Feasting in the Word 6-20-16

Feasting in the Word 6-20-2016

I must confess; I am a ‘snacker’. I snack on the Word throughout the day and I am not ashamed to say it! I not so secretly love the fact that my Phone can play the Bible anytime I want! I can listen to it while doing something else too! I love to feast on the Word for hours and hours just listening to His words flowing through my car, my house, my yard and even the Gym! I accidentally played it aloud today as I pulled my head phones off. I was not sorry, because someone got a taste of God’s Word!

In this mornings feast I had read Psalm 21 and into 22. I was reminded of one of my past pastors who spoke wisdom when he said “God wants to heal you today… if you will just let Him.” He was teaching on a Wednesday Night group Bible study but Pastor Jonathan “Chip” Gee actually gave me a full book and Bible study in his words that night.
He had no idea that I had been dealing with intense pain in my wrist and arm due to multiple issues. He did not know that I could not at that time hold my own toddler when he cried for me to pick him up because I could drop him at any time. But when he spoke those words to my heart and the rest of the sanctuary I felt the pain. I felt as if I was forsaken by God. I cried out the very words that Jesus said on the cross…”Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachtani!” as I drove home in tears.

God had not healed me that day, in fact it took quite a while before I received it.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
² O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

³ But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
⁴ Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
⁵ They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. Psalm 22:1-5

I had to learn to trust that God knew when the right time for healing was, and when it would be suffering I would have to endure.

Similar to what I wrote a week or so ago God’s timing is not ours.

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Fortunately I recalled the verses that I had uttered and went back to the Word to check it out.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34

Yes, Jesus was given our suffering pain, He knew what I was going through. I know today that He knows also what you are going through.

Jesus cried out from the cross when He saw that His suffering had to continue longer before he could be released from the human body. He felt the pain in your heart for the loved one who has gone on before you, He knows that pain of the injury not healing fast enough for you. In fact He knows it to the extreme!

To the max!  That was a term I recall some of us used back in the day to describe the extent we were going to do something all the way as far as we could do it with all of our strength. Today I think of it as Jesus took it to the max! He died for us; that was one level .He did not stop there, He could have, but our God took on all of our sins, pains, etc. because we really cannot fathom what all He did on the cross for us. To the max! The Maximum it would take to clear a path for us to go to heaven.

In His time, God the father did it in His time. He continues to do things in His time today.

When we feast in the Word we need to think about how much spiritual food we can gather to ingest. As well we should think of what we can store up for tomorrow.

The good thing about the Word of God, though some people call it manna from heaven, I do not think it works the same way; we can store it up for a rainy day!

 We can feast on the meat of the word and use it for power and strength in our days just by reading it, even if it’s not relevant to today it will be sometime!

Feast in the Word today!
Find a place to read in peace, or turn on the scripture speak from your Bible app and play it as you drive.

Enjoy the spiritual strength you receive from gleaning in the Word.

Ask God to show you what to ‘eat’ today!

Settle in and really enjoy what you read.

Thank God for the goodness of His Word today!

Know that even when we feast there will come a time when you may feel that God has forsaken you, He has not, just dig in the Word and you will find this truth today. ‘

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Word, for Your life that was given for us, for giving us the Bible to read and grow stronger in our resolves to follow after your guidance in every area in our lives. Thank you also for  every person who reads this word written by a simple scribe and takes it to heart that we may grow stronger in our walk with You, in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading; 2 Peter 3:1-18, Psalm 22:1-31, Mark 15:1-47