A Balanced Diet

Many times throughout God's Word, food is used as an allegory. I have written on these themes before, but I feel they can always be touched on again.

The concept of milk - is for baby Christians. Christ and Him crucified. It is to say, Jesus died for you. Jesus laid down His perfect sinless life so that you can be saved. The simplicity of Christ is easily digested for the newbie, yet profound all on it's own. Anything more substantial and you run the risk of hurting them, the Word needs to be built upon a little at a time, so that it is can be processed.

Herbs are the spicy little verses that can be memorized in order to fight against our adversary. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and promises out of the epistles. Spend the day eating herbs and if the devil comes sniffing around you just have to breathe on him like onion-breath and he goes running away. Buh-bye!

Jesus is the Bread of Life, as in our daily Bread. That is our daily time in the Word. Our fellowship with the Father and our foundation to start any day. Without a firm daily foundation in God's Word, you run the risk of very serious spiritual health problems. This should be a staple of your life. I like to start my mornings with my time in the Word. I read a couple pages in the Old Testament and then a couple pages in the New Testament and most often, it is in this morning reading time that the Lord is able to speak to me out of His Word. If you skip this step, just like skipping breakfast, you will be run down by mid-morning and the rest of the day just won't really track right. This is one of the most important keys to Christian living. If you don't have time for this MAKE TIME!

Then of course the meat of the Word. I remember when I was a little kid and we had steak for dinner. I hated steak when I was little. Chewing and chewing! (Of course, the steak I had as a child was always overcooked which made it worse. Steak should be medium rare. Period!) So I would chew and chew and it felt like 20 minutes later I was still chewing - so I would pretend to wipe my mouth with my napkin and put the steak in and the rest of dinner hold it in my hand under the table. Unfortunately for me, that stubborn little kid in me still sometimes has problems when eating meat. My impatience for understanding gets me frustrated. If we are having problems understanding the meat of the Word, then we need to seek the Lord for understanding, who gives it freely.

Jesus had multitudes of people following Him, more so once it was noised abroad that He was giving away free food. But when He started talking about them eating His flesh and drinking His blood - many of His disciples turned away.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. Jhn 6:53-58

I always felt sorry for Jesus at this point, when he asked his remaining disciples, "Will you also go away?" Many times I have thought what Peter said, "Where else shall we go? You have the Words of Eternal Life."

It is the Lord who teaches us His amazing Word and helps our understanding. But time is running short. Decide today that you will be weaned from the milk and grow up to start chewing on the meat of the Word. Dedicate yourselves to study and put the Word on in your mind - putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because a famine is coming. A famine of the Word of God. When you are being persecuted and standing before Kings for the testimony of Jesus Christ - the Holy Spirit will be drawing on the Words that are in your mind already - in order to speak. Make sure there is something there to draw upon.

Blessings in Christ
Linda