PHYSICAL NUTRITION
• This week I read another article in the seemingly endless number of articles, books, television specials and lectures on nutrition and its impact on our health. Many of you are probably thinking about “diet” or fasting as the year begins.
• The expression “You Are What You Eat”, which has been the theme of so many of these reports, has gained much greater significance in the past decade as research has shown the connection between diet and health.
• These connections are, in some instances, very clear and in others, subject to some degree of debate; but in general we have come to understand that our food intake does impact the quality of our lives physically.
• While I believe it is important to take good care of these bodies which God has so marvelously designed, I thought more this week about a more eternal issue.
SPIRITUAL NUTRITION
• Just as we fail to realize at times the long term impact of that king size cheese burger, fries and chocolate milk shake, so too we often ignore the guidance provided concerning our spiritual nutrition needs.
• Consider this verse from Deuteronomy 8:3 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.
• This is a critical concept for us to understand; that God understands and will meet our needs on this earth, but the material, tangible things of this life are not to become our sole focus – that which is truly life, the eternal part of us, is to be sustained by the Word of the Lord.
• This verse is so powerful that Jesus used it to against Satan’s temptation in the wilderness. Just as ignoring proper nutrition can result in physical weakness, feeding our spirits with those things which pollute the heart and soul will result in spiritual weakness.
• We know that lack of proper nutrition can impact, negatively, the growth of a child into a healthy adult. So, too, the lack of regular spiritual sustenance can hinder our growth into a mature disciple of Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 2 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
WE SHOULD CRAVE GOD’S WORD
• Just as David said his heart thirsted for God like a deer pants for the water of a cool clear brook, Peter says we should crave the pure spiritual milk – God’s Word, good teaching, a steady prayer life and fellowship with other Christians. When we spend time in God’s Word savoring the blessing of its wisdom and love, we too will find, as the Psalmist, its satisfying sweetness.
• Psalm 119 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
• Just as we prefer to eat daily and not just once a week, we need to make sure we are getting our spiritual nutrition daily as well and it needs to be of the highest quality as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8
• 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
• I pray that this week you will give as much attention to your spiritual nutrition as you do your physical nutrition – there is no question, it will improve your spiritual fitness!
