Feasting on the Richness of God’s Powerful Word
The richness of God’s powerful Word never fails to satisfy my appetite.
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Isaiah 55:1-2
Raising children…
…often means adjusting our culinary preferences and habits to include Uncrustables, Cheezits, and instant mac and cheese, which makes the occasional eating out without them even more glorious.
Recently…
…my husband and I ate at The Pure & Proper, a new restaurant with a unique history – you can read about it here. With a more refined menu than our usual eateries, the only course I could confidently pronounce was dessert: a waffled tiramisu. My main course was duck confit with the most amazing, thinly sliced sweet potato I’ve ever tasted. However, my meal began with a delectable beets burrata – risky for me since I don’t prefer beets and had never heard of burrata cheese.
This appetizer…
…stole the show with blood-red orange slices and a homemade yogurt sauce to die for. I couldn’t tell you the rest of the ingredients, but I can tell you this: my palette was in culinary heaven. I was completely amazed at the exquisite taste of the food I ate that evening. My brain, accustomed to chain restaurants and fast food, was in completely new territory as I savored each of these dishes that could only be described in one word: rich.
who gathered at The Pure and Proper with us.
I had a similar experience…
…a few days later while reading my Bible. The passage included a verse I’d previously overlooked, and my spiritual palette was overwhelmed with the Scripture’s richness. What a gift – much sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103), and living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Though I’ve read the bible cover-to-cover multiple times, I continue to experience the depth of God’s Word if I truly feast on it, taking time to savor and allow it to penetrate my thoughts and attitudes. And the more I engage with Scripture, the more I see it overlap with and give new meaning to previously studied passages. Richer meaning.
As good food nourishes my body,…
…the Word of God nourishes my soul, satisfying and fulfilling the hunger within me. Jesus himself said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The more time I spend on each morsel, the bigger the banquet table grows before me, enlarging my appetite to dine on the wonders of His Word. And the more I read and meditate on it, the deeper my desire and hunger for it grow.
Furthermore, If our time in the Word seems bland, the problem is not with the text. It could be the way in which we approach it. Billy Graham once said, “The fact that God is infinite makes the study of His Word a lifetime occupation.” Therefore, We must daily set our table with expectation and lean into the richness of God’s Word, drawing near with hunger and thirst, asking the Holy Spirit to teach, convict, inspire, exhort, and move, preparing our hearts for the rich feast He will undoubtedly lay out before us.
I’d love to hear what you are currently reading or studying in God’s Word, so leave a comment! Also, for more strategies in keeping the reading of the Bible fresh in your spiritual formation rhythms, see this post on some ideas for changing things up!
This is so true!!! I’m doing The Bible Recap and getting so much out of my study.
Just googled that and it looks so good! Going to add that podcast to my library! My oldest son challenged me to do something he and his friends were doing this past summer – read the entire Bible in a month. I happened to have the month of July pretty wide open (all kids were gone to camps for at least two weeks, etc.) and did it. It was life-changing and I truly fell in love with the Bible all over again. Sometimes we just have to change things up a little to realize how amazing (and applicable) Scripture really is:)