“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
(Deuteronomy 8:3)
Reflection:
God fed the Israelites throughout the forty years of their wanderings through the desert. He did this notwithstanding their faithlessness, disobedience and grumblings. Not once did He withhold the food from them.
Some action was required on their part. They were expected to notice that the food was there, go out and collect it, and eat it. If they had missed out on any one of these steps they would have remained hungry and grown weaker.
It is the same with God’s words to us, which we have recorded in Scripture. Just as we feed our bodies regularly every day so we are expected to feed our minds, hearts and spirits. God has provided the Word. We are expected to take note of it, collect its message and absorb it into our lives and livings. If we fail to do so we will become spiritually weaker and the ache within us will remain unsatisfied.
Food has to be chewed before it is swallowed. So we need to chew over the Word of God in order to get the taste of it, extract its meaning and then swallow its message and importance. We are not merely receiving bits and pieces of information but life-changing direction, focus, understanding and transformation. It is no coincidence that the Great Sacrament calls us to “eat this bread and drink this cup” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
- “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”(Psalm 119:97)
- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Response:
Feed yourself daily on the wonderful Scriptures. Think them, pray them, live them.
Prayer:
Lord help me please to feed on Your Word and words every day – and through them to draw closer to You. Amen
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The Soaring Eagle 