God's Words: Our Heart's Delight

God’s Words: Our Heart’s Delight

(“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16)

One of the delights I look forward to each summer vacation is tasting food I might not ordinarily eat. Whether in ethnic restaurants, a gem of a hole-in-the wall we simply stumbled upon, or the home cooking of good friends, we often get to share unique and uncommon meals together.

The last day of our vacation we ate at a Japanese restaurant in Bellevue. It was exquisite. The seafood, including scallops and octopus, tasted as if they had just come from the ocean. The broths were clean and light, provoking a smile with each bite.

Earlier we enjoyed a simple cookout with my sister in Northern California. We feasted on grilled chicken and the usual salads at potlucks. But the piece-de-résistance was the spaghetti brought down the hill by my sister’s neighbor. It was rich with flavor, the sauce carrying a smoky sweetness and just a pinch of heat. It was, hands down, the best spaghetti sauce I have ever eaten.

Few things remain in our memory like a good meal. Perhaps it is because so many of our senses are involved. We get to see the food, the textures and colors. If we are near the kitchen or the grill we hear the dancing crackle of sautéing sauces. We smell the fragrances; spices or smoke, char on the meat or the perfume of citrus. We touch it, even before it hits our mouth. We feel the crunch of the crust of bread or the warmth of the chicken leg. And finally, we taste the wonderful food often prepared by hands of those we love.

I think God compares His Word to food for much the same reason. What God speaks to us is meant to occupy our entire being. We could draw parallel after parallel: God’s Word sustains us just as food does for our body, God’s Word delights us just as a well-planned meal, God’s Word strengthens us in the same way a meal restores us after a long journey.

Most of us would not willingly go a day without eating. Sometimes we are hard at work at a project and meal time gets passed like a school boy missing his bus. But, once we realize it, we seldom say, “Oh, I’ll eat tomorrow, or when I get around to it.” Food is necessary for our survival.

Most followers of Christ would agree that we must take in God’s Word to grow spiritually. But sometimes it is more lip service than reality. Our approach to the Scriptures sometimes is less about letting God help us grow and more a simple and vain curiosity. Or sometimes we seek its pages to justify something we already want to believe.

This was not the case with Jeremiah. God’s Words came, and he ate them. He took in God’s Word as it was. He didn’t try to discriminate whether he would accept this portion and reject another. He took it in, completely; and they were his “joy and heart’s delight.”

How often are you reading God’s Word? Do you have a regular time to read it daily? Do you have a plan to help you understand it? There is no reason in the world for anyone in our country to “go hungry” when it comes to the Scriptures. There are more Bibles than people. You can find one in nearly every hotel room. So, it is not because God’s Word is unavailable.

Here are a handful of suggestions. Follow them, let God’s Word empower you today. #1. Read it! Yup, it’s that easy. Just start! If you are unfamiliar, start with Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, one of the gospels that tell the life of Jesus. They are packed full of His teachings.

#2. Commit to a local church. One of the primary purposes of the church is to help people understand the Scriptures. Get in a Bible study; don’t just attend on Sunday mornings. Take all of God’s Word in that you can.

#3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When you don’t understand something, ask. Find a pastor or another Christian friend and dig out the meaning together.

#4. Finally…Put it into practice. The Word of God is meant to go into your spirit just like food goes into our body. But, with God’s Word, we have to willfully decide to obey what it says, believe its promises, and put it into practice every day. Start today, you will never forget the food God provides for you in His Word!