Introduction
Food from Heaven
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than
honey to my mouth!
There is nothing in this world more valuable than the Bible . All the gold in
the world couldn't buy what this little book has to offer, the knowledge of God.
When the words of this book enter a person's heart, he is changed forever. He
will never be the same again, as the scripture says:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The Word of God brings God's life into us. One man explained it this way using
the example of a seed, "A seed is that little thing that carries within it
the very life of a plant or tree, and when planted in the ground, it imparts
that life somewhere else." The Word of God reveals to us Gods life, His
thoughts, His attitude, His affections, and His power. Jesus said:
John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
As the bread of life we feed upon it, just as food. It nourishes us and when
digested, it becomes part of us. In feeding upon the Bible, we take in who God
is and the power of the Word of God enters us, and becomes our very own. When we
think of eternal life we usually think of living forever, but according to the
Bible, eternal life is much more than that. It is a quality of life. A taking in
of the knowledge of God. As Jesus said when praying to the Father:
John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
You may find it interesting that the word used here for "know" is the
Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word meaning "intercourse." Therefore
only the sexual union of a man and his wife becoming one could possibly picture
what kind of union exists when a man takes in the Word of God and is
supernaturally transformed.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord.
The Word of God changes us like a tree that produces fruit. The fruit of God is
His character and life working within us transforming us into the image of Jesus
Christ Himself. The Bible makes this clear:
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
John 15:5-8 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and
I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be
my disciples.
Yes, the Bible is much more than a book, and it should be valued more than
anything else. The Bible contains riches and treasures beyond our greatest
wishes. I believe God created us with something inside that is attracted to
enjoyment and satisfaction. We find ourselves working hard so that we can earn
the money to do things or to have things that will bring us pleasure. God's Word
is the most pleasurable. It can bring out the deepest emotions of pleasure and
satisfaction because it brings us close to God. Men of God said:
Psalm 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have
esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey
to my mouth!
When we are close to God, we feel secure. We learn to trust Him in any
circumstance. We find the best things in life. His Word opens us up as with a
surgeon's scalpel. We learn about ourselves. The Bible can be so enjoyable.
There's a multiplicity of things that happen to each one of us uniquely when we
open the Scriptures. Through the Word we learn our purpose in life, God's will
is established, and in turn we are fulfilled.
We can learn a lot by examining the life of Christ. What did the Lord Jesus
think about the Scriptures. The Word guided His every step, it was His food, and
His strength. It was the weapon by which He could overcome every enemy. From
beginning to end His life was the fulfilment of what had been written of Him in
the "volume of the Book." Jesus constantly appealed to the
Word. When He was tempted in the wilderness, He conquered Satan by saying, "It
is written." When He was confronted by the Pharisees He would say, "What
sayeth the Scripture?" "Have ye not read?" "Is it not
written?" When His disciples questioned Him about His sufferings, He
replied, "How otherwise can the Scriptures be fulfilled?" Even
in His death, He quoted Scripture.
Jesus was the living Word, He had the Spirit without measure. Surely, He didn't
need the written Word, yet It was everything to Him. I am convinced that Jesus
could not have done what He did, had He not yielded Himself step by step to be
led and sustained by the Word of God. The Scriptures were more than a book to
Him, it was the Word of His Father, and His very life. When He quoted the
Scriptures, He spoke from His deepest personal experience. When He said
"Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of
the mouth of God," He really meant it and from the deepest part of Him. His
life was a life of depending on the Word of the Father. He had His mind and
heart so filled with the Word, the Holy Spirit could at any moment find within
Him the perfect word for the need of the moment.
John 4:33-34 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man
brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of
him that sent me, and to finish his work.
When the Lord Jesus became man, He set an example for us to follow. He shows us
what are the most important things in life, like being alone with God, enjoying
Gods presence, doing God's will, love, patience, generosity, humility, kindness,
and so on. May we follow Christ's example and allow the Spirit of God to fill us
with a desire for the Father's Words. May we learn from Christ Himself how to
make the Word our bread, and as it is digested, our very being. May we learn
from God alone what our unique purpose is in this world and may His Word be, as
David said, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm
119:105.