Do you treasure God’s Word more than food?

February 11, 2020

Have you thought about how much time you utilize to read God’s word versus planning for meals?

What are you planning to eat for dinner tonight?  How about tomorrow night?  If your family operates like ours, you may not have set in stone what you are planning to eat, but you do have a general idea so that you can go to the store once per week, rather than having to do it daily.  Each week, we will sit down one evening, plan our meal (albeit we recognize that there is a good possibility that something will change), and as we are doing so, we will check the cupboards and the refrigerator/freezer to determine what we have and the items we need.  That way when we go to the grocery store, we do not aimlessly purchase a lot of items that we do not need or will not be using anytime soon (that is as long as I am not going alone, in which case, if I see things that I think are a “great deal” I may buy too many).

Now let me ask you to think of another series of questions:

• What are you planning to read today from God’s word (the Bible)?
• How about tomorrow?
• What times are you planning to set aside each day for reading?
• How about praying?
• Maybe, I should ask, do you only read the word of God whenever you have a problem and you need to address some situation?

Today’s verse was one which I have read over and over.  While, I have not yet committed it to memory, every time I read it, I am left with the realization that I often put forth more effort in providing for my physical body than I do my spirit.  One might say that I am over nourished in my physique and malnourished in my spirit.

Setting out a guide for ourselves in reading (i.e. number of verses/chapters per day) and prayer (i.e. time spent on prayer) is not a contractual agreement setting out ramifications if the terms of the contract are broken.  Rather, like our meal plan, it is something that offers a guide, but recognizes that there will be days in which we must make changes.  This does not give us license to constantly change our schedule and never get around to reading and planning.  Dave Ramsey says, “A budget is telling your money where to go, rather than wondering where it went.” I might say, “A meal plan is guiding you to healthier eating, rather than wondering why you are putting on weight.”  Likewise, “A scripture reading and prayer plan is allocating time for engaging with knowing and being made known to God, rather than wondering where your time went.”

In the midst of all this, how important is receiving God’s word?  Do you treasure His word more than your necessary food?