It took some nerve to say it out loud to a room full of teenage girls, but the cost of sounding like a crazy woman was worth it.
“Girls, I don’t want you to read your Bibles anymore. I want you to eat it.”
They all giggled a little, then looked up at me wide eyed, nervous. They didn’t know what was coming next.
“You heard me.” I said, lifting up my Bible. “Eat this Book.”
Eugene Peterson said it before me. He said that “the Word was meant to be taken into the soul – eaten, chewed, gnawed and received in unhurried delight. It was intended to do something in us, give us health and wholeness, vitality and holiness, wisdom and hope.” Yes. It was meant to be eaten.
But it was Jesus who said it first. He said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4
The God who made us knew we’d be hungry, and He knew we’d need more than bread to make us full. So He gave us His word and made us an offer: “Open wide your mouths and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)
But instead of throwing open His pages, we take our plates and run straight to the snack aisle – to the world full tasty substitutes that temporarily satisfy. So, we go shopping, eat a brownie and run one more mile on the treadmill. We check to see how many people like us on Facebook and how many visited our blog. We work hard, perform for applause and keep our children walking the straight and narrow.
But at the end of the day, we’re completely worn out and still desperately empty.
Or, how about instead of snacking, we go straight to the One who promises to make us full?
Jesus meant it when He said that if we’d come to Him, we will never again be hungry. He meant it when He said that He is the Bread of Life – the One who satisfies. (John 6:35)
But the only way to get the Word inside of you is for you to get inside the Word. It can’t fill you sitting in a stack of books by your bed. You have to open the pages and start chewing, one small bite at a time.
It sounds crazy, I know, but I’ve tasted it and it’s good. (Psalm 34:8)
Eat this book.
……
Here are a few suggestions as you eat:
1. Pray before you read. Just a simple prayer to focus your heart – something like: “God I want to know you more. Speak to me through your Word, I pray.” Go to the Word expecting to hear from Him. God is always present with His Word.
2. Don’t hop around. Instead of flipping around looking for something to jump out at you, pick a book and read it all the way through, a little at a time. It doesn’t matter where you read. Start in Psalm 1. Pick a gospel {John is my favorite}. Or how about one of Paul’s letters? Pick a book and start reading. Set a timer and read for 5 minutes (eventually you’ll crave for more). Or read one chapter at a time. Don’t get caught up in how much you have to read. The point is: keep reading.
3. Engage with the text. Use your imagination as you read. Think about the context of the passage. What was going on around them? How did they feel? Where would you be in this story. Remember that the Bible was written about real people who think and feel very much like you do. Read the text a few times and think about what stood out to you. Why do you think those words resonated with you?
4. Chew on it. Keep a journal handy and write down what stood out to you. Was there a particular verse that you connected with? Write it on a note card and rehearse it a few times. Thinking on and memorizing scripture is the best way to digest His Word. Let it seep into every corner of your mind.
5. Apply it. God’s Word wasn’t written to make us feel better. It was meant to get inside us and change us forever. But we have to do what it says. Talk to God about what you read, and ask Him how you can apply His Word to your day to day. Keep the conversation going and practice walking out His Word with Him.
………
Jesus, you said you are the Bread of Life, and he who comes to you will never be hungry. Well, here I am. Hungry. Will you fill me? Please pour your presence out over me and make me full. Give me a desire to feast on your Word and devour truth. I want more of you. Satisfy me, I pray.
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