A Hunger for His Word
Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty. Jeremiah 15:16
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Depending on people’s eating habits and the version of the Bible they are using, they might misunderstand the meaning of this verse. The New International Version translates the first sentence, “When your words came, I ate them.” The Hebrew word translated “ate” means “to devour,” “to eat up,” or “to consume.” God is instructing us in this verse to approach his Word with a hearty appetite . . . a burning hunger. His words, our manna, are there for us to feast on every day. But as with Jeremiah, we must choose each day to meditate on his instructions and promises, for it is only in reading and following God’s Word that we find true joy. When we daily rely on the nutrition of God’s words, we will say as the psalmist did, “The laws of the Lord . . . are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb” (Psalm 19:9-10). We will be sustained by his Word day by day and will experience joy. If you don’t have this kind of hunger and dependence on God’s Word, ask him to make this a reality in your life.
Prayers:
LORD, thank you for your holy and powerful Word! Build in me a deeper hunger for it and reliance on it day by day. Lead me as I consume your instructions, promises and testimonies. Through them you will sustain me, and they will be my joy and my heart’s delight.
Quotes:
ONE OF THE HIGHEST AND NOBLEST FUNCTIONS OF MAN’S MIND IS TO LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD, AND SO TO READ HIS MIND AND THINK HIS THOUGHTS AFTER HIM.
John R. W. Stott (b. 1921)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Jeremiah 14:11–16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9–3:13; Psalm 80:1-19 and Proverbs 25:1-5.
