Stuffing Our Faces

A while back, Time Magazine identified some very wacky eating records. In Texas, a 125 lb. mother ate two 72-oz. steaks with a baked potato, roll, shrimp cocktail and a salad all in less than 15 minutes holds one record.

Other records include someone who ate 44 lobsters in 12 minutes. A mayonnaise fan ate a whole gallon of it in just 8 minutes. A lover of Mexican food ate 275 pickled jalapeños in less than 10 minutes. And my favorite was Joey Chestnut (the Coney Island guy who eats loads of hot dogs every 4^th of July) who ate 121 sweet, yellow Twinkies in just 6 minutes. (Truth is, I might be able to beat that record!)

Most of us are not gobbling up food in a competitive setting. But we do eat to sustain our lives. And in a very real sense, we are what we “eat” literally and spiritually.

And that is why I love the sentiment expressed by the prophet Jeremiah: “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear your name, Lord God Almighty” (Jer. 15:16).

He “ate” God’s word and it filled his heart with real joy. The “meal” satisfied him. It encouraged him. It gave him sustenance for the journey. It was sweet to his soul.

So this week, instead of stuffing our faces with our favorite foods, you and I really ought to give some thought to devouring God’s Word. If we are on the run, we can grab a quick bite (a short devotional thought). If we are new to studying the bible, we can scour “cookbooks” for new and detailed “recipes” to apply to our extended study. (Commentaries can really help us.)

We can “blend” it up by putting scripture to music or expressing an interpretation with an artistic effort. We can memorize it. We can literally copy it over and over until it is cemented in our minds. We can discuss it, meditate on it and share it with a friend.

Bottom line: we need to “eat it up.” It should be our “joy and heart’s delight!”