September 16, 2024

John 4.34 (NIV)

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

Can we truly know what Jesus would do without knowing what the Bible says?*

We talk about feeding on the Word. We speak of new Christians being served “milk” while the mature believer is ready for “meat.” But Jesus didn’t tell the Samaritan woman that the spiritual food he had to offer was something to read - he said it was something to do!

Is this new information for you? It was for me. My mind is filled with sermons and lessons about feeding on the Word. I remember instructions about fasting in which I was told, “When you get hungry, FEED ON THE WORD.”  But, there comes a time in our spiritual development when we’re fed not so much by study but by service.* It is the natural progression – from being fed; to feeding yourself; to using the strength you have acquired from your nourishment. Eating – even healthy well-balanced meals - without exercise leads to being weak and flabby.

Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that there is another level to our spiritual growth. He’s not telling us that we don’t need physical or spiritual nourishment, but that doing God’s work and seeking his kingdom must become the food that draws us, fills us, energizes, and strengthens us.*

If you only read the label but ignore the pill, it won’t help. . . . If you only read the recipe but never cook, you won’t be fed. . . . If you only read the [Bible] but never obey, you’ll never know the joy God has promised.*