Dinner Time!!

For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12
Years ago God laid it on my heart to let no man be my teacher, but the Holy Spirit.  "But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ." I John 2:27Not for a moment did I think this meant I was never to sit under anyone's teaching, but rather that I was to always use Scripture to discern whether what they were saying was truth or supposition.  As a matter of fact, Learning from others is a vital part of my life, especially where children are concerned.  I learn more from them that I have ever learned from adults.  Maybe it is because they are fresher from God, maybe because God has ordained it to be so, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?" Matthew 21:16, or perhaps it is God's way of keeping me humble (or all of the above).  Whatever the case, watching and listening to them teaches me the joy of living with a heart that is free from dwelling on the sinfulness in the world and sets its sights on seeking things to be joyful about.God's word is alive.  It walks this earth in believers hearts if they are learning to absorb it daily.  This is what it means to feast on God's word. "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." I Chronicles 16:11  Hungering for God is not a term to be used lightly.  There is a hunger inside every individual.  Some try to fill it with literally eating and tend to make themselves gain unwanted weight in the process.  Some try to fill it with material possessions, always wanting more, yet not having the ability to store it or sometimes even use the things properly.  Some try to avoid it through the use of drugs and alcohol.  Others try to avoid it by becoming angry, selfish, bitter and alone.  The problem with these things is, while they make you feel like you are doing something about the hunger, they are actually devouring you little by little until you are no longer the person you once were, but a facsimile of skin and bones with no meat.  When it is discovered that the hunger inside us is a hunger to be filled by God's Spirit, the choice must be made to be satisfied by feasting on His word, or to remain aloof, determined to do things our own way.  Even true believers must make this choice, as can be seen by the millions of angry, hurting, frustrated believers in the world today, continuing to fight their own battles and becoming disillusioned when they fail.God's word will put healthy meat on the bones of our spirit man.  We may not appear any different on the outside, but inwardly we will shine with the joy of being completely satisfied.  What we must remember is that our physical bodies are representative of what is going on inside.  We don't eat one day and then go our way, never eating again.  We would physically die.  Rather we eat in the morning and as the day progresses and we use up the energy gained from the calories consumed, we must replenish our supply.  Feasting on God's word daily is vital for a healthy Christian walk.  It nourishes our spirit and gives us strength to face the battles that confront us with determination.  When we become fatigued and feel as if we cannot go on, we must turn back to His word to feast again and again and again.  Just as a child cannot grow without eating healthy foods that nourish his/her body, neither can we grow into mature well-adjusted Christians without the nourishment that comes from God's word.Lord, help us recognize the burning sensation within us that cries out for more as being the call of Your heart to ours that it is dinner time and we must feast or perish from hunger.  Help us choose to feast on the promise of Your word and delight in it  daily.