Food for the Soul
An area of my life that I really struggle with is eating too much. My greatest weakness comes with snacking and eating past 6 pm. I feel all the more guilty because I know there are so many that have so little. I seem to hold out ok until I decide to have a few crackers. Soon I have gone way beyond that. The blame for my behavior rests on me, and me alone. Why is it that it is so easy to snack on food, but it often seems so hard to feed on God’s word? I have a hard time stopping the snacking, and yet, at times, it seems like reading God’s word is such a chore. When I am snacking, the end result is initially feeling famished, only to have an uncomfortableness with being too full. On the other hand, when it comes to God’s word, when my soul hungers for the true word from God, there is not enough time to read all of God’s word that I desire. The physical food leaves me feeling lethargic and uncomfortable while the word of God fills me with a deep passion for God and a renewed energy. When I am snacking, I often am searching for a specific taste or texture, and other foods like veggies are often far from what my taste buds desire. When feeding on God’s word, the variety only adds a deeper interest and passion to God’s word. When snacking, I tend to push myself away from people, maybe because I don’t want anyone to know what I am doing. When I am feeding on God’s word, I have this great desire to share it with all those that I meet. When I finally use self-discipline, I struggle the first few nights and then it ceases to have that control over me. When we break the habit, it no longer holds us prisoner. When we commit to reading God’s word, it may seem like work at first, however, the more we do it, the easier the pattern becomes. What negative habits have we allowed to reside in us? I want to replace the effort to read God’s word with a deep desire to know Him. If we have a choice, we seek the best, tastiest, crunchiest food to fill our stomach. What are you hungering for? Are you seeking God’s leading in your life? Do you read beyond what your devotions direct you to do? When my heart starts to really burn, I try to expose myself to many cross references that add depth to what God is trying to say to us. I don’t ever want to run from God’s word, but rather to joyfully embrace it. Father, help me to desire Your word more than I desire the food of this world. Give me a deep longing to dig into Your word. Amen