But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
We know that our physical bodies require a certain amount of nutrition in order to sustain life, and without proper nutrition, we’ll end up suffering from a condition called malnutrition.
mal·nu·tri·tion
malno͞oˈtriSHən/
noun: lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.synonyms: undernourishment, malnourishment, poor diet, inadequate diet, unhealthy diet, lack of food.
Most of us know that a healthy diet consists of foods that God declared good, like fresh fruit, crisp veggies and lean meats, but we’re drawn to more enticing things like sodas, ice cream, candy, and chips. I have to confess, food has always been a struggle for me. If left to myself, I would have been one unhealthy girl, never growing up because I didn’t want to eat what was good for me. (Thanks, Mom.)
Our spirits require proper nourishment, too. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the soul.
The consequence of physical undernourishment is just as harmful to our body as spiritual malnutrition is to our soul. If we starve our body of food, we’ll die, and if all we eat is junk, we’re going to wind up sick.
Feasting on a buffet of worldly entertainment, corse conversation, and riotous, self indulgent living will lead us to be just as spiritually malnourished as a steady diet of junk will. This kind of ‘eating’ will create an inability to digest spiritual food, spiritual weakness, and blindness to spiritual matters. We won’t be able to handle even the mildest of spiritual milk, let alone the hearty smorgasbord of soul food that God provides in His Word.
Jesus said that we can’t live by bread alone, a reference He was making to our physical need for nutrition so He could help us see a more important need … a spiritual one that can only be met through the Word of God, where we find food that’s satisfying to the soul.
What are you feasting on? Is your spirit full, or do you need nourishment?
Lord,
May we be mindful to seek Your Word today, and nourish our soul above anything else.
In Jesus Name
Well said!