Daily Devotional, July 31, 2024 The Gourmand
"The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day."
John 12:48
As a teenager, Nica has always been warned by her mother to be careful about what she says. “Be tactful and do not say things you will regret, so you would not have to eat your words,” her mom would tell her. As an idiomatic expression, “eating one’s words” meant having to admit a mistake about something one has said in the past. Usually such an occasion is embarrassing for the person who failed to mince words. And in this digital age, it could even cause a lot of bashing and a lot of shame.
As followers of Jesus though, “eating words” take on a whole different meaning. For God’s children, “eating words” means being nourished every single day by the words and teachings of the one true King, who gives hope, undeserved mercy and boundless grace.
"But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4
In this age of emotional brokenness, spiritual bankruptcy, and moral degradation, the search for nourishment for the soul becomes even more important as the search for physical nourishment. For even those who are well fed, could still be spiritually malnourished because of their lack of knowledge and appreciation for the bread of life that is Jesus Christ.
"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."
John 6:35
In his painful prayer to God on behalf of the people of Judah, the Prophet Jeremiah lamented the rebelliousness of His people, and poured His sentiments on God. In the middle of his despair, the prophet praised God for giving Him comfort through His words.
"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty." Jeremiah 15:16
As we face inevitable trials in our life, may we take the cue from the Old Testament prophet who delighted in meditating on God’s words. May we strengthen ourselves in the Lord’s unchanging promises and unfailing love communicated through the Bible. May we choose to find strength in Him.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:16
So how do we, present-day followers of Jesus, find strength in God’s word? Here are some ways:
1. We cling to it. It should be the first thing that comes to our mind in the morning, as we start our day with quiet time and prayer. We should endeavor to read a passage at least, and reflect on what it means to us in our current situation, before going about our day. It should be our guidebook in making every decision in our life.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105
2. We meditate on it. We should choose to meditate on His word, instead of endlessly scrolling our social media accounts or watching random online videos. We can always download interactive bible apps like the YouVersion bible, which gives us daily verses to read, offers a bible reading plan, and comes with an offline copy of the bible into your phone.
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Joshua 1:8
3. We delight in it. God’s words are in praise songs, and yes you can make playlists of it in spotify or YouTube, and listen to at least two or three in a day. You can do this during your work commute, while driving, or even while washing the dishes. You can also choose to listen to podcasts, preaching or homilies of your church’s online service or mass. If you are into journaling, why not write letters to God? If you are into graphic arts or calligraphy, why not use your favorite bible verses as your inspiration?
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Romans 10:17
4. We study and reflect on it. Apart from our daily bible reading and reflection, we can strengthen ourselves in God’s words by studying it along with other followers. We ought to take advantage of bible study groups where we will be guided by someone who can tell us more about the word of God.
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
5. We are present during worship. I know that we are always in church every Sunday, but are we really there? We have to be really present and fully engaged in listening to the sermon or homily every Sunday. We must discipline ourselves during worship, and quit checking on social media, our phone, or letting our thoughts wander on what to eat or where to go after church.Let us allow God’s words to get into our system so we could be spiritually nourished.
6. We talk to others about it. Witnessing about what Christ has done in your life, and sharing what you know about the scriptures is also a way of strengthening ourselves in God. When we share what we know it means we have the faith that God is for us,He has the best plans for our life, and He will never abandon us. It is a win-win situation because as we strengthen others, we get to remind ourselves of God’s goodness in our lives.
There are no words enough to describe a life that is lived without God’s, presence, guidance and words. It is dim, it is confusing, it has no direction, it is terrifying. Similarly, there are no words enough to describe a life nourished by God’s through His words. It may not be free from pains and troubles, but it has God’s presence, peace, joy, and comfort that transcends whatever earthly difficulty you may face.
"But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke 11:28
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 119:1-16to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: When was the last time you delighted in God’s word?
Conversation with the Lord: _Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the Bible. Thank you for allowing us to seek spiritual nourishment from you and your words every single day. I praise you for the strength you give, and the comfort you provide. May we encourage others too, to take comfort in you. Amen.
