Vine Abider Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,431 Content Per Day: 6.23 Reputation: 2,285 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Share Posted December 1, 2023 I read this in a devotional today . . . a personal testimony of the writer. He is saying he found the Word to be real nourishment to his inner man, if he just ate three good meals from it each day! What he means by this is to take the Word prayerfully and in a way that it is not just a mental exercise of reading and studying, and thereby it will supply life to his being that energizes his inner-man and causes him to automatically walk in spirit. What are your thoughts on this - do you do this or see value in it - or what is your approach to actually being nourished in spirit? A Personal Testimony "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Jeremiah 15:16 (KJV) Many years ago I began to learn the secret revealed in this verse. After being a Christian for about nine years, I came to a point where I felt dry, discouraged, and defeated. I tried to overcome my failing self in many areas, but found I lacked the necessary strength. This went on for several weeks, and then somehow it occurred to me that I should begin reading my Bible three times a day in a regular way. So I began reading the Old Testament in the morning, Psalms and Proverbs at noon, and the New Testament in the evening. It was amazing to see what happened to me within one week. I discovered that the Word of God was food! At that time the Lord impressed me with Jeremiah 15:16. Formerly, my time with the Lord in the Word was mainly an exercise of my eyes and my mind. But when I discovered that the nature of God's Word was food, I began to read the Word with a praying spirit. The Bible became a new book in my hands. It became a book of enjoyment, a book from which I could feed upon the living God. I found myself reading and praying simultaneously and then taking up a verse or a phrase and beginning to fellowship with the Lord with the very words of Scripture. I found I did not have to strive to find what to pray. The Word of God itself became the content of my prayer. While doing this I found a mysterious yet real supply spontaneously infusing my inner man. No longer was I merely looking at black and white letters on a page or trying to mentally understand things, which had often left me spiritually deadened. For the first time in my Christian life, I began to enjoy God Himself in the pages of the Bible. Eating three square meals a day by feeding upon the Word taught me experientially that my inner man requires food just as my physical body does. The reason for my defeated Christian life, I discovered, was simply lack of nourishment. In studying the Bible for seven years, it had become to me a book of theology, sermons, and outlines, rather than a book of enjoyment and supply. I realized that the mere knowledge of the Bible could not change me. It was only when the Bible was translated into food by my praying with and over the verses that it turned into enjoyment rather than mere thought. I realized then, as I do today, that one of the secrets of spending time with the Lord is to feed upon the Word. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enoob57 Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 35 Topic Count: 100 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 41,195 Content Per Day: 7.98 Reputation: 21,471 Days Won: 76 Joined: 03/13/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/27/1957 Share Posted December 1, 2023 we can see just how demanding our flesh is for it's food ... sanctification is making God's Word food more important than flesh's food... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 955 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,597 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,063 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Online Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted December 1, 2023 3 hours ago, Vine Abider said: or what is your approach to actually being nourished in spirit? Well to begin with I am disenchanted with the idea of reading someone else's devotion(s) and hitching a ride on those devotions to God. Instead I find I am challenged to have my own devotion with God, doing my own reading, my own praying, my own thinking over the word and my relationship with God, my own conversation, my own questioning of God- Starting with; "Is it good between you LORD and me?" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vine Abider Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,431 Content Per Day: 6.23 Reputation: 2,285 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Author Share Posted December 1, 2023 58 minutes ago, Neighbor said: Well to begin with I am disenchanted with the idea of reading someone else's devotion(s) and hitching a ride on those devotions to God. Instead I find I am challenged to have my own devotion with God, doing my own reading, my own praying, my own thinking over the word and my relationship with God, my own conversation, my own questioning of God- Starting with; "Is it good between you LORD and me?" Sounds like you don't do devotionals, which admittedly some don't care for so much. And you interact with God in the ways you mentioned - great! I find all those practices you listed to be quite edifying as well, and always start off that way . . . then later mix in a devotional reading & consideration before Him. (and I don't always agree with everything devotionals say) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vine Abider Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,431 Content Per Day: 6.23 Reputation: 2,285 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Author Share Posted December 1, 2023 3 hours ago, enoob57 said: we can see just how demanding our flesh is for it's food ... sanctification is making God's Word food more important than flesh's food... Indeed, our flesh is a picture of the spiritual I think. I'm continually amazed how much time we spend related to food - seeking it, talking about it, thinking of methods to prepare it, admiring how good it looks, oh . . . and actually consuming it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enoob57 Posted December 1, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 35 Topic Count: 100 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 41,195 Content Per Day: 7.98 Reputation: 21,471 Days Won: 76 Joined: 03/13/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/27/1957 Share Posted December 1, 2023 11 minutes ago, Vine Abider said: Indeed, our flesh is a picture of the spiritual I think. Was maybe but now unredeemed flesh is warfare against s/Spirit Rom 7... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vine Abider Posted December 2, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,431 Content Per Day: 6.23 Reputation: 2,285 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Author Share Posted December 2, 2023 2 hours ago, enoob57 said: Was maybe but now unredeemed flesh is warfare against s/Spirit Rom 7... I meant in terms of its desire to eat food. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve morrow Posted December 2, 2023 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 62 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 1,048 Content Per Day: 0.62 Reputation: 368 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/15/2019 Status: Online Birthday: 07/07/1955 Share Posted December 2, 2023 DULL OF HEARING ??? JOHN 7:16 JESUS answered them and said MY doctrine is not mine but HIS that sent ME --7:17-- IF -- any man will do HIS will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of GOD or whether I speak of myself --7:18-- he that speaketh of himself ---seeketh his own glory -- but he that seeketh HIS glory that sent him the same is true --- AND NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN HIM --- ******* NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS ******* PROVERBS 8:7 for MY mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination to MY lips PROVERBS 8:8 ALL THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ARE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS THERE IS NOTHING FROWARD OR PERVERSE IN THEM PROVERBS 12:17 he that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness --but a false witness deceit-- JOHN 17:17 sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth ROMANS 6:16 know you not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey ---whether of sin unto death --- or of obedience unto righteousness --- PROVERBS 11:4 riches profit not in the day of wrath --- but righteousness delivereth from death --- ROMANS 2:11 for there is -- no respect of persons -- with GOD LOVING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willa Posted December 2, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 68 Topic Count: 186 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 14,244 Content Per Day: 3.33 Reputation: 16,658 Days Won: 30 Joined: 08/14/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2023 Jhn 6:48 I am the bread of life. Jhn 6:49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. Jhn 6:50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. Jhn 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." Jhn 6:53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Jhn 6:54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Jhn 6:55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Jhn 6:56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. Jhn 6:57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. Jhn 6:58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." Jhn 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. AMEN! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn C Posted December 2, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 30 Topic Count: 267 Topics Per Day: 0.07 Content Count: 13,207 Content Per Day: 3.49 Reputation: 8,497 Days Won: 12 Joined: 12/21/2013 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/06/1947 Share Posted December 2, 2023 On 12/2/2023 at 3:43 AM, Vine Abider said: I read this in a devotional today . . . a personal testimony of the writer. He is saying he found the Word to be real nourishment to his inner man, if he just ate three good meals from it each day! What he means by this is to take the Word prayerfully and in a way that it is not just a mental exercise of reading and studying, and thereby it will supply life to his being that energizes his inner-man and causes him to automatically walk in spirit. What are your thoughts on this - do you do this or see value in it - or what is your approach to actually being nourished in spirit? Hi VA, I so love God`s word because it is of Him. I say grace for my physical food and for my reading of God`s word with it in the morning. Throughout the day I study God`s word and then before sleeping I love to read a Psalm. There is always something fresh, new revealed by the Holy Spirit and it nourishes the spirit and gives good thoughts for the day. I had a wonderful example of this by my parents and grandparents. Blessings, Marilyn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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