a steady diet of goodness, mercy, and grace

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

Rebekah savoring God’s Word

SO… Saturday evening I was in my study preparing for the Sunday morning adult-education class I co-teach with my friend Charles, and I noticed how rich and satisfying the scriptures were as I read them.

It was one of those serene, peaceful scenarios. Windows open; cool breeze blowing in; a mug of coffee on my desk; the smell of good food still hanging around; Rebekah working on her sermon in the dining room; Scout playing the part of “adoring dog;” good words of scripture nourishing my soul.

Ezekiel 3

DIET: Jeremiah suggests the idea of literally eating God’s word. It’s a great image. A couple of years back my class studied a book by Eugene Peterson titled, “Eat This Book,” and our discussion centered around the exact concept I’m sharing here.

But it wasn’t until this evening, sitting back in my chair, pushing away from my desk in the same way I push back from the table after a great meal, that I reflected on Jeremiah’s words again, and this time found myself experiencing exactly what the prophet was trying to get across to his readers.

Elsewhere in the Bible, in the Book of Ezekiel, the idea is put this way:

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3)

GOODNESS: The bottom line here, friends, is that God speaks all kinds of goodness into my life: nourishment; satisfaction; balance; wellbeing. When I eat God’s word, I am filled and I am healed.

I’m still not one-hundred percent sure what scripture I’m going to share in class today, because there is so much that’s resting on my soul and working its way into my psyche:

• The two passages I have already shared in this post;
• the Galatians 6:9 verse that touched me early Saturday morning: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up;
• the story about how Jesus brings out our very best that I read yesterday in “10 Life-Charged Words”….

I like the way God’s word is served at church!

I may not have narrowed it all the way down; but I can safely say this:

When I eat God’s word as a daily diet, then I bring goodness into my life: nourishment; satisfaction; balance; wellbeing. When I eat God’s word, I am filled and I am healed.

Satisfied, and pushing my chair back from the table – DEREK