Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart. Jeremiah 15:16
When I was in my twenties (oh so long ago) my favorite food was a bag of Doritos and a can of ice cold Pepsi? My youthful ignorance never allowed me to be concerned about “nutrition facts” or the words “partially hydrogenated,” and “high fructose corn syrup”.
But one day I started hearing the awful truth that these tasty treats where a recipe for high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and obesity. Reality came knocking on my junk food door. My packaged, processed food affair lost its appeal.
Have you noticed how the media is all a buzz about “eating clean”? It seems to me that healthy eating has become a doctrine in itself.
This is where we need to examine our priorities. We take great care to ensure the nutritional content of our eating choices, but how concerned are we about the nutritional value of our spiritual food?
“The pearl of great price is not cheap! God forgive us today that we handle His treasures as though they were trifles. It is no time to play marbles with diamonds.” Vance Havner
For many years I relied on devotionals because they spoke to “issues” I was trying to deal with. I was so accustomed to bursts of inspiration but was not growing substantially in my understanding of the scriptures. When I joined a women’s bible study I discovered the profound impact of digging into my bible chapter by chapter and learning God’s word in context and application.
So take a minute to examine the nutritional facts of your current Bible knowledge by asking these questions:
Do I choose study topics that give me short bursts of inspiration? Do I choose authors because their book are among the best sellers? Do I rely on conference speakers to keep me afloat spiritually? Does my study material challenge me to have a gospel emphasis, Christ focused, and others oriented life, or does it mainly centralize on me?
Is there a place for God’s word to touch our emotions? Yes, many of the scriptures that I’ve committed to memory are because they have moved the very core of my being. But a sentimental approach to the bible must never take priority over a full and comprehensive to study of the word.
Packaged processed bible studies may be pumped with flavor but nutritionally lacking if we truly desire to grow in our walk with our Savior.
Do your nutritional homework and look for studies that sharpen your skills as a student and teach the beauty of the Word “clean” and undiluted. Develop a taste for digging deeper into your bible and watch your spiritual health become truly transformed.