Don't Starve Yourself

“It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

This needs to be taken literally.  Without food, we die.  Without the Word, we are spiritually dead.  

I can’t find the source, but I remember listening to John Piper talking about reading daily.  

He said:

“If you feel like reading it, then great!  Do it!

If you don’t feel like reading, that’s OK. You should regardless.

And when the enemy says, ‘You’re just reading it to mark it off your check list’, say ‘You’re right. I am. You won’t stop me from reading God’s word.’”  

I’ve fallen into that “checklist lie”.  Sometimes I read where it feels mundane.  10 minutes will go by and I won’t remember a thing…  Discouraged I can stop reading.  And not read for several days.  I’ll say… I’m just reading to earn God’s grace, or just to check it off.

It’s better to check it off out of obligation than to ignore it all together.  It’s like forcing yourself to eat your vegetables, it may not be as delicious as a pizookie, but it’s benefits are monumental.

God uses the Scriptures to reveal Himself to us. By being in the word and trusting in it, we know Him.  Because of this, I find the following verse so amazing, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27.  

Pray:  God, I am guilty of not consuming your Word daily.  I pray that more of your Church would pray and read daily. That by doing so, we would know your voice vs the enemy who claims to be you. We are your sheep, and you are the good shepherd.  How lovely it is to be one of yours.  Thank you for your Word and your Truth.

- Zane