“And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.” Ezekiel 3:1-4
Reading the word of God and eating the word of God are two different things. It is very easy to walk away from your daily reading without digesting anything. Have you ever eaten so fast that you didn’t stop to really taste the food? I must confess that I have done both of what is described in this paragraph. I have gone through the motions of doing my daily reading and couldn’t tell you one thing I took from it. I was treating God’s word like my to-do list! I have sat down with a plate of food and gobbled it up, only to be left unsatisfied because my body did not enjoy the fast-paced meal.
During a fast, we put away food for a time. We put away the meal planning and thinking about the next meal, so the focus can be on the Lord.
God fed the scroll to Ezekiel. The scroll tasted delicious and sweet like honey. The word of God feeds the spirit, satisfies the spirit, and undergirds the believer to share it!
After eating the scroll, Ezekiel was called to go and speak to the house of Judah. The word he received was a word of warning to people that had turned from God. He was to deliver a heavy message that God said they would not hear.
We see a similar call given to John in Revelations 10:8-10. He was to eat the scroll, which was sweet and satisfying but made his stomach go sour. Why? Because he had to bring a message to the nations to warn against sin. The scroll prepared him for this difficult task. The word is sweet to us when we digest it but taking a message of turning from sin to others can be bitter. We know it is a hard message that all need to hear.
We all have this difficult task. We must prepare by eating the word of God slowly; tasting every morsal; digesting it and then carrying it to those that need to hear. Our effective communication of the gospel message only comes from time in God’s word.
Make the scriptures your daily “bread”! It is spiritual food that nourishes the soul!
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Ask yourself these questions:
How much time do I spend in the Bible? Is it enough time? Do I meditate on scripture throughout the day?
Make it a point to pick one or two scriptures to meditate on each day. What are they saying to you personally?
Autumn Nims
Founder of IWM
