JAN. 2, 2013
No
Appetite
Read: Nehemiah 8:1-12
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby. —1 Peter 2:2
When
I was battling a bad cold recently, I lost my appetite. I could go through an
entire day without eating much food. Water would suffice. But I knew I couldn’t
survive long on water alone. I needed to regain my appetite because my body
needed nourishment.
When
the people of Israel came back from exile in Babylon, their spiritual appetite
was weak. They had departed from God and His ways. To get the people back to
spiritual health, Nehemiah organized a Bible seminar, and Ezra was the teacher.
Ezra
read from the book of the law of Moses from morning until midday, feeding the
people with the truth of God (Neh. 8:3). And the people listened attentively.
In fact, their appetite for God’s Word was so stirred that the family leaders
and the priests and Levites met with Ezra the following day to study the law in
greater detail because they wanted to understand it (v.13).
When
we feel estranged from God or spiritually weak, we can find spiritual
nourishment from God’s Word. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Ask God to give you a renewed
desire for relationship with Him, and begin feeding your heart, soul, and mind
with His Word.
Break Thou the Bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord,
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word. —Lathbury
Feeding on God’s Word keeps us strong and healthy in the Lord.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
