People are living longer than ever. The average life expectancy is now just about 80 and is expected to be over 100 in the next 25 years according to medical research. Because of this projection, people are more and more concerned about their health and wellness. After all, if you are going to live to be a 100 you need to be careful about what you eat and what you do for exercise so that you are not eking out your life when you are only 80. How many of you out there are taking vitamins, supplements or herbals like Echinacea? Health and wellness is the big thing these days. Economists are saying that the wellness business is projected to become a trillion dollar business within the next 10 years.
I am all for the wellness industry. I plan on taking full advantage of it myself. I eat plenty of fresh foods, eat my fruits and veggies, and I am working on being better at exercising regularly. You need to be concerned about this stuff if you want to get the most out of the body God has given to you.
In the same way, if you want to get the most out of the soul God has given you, you need to feed that as well. Your soul is no less real, no less prone to disease and sickness, no less in need of regular diet and exercise than your body is. In fact, the two are inseparably bound together. The health of one affects the other and the sickness of one affects the other.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Isaiah 55:1-3 (I am quoting the JPS translation).
Ho, all who are thirsty,
Come for water,
Even if you have no money;
Come, buy food and eat:
Buy food without money,
Wine and milk without cost.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
Your earnings for what does not satisfy?
Give heed to Me,
And you shall eat choice food
And enjoy the richest viands.
Incline your ear and come to Me;
Hearken, and you shall be revived.
And I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
The enduring loyalty promised to David.
Have you ever heard the word “typology?” This is a good one to know if you are into crossword puzzles, Scrabble, or Trivial Pursuit. Typology comes directly from the Greek word meaning the study of forms or patterns. Types are physical realities that mirror and represent spiritual realties. For example, marriage is a type of Jesus’ relationship with the church. Get the picture?
With that in mind, here are a few things to think about….
First, the people Isaiah was writing to were not people who had no interest in God, rather he was writing to people who were hungry for God’s blessings. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, your earnings for what does not satisfy?” They were looking for ways to experience God’s blessings. To be blessed in the biblical sense means to have God’s supernatural favor.
Second, the people Isaiah was writing to were struggling spiritually and were not finding the fulfillment they were looking for. They were working hard at what they thought would bring spiritual satisfaction but kept coming up empty handed.
Third, God, through Isaiah, is jumping up and down and waving his hand trying to get the people’s attention. The passage starts out saying “Ho!” as in “Ho there!” We might translate that today as “Hello, hello?! Yeah you over there, can I have your attention please? I have something important to tell you! What you are looking for is over here!”
And the point God was making to them and now to us is this: Your spiritual health is determined by your commitment to be learning and living God’s Word. God’s Word can be looked at in two ways:
- As referring to the Bible.
- As referring to Jesus Christ.
The Word as referring to the Bible. The Bible is God’s autobiography. It is His written revelation to you about Himself. The Bible is 66 books written by more than 40 people from all walks of life and various cultures from 3 continents over a period of 1600 years. You would think such a diversity of authors, experiences, and cultures would result in a very chaotic story with many contradictions. But that is not the case. Each book compliments and completes the others.
Reading and studying the Bible is critical to your spiritual health. As a matter of fact, not taking the time to study the Bible is like not taking the time to eat or drink. In fact, God’s Word as the Bible is referred to in many places as food. For example:
- Deuteronomy 8:3, 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.
- Psalms 34:8, Taste and see that the Lord is good.
- Psalms 119:103, How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
- Ezekiel 3:1-2, And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
This Bible is food, food for your soul. Our very own text is an example of God’s Word being likened to food.
“How do you mean?” you ask. “I still am not sure I’m getting it.”
OK, I can be sensitive to that. Let me give some specific examples:
- Are you struggling with the loss of a child? Do you hunger for a way to work through your loss? David did too.
- Are you struggling with anger and resentment that is making it impossible to forgive someone who cruelly hurt you or someone you love? Jonah did too.
- Are you frustrated in your prayer life because you just don’t have the words? Read the Psalms.
- Do you worry that you are unimportant and insignificant? Are you so afraid that you are paralyzed? Do you wonder whether it is even worth going on living? Elijah felt that way too.
Are you getting hungry yet?
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 