It is a wonderful thing to sit and flop in the presence of the Lord all day long, studying and meditating on his words and receiving wisdom, knowledge, insights and instructions. Nothing could compare, not even a holiday to an exotic warm friendly pretty holiday island. Studying the word is always peaceful, it’s always exhilarating and refreshing. However, what happens after…………..
Yup, you’re right…. we’ve got to act on the word. You see receiving the word of God can be likened to eating your favourite meal. For me that would be yummy Jollof rice served with (avocado, sweetcorn, tuna, kidney beans, tomato, onions and cucumber salad), and dodo with fried fish, smoked turkey and a glass of cold coconut and pineapple juice….Later followed by a cup of strong Yorkshire gold tea and deluxe milk chocolate biscuit. Aahhh… pure bliss.
But what happens to all that food after it goes into the stomach…. It gets broken down by digestion and provides new blood and nourishment to the body. It therefore gets very acidic and bitter and if this digested food was to be regurgitated, in other words vomited…my friend….you know it wouldn’t quite taste the same. In the belly, it gets bitter but in the end, it produces the life in us, which keeps us healthy and strong.
And so is the Word of God!. When Saint John in Revelations 10:9-11 was told to eat the book, at first it was sweet…but it became bitter and then he was told what he had to do with the bitterness in verse 11:-
Verse 11: and he said unto me, thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations and tongues and kings.
So back to my Jollof rice…..pure bliss …to my mouth that is but to my body…the work begins to convert it to life giving energy, it gets acidic, bitter but creates life giving energy in me.
Energy created must be used up and so the Lord tells us in Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
And then Saint James tells us in James1: 22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
The process of digestion is not as pretty as the eating, it’s hidden hot, even smelly and slow but afterwards it gives life and energy. We shouldn’t let the challenges of life prevent us from doing the word. Yes, it is simpler to sit and receive the word and it requires Faith activation to do, but look beyond the digestion process of going through with the word and see the benefits that in the end give life to you and all that you touch.
So what are we waiting for, read that word and digest it up….do it…and see your life being blessed as you do. I didn’t say it…Saint James did. …Now where’s my plate of Jollof rice