Are you digesting Spiritual Food? In my last blog (12/13/14) I talked about the process of engaging both head and heart when meeting with God in his Word. If we fail to do this, we will merely take in facts and miss the growth and maturity that God has for our lives. His words, our spiritual food, will not go through the complete spiritual digestive process.
I recently experienced a physical illness that helped me understand this better. It began with sensitivity to foods like gluten and dairy. In a two-week period in August 2013 I lost 14 pounds even though I was eating regular meals. The problem, according to my health care professional, was that my system was not absorbing the nutrients in my food. Thankfully she was able to help me with my digestive issues and in time I began to absorb nutrients again and gain weight.
The same thing can happen to us spiritually. We may take in spiritual food during church, a bible study or personal devotions, but still fail to grow and mature. Part of the reason is because we are primarily engaging our left-brain (a logical process). Left-brain process is necessary but must be integrated with right brain process as well (i.e. reflection, use of imagination and a connection to our emotions). Otherwise, we will only experience part of the spiritual digestive process.
If this has been your situation you may need to learn to reflect, meditate, and process Scripture through both your left and right brain. In my book, Intimate Moments with the Father, you will find ideas in the Appendices that may help you in developing your right-brain process. These include ‘Quieting your Heart’, ‘Clearing out the Debris’, and ‘Spiritual Exercises to Engage the Mind and Heart’. These Spiritual Exercises can also be found in the Spiritual Growth Exercise section of this website. I suggest you start with Lectio Divina and Experiencing the Presence of God.
I recently downloaded a great resource called the Blue Letter Bible as an App and as a website, www.blueletterbible.org. One day I was looking up the Greek word for ‘meditate’ (hagah) and noticed one scripture that really intrigued me. “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey …” (Isa. 31:4). The Greek word for growl in this passage was hagah and it did not just mean to growl, but to imagine and to meditate.
What a surprise! The lion in Isaiah’s passage was ‘meditating’ on whatever prey he had caught, and was taking his time eating and digesting it. He was chewing, swallowing, using his teeth, tongue, stomach, and intestines, like a dog working on its bone! The lion was getting all the value he could out of his meal and delighting in the process.
We too can experience this as we ’meditate’ on Scripture, growling over it in delight! The Psalmist says, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you…I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Psalm 63:3-5). I encourage you to turn now to Psalm 63:1-5 and partake of the spiritual exercise of ‘lectio divina’. You can find the steps here.
May you “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). May you partake of, savor in, and anticipate God’s soul-energizing words as you participate in the process of Digesting Spiritual Food!
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