A Meal You Never Want to Miss

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,

Which neither you nor your fathers had known,

To teach you that man does not live on bread alone

But on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 8:3

As you can readily tell by looking at me, I almost never miss a meal.  In fact, if the truth be told, if you consider snacks and so forth – I go above and beyond the call of duty in my eating habits.   Indeed I am somewhat puzzled by those who almost never eat breakfast. That’s supposed be the most important meal of the day.  Or what about those who are so busy they don’t take time for lunch?  If I do that, I get the “hangries.”  The evening meal is my favorite, especially because that is when Linda and I eat together and because she is a fantastic cook.  I hear about families where everybody fends for themselves at dinner time, but that just doesn’t seem right to me.

There is however one meal… one that I should never miss… that far too often I skip – my daily time in the Word of God.  My suspicion is that this is also the case for many of you.  There are many excuses – “I was tired so I slept later.” “I was in hurry to get going.” “I was just too busy today.”  We are hurting ourselves.  Skipping the time in the word is as unhealthy spiritually, as skipping breakfast is physically. The text for today from Dt. 8 makes that clear – “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Friends, daily time in God’s word is a gourmet meal you never want to miss.  “Come,” is the invitation in Isaiah 55, “ Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fair.”  Here you meet Jesus, for as He said of Scripture “these are they that testify about Me.”  Through His word God works in our hearts “to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ...”  Through Scripture God works to change hearts, to equip us for “every good work.”

I was reminded of all of this as I listened online to the funeral sermon for Dr. John Saleska.  I didn’t really know him well but I did have a chance to listen to him to teach the Word.  He had a great sense of humor.  More importantly he knew the Scriptures backward and forward.  After you sat in a class he led, you left full to overflowing, like you just got up from your Thanksgiving feast.  In the sermon, the Pastor noted something very important about Dr. Saleska – that his love of the Word of God was more than a scholarly love.  Through God’s word God worked in his heart – convicting him of sin and grace, changing his heart and life.  Through His Word God invited him to know Him, into a personal relationship of faith in our God and His Son Jesus.  That’s what God wants to do in your life through His word – to fill your heart to overflowing with the joy of knowing Him.  That’s why His word is a meal you never want to miss.

There is a prayer I want to offer you today, one I learned as I grew up in church.  This prayer summarizes the point of today’s blog. I offer it to you as a prayer for you each day before you take your time in God’s Word.  Although a newer wording is found in the Lutheran Service Book on page 265, I offer you the one I learned -

“Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning.  Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.”