A Healthy Spiritual Diet

 

Back to Basics: (Part IV)
A HEALTHY SPIRITUAL DIET
Matthew 4:4 (NIV):
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.'"
1 Peter 2:2 (NIV):
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
Almost everyone would agree with the old adage, “You are what you eat.”
In other words, if an individual wants to be healthy physically, he or she must be
committed to healthy eating. Dr. Gillian McKeith, an internationally acclaimed holistic
nutritionist explained:
We all have up to 100 trillion cells in our bodies, each one demanding a constant
supply of daily nutrients in order to function optimally. Food affects all of these cells, and
by extension, every aspect of our being: mood, energy levels, food cravings, thinking capacity,
sex drive, sleeping habits and general health. If you feed your body junk and convenience
foods it’ll simply lay down fat, lower your energy, even your brain power.
Time and again, we need to be reminded about this reality: Healthy eating is
the key to a healthy life. On the same note, this is also true spiritually. Many Christians
are weak and unproductive because they are not maintaining a healthy habit of
eating spiritually. Jesus Himself testified about this truth in
Matthew 4:4:
“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
How many times do you usually feed your physical bodies in a day? On a
minimum, we all eat three times a day. What if I tell you, try eating only once a
week? Do you think you would survive? Absolutely, impossible! But, the truth is: the
majority of Christians today get satisfied with a once a week meal. Many wait for the
church feeding program offered on Sundays. No wonder many Christians are barely
surviving, churches are stagnant; and worse, the kingdom of God is not advancing.
Perhaps, some of you have the same tendency. You simply wait for Sundays to get
your feeding, and not feed yourself regularly. I would like to challenge you this morning
to begin a healthy spiritual diet. God, in His love for us, has already provided the
food; we only need to learn how to take advantage of it. Just like in the Old Testament,
God had poured Manna, the heavenly bread to his people every single day in
the wilderness. If they starved to death, it was certainly their own fault, not God’s.
Here are four key words we need to remember if we want to maintain a healthy spiritual
diet:
I DESIRE:
People who are hungry don’t have to be told to eat. If there’s food, they’ll
definitely go for it. When the apostle Peter wrote the early believers regarding feeding
themselves with the Word of God, he gave them a familiar picture on how it should
be like. He wrote:
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in
your salvation.
Let’s highlight the word Crave. This word suggests a “yearning desire for”
or “longing after.” It means it is a very strong passionate desire. When was the last
time you have watched a baby desire for milk? If they are really hungry, they will cry
as hard as they could until you satisfy them with milk. At that time, nothing is more

Back to Basics: (Part IV)

A HEALTHY SPIRITUAL DIET

Matthew 4:4 (NIV):

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

1 Peter 2:2 (NIV):

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

     Almost everyone would agree with the old adage, “You are what you eat.  ”In other words, if an individual wants to be healthy physically, he or she must be committed to healthy eating. Dr. Gillian McKeith, an internationally acclaimed holistic nutritionist explained:

     We all have up to 100 trillion cells in our bodies, each one demanding a constant supply of daily nutrients in order to function optimally. Food affects all of these cells, and by extension, every aspect of our being: mood, energy levels, food cravings, thinking capacity, sex drive, sleeping habits and general health. If you feed your body junk and convenience foods it’ll simply lay down fat, lower your energy, even your brain power.

     Time and again, we need to be reminded about this reality: Healthy eating is the key to a healthy life. On the same note, this is also true spiritually. Many Christians are weak and unproductive because they are not maintaining a healthy habit of eating spiritually. Jesus Himself testified about this truth in

Matthew 4:4:

“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

     How many times do you usually feed your physical bodies in a day? On a minimum, we all eat three times a day. What if I tell you, try eating only once a week? Do you think you would survive? Absolutely, impossible! But, the truth is: the majority of Christians today get satisfied with a once a week meal. Many wait for the church feeding program offered on Sundays. No wonder many Christians are barely surviving, churches are stagnant; and worse, the kingdom of God is not advancing.  Perhaps, some of you have the same tendency. You simply wait for Sundays to get your feeding, and not feed yourself regularly. I would like to challenge you this morning to begin a healthy spiritual diet. God, in His love for us, has already provided the food; we only need to learn how to take advantage of it. Just like in the Old Testament, God had poured Manna, the heavenly bread to his people every single day in the wilderness. If they starved to death, it was certainly their own fault, not God’s.  Here are four key words we need to remember if we want to maintain a healthy spiritual diet:

I.  DESIRE:

     People who are hungry don’t have to be told to eat. If there’s food, they’ll definitely go for it. When the apostle Peter wrote the early believers regarding feeding themselves with the Word of God, he gave them a familiar picture on how it should be like. He wrote:

   Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

     Let’s highlight the word Crave. This word suggests a “yearning desire for” or “longing after.” It means it is a very strong passionate desire. When was the last time you have watched a baby desire for milk? If they are really hungry, they will cry as hard as they could until you satisfy them with milk. At that time, nothing is moreimportant to the baby except to be satisfied with milk.

     Do we pursue the Word of God with the same passion? I remember the words of Job:

Job 23:12 (NIV):

12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

     Job is a remarkable Bible character. Despite all the troubles he had to go through: losing his possessions, his children and his health; he never wavered in his faith towards the Lord. He remained faithful till God had restored back everything to him. Obviously, his stability and maturity came from how he valued and pursued the Word of God – it was more important to him than his daily bread. Reading this verse, the great Chinese Pastor, Watchman Nee made a commitment, “No Bible, No Breakfast.”

     Maybe, many are not pursuing the Bible passionately because they really do not understand its significance for their lives. Paul had summarized the value of God’s Word in two verses:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV):

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

     First of all, you and I need to be convinced that the entire Bible is God-breathed. Meaning, it is God who brought it to life in the same way He breathed life into man’s nostrils when he was created. In Genesis 2:7, it talks about how God formed man from the dust of the ground, and then He breathed into man the breath of life so man would be alive. There are people who think that the Bible is an ordinary book because human beings wrote them. I strongly disagree! 2 Timothy 3:16 is clear that the Bible possesses the breath of God. Although God had used about 40 human authors to write it, they all wrote through the guidance of the Holy Spirit so they were only writing what God wanted them to write. Peter also testified about this truth:

2 Peter 1:21 (NIV):

21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

     Since the Bible is God’s Word, Paul continued in saying that it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training resulting in the complete equipping of a Christian. Dr Warren Wiersbe clarified the differences of those four functions: For teaching – to teach what’s right, rebuking – to teach what’s not right, correcting – to teach how to get right, and training – to teach how to stay right. We need to start appreciating the value of the Bible. Chances are the reason why we are not as passionate about it is because we have failed to recognize its value for our lives.

II.   DISCOVER:

     Another important reason why we need to feed on the Word of God is because it can help deepen our love for Jesus. There is a great tendency for people to treat the Bible simply as a source of information about how they can live a good and godly life. Although, it can serve that way, it is not the main purpose why the Bible was written. Jesus explicitly revealed that the ultimate aim for the writing of the Bible is to reveal Himself:

Luke 24:27 (NIV):

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

John 15:26 (NIV):

26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

     Again and again, we talk of the Christian faith not as a religion, but a relationship.  It is not a set of rules (do’s and don’ts), but an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Think of this in terms of the religious people during the time of Jesus Christ. They were diligent in their studies of the Old Testament Scriptures, but because they failed to see Jesus, they missed out on eternal life. Likewise, there are people today who are studying the Bible simply to accumulate knowledge.  Unless, they find Jesus in the Bible and fall in love with Him, all their knowledge will only result to pride and arrogance, and not life.

1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV):

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

     I have underlined the part that should serve as a warning to us. We don’t feed on the Word to simply increase in knowledge. We need to see Jesus and then fall in love with Him. Unless we see Christ, we will never be motivated to live righteously.  You know why? If you grew up in Sunday school, I’m sure you remember singing this line, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” The more you know through the Bible that He loves you, the more you will love Him and live for Him.

III   DEVOTE:

     If you are to feed on the Word passionately, you need to devote sufficient time for it and learn how you can maximize learning it. I am using the word “Devote” because I want to drive across the idea of a wholehearted effort to learn, as opposed to a haphazard and careless time with the Word. God’s Word deserves the best from us.  The words given by God to Joshua when he was about to lead the Israelites into the Promised land can enlighten us about this. Notice, God even told him that his success as a leader was very much dependent on how he would treat the Scriptures:

Joshua 1:8 (NIV):

8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

     First, how regular should be our feeding be? God’s expectation is not just daily, but twice a day – day and night. Now, God wants us to establish the discipline of spending time with Him. Most of us don’t find it difficult to plan to eat three meals a day. Yet, we would struggle to set a time each day to fellowship with God. I believe there’s a very practical explanation for day and night. It is Day so you can start you day committing everything to God; Then, it is Night, so you can close the day thanking God for all the help and asking God to give you sufficient rest so that you can work again the next day. All of us need to practice this routine to stay spiritually healthy.

     Second, how should we do our feeding? The word is Meditate. This word is more just reading. It literally suggests reflecting so you will understand the truth beneath the surface. Do you do this when you are feeding on the word? Early in my Christian walk, someone shared these guiding questions for reflections:

1. Is there a promise to claim?

2. Is there a lesson to learn?

3. Is there a blessing to enjoy?

4. Is there a command to obey?

5. Is there a sin to avoid?

6. Is there a new thought to carry with me?

     You can read any chapter and ask these questions. I know God can guide you to more truths. But these are good starting questions. We often call our time with the Word as personal devotions. I like that because it carries the idea of setting a personal time to express my love to God. I know the way I spend it will show how much I love Him.

IV.   DECLARE:

     There is a consistent truth revealed in the Bible regarding spiritual health – you are built to bless others. Learning the Bible is not really the end, it is the means whereby God can use us to lead others to Him. This is perfectly illustrated to us by Ezra, a scribe who was really passionate about the Scriptures. When God was about to restore His people to the Promised Land after the 70 years of captivity, He was one of the people given the privilege to lead. Why did God choose him? The obvious answer is his commitment to the Word of God. Listen to:

Ezra 7:10 (NIV):

10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

     What made him stand out was that the fact that he did not only study the Word, he practiced them and taught them. I believe we can put these last two ideas together – the practicing and the teaching of the Word.

     If it is your intention to declare what you know in the Bible, you have to see to it that you are practicing what you are teaching. Or else, you will become a greatest stumbling block for people to know God. This is the reason why during the time of Jesus Christ, the strongest rebukes He ever uttered were directed to the teachers of the Scriptures:

Luke 20:45-47 (NIV):

45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,

46 "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

47 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

     Evidently, God is not impressed with what we know, unless we practice them. Once we are practicing them, it would open tremendous opportunities for us to teach others about God. Therefore, if we will declare the word, we have to do it first by life, and then by lips. Many of us who have been in the faith for quite sometime now, should begin this worthwhile activity. Don’t be content in just learning, begin teaching. Our true spiritual health is displayed in our willingness and effectiveness in teaching. The author of Hebrews expressed frustration when believers remained immature and unable to teach:

Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV)

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

     From the baby food, you and I need to grow and enjoy the meat of the Word. Once you have been maintaining the meat diet, which is expected by God, you have to be a teacher of others. Begin declaring the Word. May God help us to be committed to desire, discover, devote, and declare the Word of God!