BON APPETITE!

Bon Appetite!

Karen Sue Hale

July 31, 2001

           

I love dessert!  Whether it’s a chocolate fudge brownie and a dip of vanilla ice cream smothered with hot fudge and caramel sauces or my favorite cheesecake buried beneath fresh sweet strawberries, I look forward to a good dessert every now and then. I try to resist indulging in them because my figure already advertises the fact that I love dessert.  However, as tasty as they may be, dessert items are not the healthiest choice on the restaurant menu.

            Sometimes I find myself treating God’s word like dessert.  It’s that extra, added benefit at the end of an otherwise average day like dessert is the sweet treat at the end of a meal.  After all, doesn’t Palm 34:8 tell us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good?”  I love to taste God’s word.  I can taste God’s word by reading the scripture verse at the end of an entertaining, one page devotional.  That’s like eating dessert.  Dessert is often thought of as “comfort food” used to soothe the rough edges off a bad day.  I can draw comfort from familiar verses and passages of God’s word.

            However, just as I cannot live a healthy life physically by eating only sweets, I cannot live a healthy life spiritually by just occasionally reading the parts of God’s word that give me a warm feeling.  Sometimes, like eating an appetizer, I’ll read an excerpt from the Word that should whet my appetite for more; but I have a tendency to stop after the mozzarella sticks and not go on to the main course. God’s word is compared to bread (Matt. 4:4) which was a staple food of the Jewish culture.  The Word should be my mainstay and not just an afterthought or a starter. 

            Milk is the main food of the infant because of its nutritional value.  I am told to drink the pure milk of the Word (I Pet. 2:2) because it will help me grow in my relationship with Christ.  Just think about it…little babies drink a bottle about every two hours!  If the parents are slow with that bottle, the baby loudly lets them know it.  I should not wait until I’m crying with hunger for a word from God to read my Bible.  I should maintain my spiritual satisfaction with regular feedings.  It might just keep me from being quite so grumpy.  After all a well-fed baby is content and usually rests for a while after a bottle.  Imagine resting in the fullness of God’s word.

            As a child grows she needs more than milk.  She moves on to baby food, junior food, and then regular meals.  Ultimately, I need to progress to the point that I am dining on the meat of God’s word (Heb. 5:12-14).  Protein in our diet builds muscle and strength.  My spiritual stamina is developed by digesting the more difficult and challenging passages of the Bible.  My faith is strengthened as I am obedient to that which I have read and as I discipline myself to read not only the comforting but also the convicting pages of the Word.

            God’s word cannot be merely dessert added as an afterthought or an occasional pleasant flavor.  Yes, I enjoy tasting God’s word, but a dessert portion of it will not sustain my spiritual energy during times of temptation and trial.  I must move to the place where I can say as Job did, “I have esteemed and treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12 Amplified Version, italics mine).  I must eat a balanced diet of all the food groups in order to be physically healthy, and I must eat a balanced diet of God’s word in order to be spiritually healthy.  I challenge you to do the same.  Dine on the meat of God’s word while still enjoying an interesting appetizer or a delicious dessert.  I’m hoping this will be your appetizer to a scrumptious Scripture meal. Bon appetite!

           

For more protein in your spiritual diet, try reading our Bible Study Blog at www.preciousjewelsministries.org!