
www.westlakefellowship.org
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