Food For My Soul
Hunger can often make us feel shaky and out of focus. Our body cries out for nourishment letting us know it’s time to eat. In the same way, we can get spiritually shaky and out of focus when we don’t feed on God’s Word.
If we compare the natural process of eating to spiritual nourishment, it gives us a clearer picture of how vital God’s Word is to us.
Just as we taste our food, the Bible encourages us to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Just as we chew our meat, the Bible says to meditate (chew) on His Word day and night.
Just as we swallow each forkful, God wants us to apply (swallow) spiritual truths into our minds.
Just as our body digests our food, digesting God’s Word will judge the thoughts and attitudes of our heart.
Just as we find nourishment from the food we eat, we are transformed (nourished) by His daily bread.
Read Jeremiah 15:16
1. What did Jeremiah do with God’s Word and what resulted from it?
Read Isaiah 55:10-11
2. What natural processes is God’s Word compared to in these verses? What truth is found here? Note where God’s Word goes out from.
Read Isaiah 51:16
3. What is said about God’s Words here? What else does He do for His people?
Read Isaiah 59:21
4. Explain God’s covenant promise here. Can you claim this for your family?
Read Psalm 119:43
5. What is the psalmist prayer in this verse? What is his hope? What important role does our mouth play in our walk with Christ?
I hope you will share your comments with us on our page if you feel comfortable doing so. Your participation helps others see things we may have missed. God bless you in the study of His Word this week!
I encourage you to join in on the conversation by posting your comments here. We learn from each other!
Karen I am so sad … just got the new about Lorraine’s Homegoing! I had been talking to her recently and it seemed she was doing so much better…I am praying for you and the whole family. Had thought of maybe coming out for the funeral, but not sure that it would be possible. I have so many wonderful memories of Lorraine and I as young girls…vacations at Cable Lake…shopping on Michigan Avenue….working together at the NAE…and too many others to write about. Love you and your family and we will be praying for you during these difficult times. Love, Essy (that’s what she always called me)
Taking in God’s Word and keeping them close to you will bring you & your family joy, hope, and much produce if you keep devouring it. :) Good stuff.
Thanks for joining in, Brenda. Love the word you used: devouring! The results are beautiful when we do just that! God bless!
FROM ORLANDO, FL.
Jeremiah ate the words from the LORD and Jeremiah felt the joy and rejoicing in his heart – the words of the LORD does this for us also – when we apply ourselves to the WORD of GOD.The natural process used in GOD’s Word is as the rain and the snow cometh from HEAVEN – as GOD’s blessing come down from HEAVEN and falls on each one of us – this makes you and I grow in the LORD – GOD’s word goes out of HIS mouth and HIS word shall not return void – it will always prosper in things.
GOD will put HIS words in my mouth for me to tell others and bless HIM – GOD will cover us with HIS hand – HE really is our all and all in our lives – we need to eat HIS WORD each day of our lives and help bring other unto HIM – I just do not know what I would do with HIS and PRAYER time each day of my life – HE is my everything. We really are HIS people living here on earth. GOD will put HIS spirit in each one of us – HIS words are put into our mouths and into our children’s mouths – YES – I claim this for my family – GOD is always good and HIS promises are always right on time for us. The psalmist did not the word of truth to go out of his mouth – this is our hope also – to spread HIS word to each and every one – I just do not know what I would do without the LORD in my life – HE is my everything – I am so proud my girls and son-in-law serve the LORD – my grandson has drifted away a little bit – but prayers can bring him back to the LORD – he know the way from childhood. This was another wonderful Lesson – Thank you so much – Karen – I am enjoying them so much – just a little longer and the LORD will return for us.
Your comments made me smile all the while I was reading them, Odella! Your love for the Lord just oozes out of you! Thank you for reminding us that the Word that goes out of His mouth will not return void. That’s why I think it’s so important to pray the Word and then declare those truths out loud. What power we have available to us! A praying grandmother has turned many a heart back to the Lord. Prayer makes a difference! Yes, we can claim the covenant promise of God that the Spirit who is on us and the words He put in our mouth will not depart from the mouths of our children and children’s children. I just love that!
Like Odella, I have a grandson who is running from God. This lesson was a reminder of how important it is to proclaim the Word over him. God’s Word encourages, uplifts and shows us the way through life’s battles. So good to be reminded that it won’t fail us, but will accomplish it’s purpose. It’s so easy to get discouraged, but God keeps bringing me back to His goodness and power in my life. Thank you, Karen, for these lessons.
Hi Peggy, I love your declaration of faith that God is good and powerful in your life. It’s so true, and that power comes from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Proclaiming scriptures over your grandson will produce results. It’s a promise! He is not willing any should perish but that all should come to repentance. When we pray according to His will it shall be done. Yes, His Word will not return void! I know it can get discouraging when we don’t see the results, but to hold on in faith and never give up is important. My heart goes out to you as you pray for your grandson, for there is no greater joy than to see our children and their children walk in truth! God bless you as you intercede according to God’s Word and will.
Jeremiah 15:16 is one of my FAVORITE scriptures! I LOVE the visual of eating God’s very words. There is another scripture I love that says “he let none of His words fall to the ground.” :) “Vital” I think perfectly describes the feeling these scriptures give of the treasure of God’s words…how we should treasure them and handle them with care, never taking them for granted. And Isaiah 55:10-11…WOW another power punch! Another of my favorites! This particular scripture has special meaning to me as I have stood on it many times when speaking God’s Word over a situation, when nothing about the situation made sense or in the flesh it looked like an impenetrable wall, THIS very scripture gave me the power I needed to remind myself of the POWER of God’s spoken Word. I love the absolute finality in His words, “it will NOT return to Me empty, but WILL accomplish what I desire.” Sometimes I just need to KNOW that. Isaiah 51:16…another of my FAVORITES! This is so funny…all of the scriptures you are mentioning in this lesson are ones that have been highlighted in my bible for a few years and they are all so personal to me. This particular one I have prayed many times over myself, but specifically this past year, many times on the way to school in the car while praying with my girls. I like to say as we head to school, “Keep Your hand over their mouths,” meaning I want only words that are pleasing to His ear to come out of their mouths. Only words of good things…not gossip, not negativity, not fear, not disrespect, not rudeness, not selfishness…nothing they would later regret…as He “teaches us how to talk.” Isaiah 59:21 LOVE! What a promise! I get choked up when I read that verse. In the Message, I like how it ends, “God’s orders.” He has signed His name to it. His Spirit is ON me and ON my children. And because of His covenant, I know His spirit will also be ON their children too. His Words will not leave our mouths…how this chokes me up when I read it! What a beautiful promise! It is such an intimate picture of the deep affection and care He IS. How He WANTS to empower us! AND our children. I absolutely claim this for my family! :) In Psalm 119:43 I feel like it shows the utter dependence we should have on having God’s truth. It should be the manna we crave. In the Message, he goes on to say in vs 44 “I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me.” It should be that precious to us.
Preach it, Tara! You mentioned the “absolute finality” of His words. Love that thought as it relates to His Word accomplishing what He desires. Also love that you already had these verses marked in your Bible. You said it well, “power punch”!!! You are taking His Word to heart, making it personal, and there’s nothing better than that. Eating His Word, devouring it, claiming it, standing on it…we have such an arsenal at our disposal.
Great lesson & reminder of the life giving substance Gods word is to our daily lives! I can imagine the pics we’ve all seen of malnutritioned children & thought that’s how we are if we try to live without Gods word in our lives! Our spirits start shrinking & our flesh grows stronger. I needed to be reminded of this as I pray for my son to surrender to The Lord. I used to proclaim & declare scriptures over his life & have gotten lazy & I am getting back to it!! Thank you Karen for this kick in the pants I needed!!! The battle is not mine but the Lords!
Isn’t it wonderful the way the Lord reminds us and gives us that nudge when we need it. I truly believe that there’s nothing better we can do than to speak His Word over our children.
In the amplified version Isaiah 55:10-11 says “10 For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,(A)
11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” I love where it says it is seeds to the sower and bread to the eater…BOTH benefit from the watering which is from God…we as His people must do the planting of the seed (speaking His Word). He will not let it return void, empty, useless…because He will accomplish what He wants His Words to accomplish in His timing for His purpose. We are His vessels to used by Him for His will! What a PRIVILEGE!
Such powerful truth–His Word that goes out of His mouth will not return without producing any effect! It will not be useless. What a promise! What a challenge for us! The benefits of speaking God’s Word are without end. Thanks for bringing this out, Anita.