SOUL FOOD

TTHE WORD OF GOD IS THE MOST POWERFUL TRUTH ON EARTH.— Words that contain the very spirit and life of God Himself.1 The Word is the spiritual spark of God that ignites us with His life, light, and power. Reading, absorbing, and following God's Word is one of the most important things you can do to build your relationship with Him. It's what keeps you in tune with God and helps you to keep going God's way. When you listen to God and His Word and obey His truth, you'll be happy and fruitful.2

Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”3 His Word is the very life of God. That's what gives us spiritual life, food, nourishment, strength, and health. This is why a good wholesome balanced diet of His Word is essential if you wish to grow and stay close to Him.

Jesus Himself is called “The Word” in the Bible.4 Jesus is the Word, the Spirit and the life, and you need to have a dose of Him every day, a good feeding and feasting and drinking, if you're going to grow and stay healthy spiritually. Just as you have to eat in order to have physical strength, you have to feed and drink from God's Word to have spiritual strength.

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”5 When you're spiritually weak, it's often because you haven't really feasted on, been filled up with, and been strengthened by the good, wholesome, nourishing, encouraging and feeding truth of God's Word. You can't get so busy with other things that you neglect your inspiration, the spiritual food and nourishment that you need from the Word. There are times when I would have really gotten discouraged if I had not drunk deeply of God's Word.

If you sincerely seek God as you read His Word, He will speak to you through it. And the more dearly you begin to love His Word and the

more you study it and feed from it, the more you will grow spiritually and the more you will find that God can speak to you clearly and directly through His written Word.

When the Holy Spirit quickens a passage of the Bible or verse to you, applying it to your own personal situation, it brings the Word to life. The Lord will bring His Word to life and speak to you personally, giving you direction for your problems and answers to your prayers, as you read His Word. When He helps you apply it to a situation, it suddenly becomes alive. The Bible isn't mere words anymore, or words that just run through your head, but it reaches your heart and you really get the point. “The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.” 6

The prophet Jeremiah said, “When your words turned up, I feasted on them; and they became my joy, the delight of my heart.” 7 Job said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” 8

Jesus said, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”9 What is the “one thing” that Mary chose? She sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His words. Resting in the Lord and sitting at His feet and hearing from Him and His Word is so necessary. God's Word is just that important.