OUR DAILY BREAD : HEART FOOD

[cimi]

March 16
Sunday



READ:
Jeremiah 15:15-21
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I love food! I love to see it beautifully presented, and I love to savor the taste. If it were up to me, I would eat more often than I should__although it wouldn't help my waistline! So, it's a good thing my wife, Martie, knows when to lovingly remind me to eat healthful foods in the right amount.

Reading Jeremiah's interesting thought__that when he found the words of God (even the words of God's judgment) he "ate them" (Jer. 15:16)__makes me wonder if I ingest God's Word as eagerly, as lovingly and as often.

Clearly, Jeremiah did not actually eat God's Word. It was his way of saying that he read and savored it in his innermost being. And that's exactly where God's Word is intended to go. The Word is heart food! When we ingest, the Holy Spirit provides the power to help us grow to be more like Jesus. His Word transforms how we think about God, money, enemies, careers, and family. In other words, it's really good for us.

So, "eat" God's Word to your heart's content! No doubt you will find yourself agreeing with the prophet Jeremiah when he said: "Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (15:16). __Joe Stowell

``````````````````````````Lord, cultivate in me an appetite for Your Word. ````````````````````````
```````````````````Thank You that the Bible is food for my soul. Lead me to read````````````````````
```````````````````````it, to savor it, to ingest it, and to know the strength````````````````````````
```````````````````````that Your words can give to my often-failing heart.``````````````````````````
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The more you feast on God's Word.
the healthier you will become.

*********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Jeremiah 15:15-21*******************************

15 O LORD, You know;
remember me and visit me,
and take vengeance for me
on my persecutors. In Your
enduring patience, do not
take me away. Know that
for Your sake I have
suffered rebuke. 16 your
words were found, and I ate
them, and Your word was to
me the joy and rejoicing of
my heart; for I am called by
Your name, O LORD God of
hosts. 17 I did not sit in the
assembly of the mockers,
nor did I rejoice; I sat alone
becasue of Your hand, for
You have filled me with
indignation. 18 Why is my
pain perpetual and my
wound incurable, which
refuses to be healed? Will
You surely be to me like an
unreliable stream, as waters
that fail?

19 Therefore thus says the
LORD:
"If you return, then I will
bring you back; you shall
stand before Me; if you take
out the precious from the
vile, you shall be as My
mouth. Let them return to
you, but you must not
return to them. 20 And I will
make you to this people a
fortified bronze wall; and
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail
against you; for I am with
you to save you and deliver
you," says the LORD. 21 :I
will deliver you from the
hand of the wicked, and I
will redeem you from the
grip of the terrible."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Righteous living will eventually meet with opposition and
persecution. Indeed, "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). In Jeremiah 15, we see how
Jeremiah lamented the unjust treatment he experienced as a true
prophet of God. Yet in his anguish he received the assurance that
God would stand by him.