As I enjoyed watching the birds return to our backyard birdfeeder following our vacation, I was immediately drawn to one of the “beatitudes” that Jesus included in His “Sermon on the Mount,” where He said,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

He challenged His audience to hunger and thirst for living a life of godliness as much as we hunger and thirst for physical food. Along with Jesus’ theme of metaphorical food, the Apostle Peter calls each of us,

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

Little babies not only require, but also crave, their mother’s milk in order to grow into mature adults. Oh that each of us would also “crave” the nutritious, pure milk of God’s Word, feeding on a daily diet of reading, studying, memorizing, and applying God’s Word in our lives.

And I was also reminded of the Prophet Jeremiah who said,

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Now that’s what I call a real buffet! Jeremiah spoke of internalizing God’s message from the Torah and finding deep delight in it even in the midst of the trials and challenges that he was facing during that time in Israel’s history.

Interestingly, we find in the Book of Revelation that the Apostle John heard the voice of God saying to him,

“Go and take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel…and eat it, and it will turn your stomach bitter, but in your mouth if will be as sweet as honey’” (Revelation 10:9-10).

Once again, the imagery is that of “eating” or “devouring” God’s Word. Because the Book of Revelation discusses the coming judgments upon the nation of Israel for their apostasy and rejection of their own Messiah, these words would be “bitter” to him, but on the other hand, that same “scroll” would be as sweet as honey because of the encouragements and promises made to those who are the Lord’s true children.

So, what does this have to do with the birds in our back yard?

Just as they craved and were beginning to devour the birdseed that I had just fed them, so we are to “crave” and “devour” God’s Word, consuming it so that we will grow in our faith by faithfully applying God’s truths to our own lives. Indeed, the Word of God will encourage us to live godly lives and to rest in the promises that His Word provides for us.

So, like the birds, if your soul has run dry and you are beginning to grow hungry, just start eating! The banquet of rich, spiritual food found in God’s Word is available to each of us, free of charge!

May the Lord bless each of you.

Sincerely, Pastor Jim