Sunday Omori
One may wonder whether the spirit of man eats food. Man is a spirit being that lives in a physical body and has a soul (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The body is the outward man while the spirit is known as the inward man. The spirit lives on when the physical body dies. The spirit of man needs to eat spiritual food to stay healthy even as the physical body needs to be nourished. The spirits of many are malnourished and suffering from spiritual “kwashiorkor” because they are yet to experience the new birth and/or are not feeding daily on spiritual food. A malnourished spirit affects the mind as well as the physical body. A well fed spirit drives away depression, anxiety and diseases that affect the soul and body systems.
What is this Spiritual Food?
Jesus stressed that man shall not live by bread alone – “But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 – Amplified Classic). From this scripture, you would agree with me that God’s Word – written and spoken, is the spiritual food that is necessary for man to live and be sustained. Jesus Christ buttresses this point in John 6:63: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” This Bible passage highlights that the spiritual food gives not just life but God’s kind of life. Little wonder Prophet Jeremiah said, “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). The Bible is the written Word of God authored by the Holy Spirit.
As I was inspired to write this message, the meaning of God’s Word was laid in my heart. I got a description of what each letter in “WORD” stands for.
W – wisdom of God
O – ordinance of God
R – revelation of God and His purposes
D – diet for God’s children
I will briefly discuss these meanings and then dwell on the meaning that is related to food.
The Wisdom of God
“The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and caught. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord. And what kind of wisdom do they have? (Jeremiah 8:9)
The Word of God is the wisdom of God. There are different kinds of wisdom namely natural wisdom, sensual wisdom, diabolic wisdom and supernatural wisdom. It is important to identify your source of wisdom because not all wisdom come from above as highlighted in James 3:15, “this wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” As seen in the passage above, Man’s wisdom acquired through the senses can fail and wisdom that is not from above can be futile (1 Cor. 2:6-7). You can get divine wisdom by studying and meditating on God’s Word – “O how I love the law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through the commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.” (Psalms 119:97 – 98)
“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)
The Ordinance of God
The Word of God is the ordinance of God. The Bible – Gods’ Word, contains God’s ordinances. Other synonyms for “ordinance” are order, command and law. In Joshua 1:8, God emphasized that the Book of the Law (Scripture) shall not depart from the mouth of His children and their success in life is hinged on His laws.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (King James Version)
So, it is important to obey God’s commands or laws because only those who obey God’s commands become commanders of the affairs of life.
The Revelation of God and His Purposes
The Word is God’s revelation of Himself and His purposes. The Bible reveals who God is in terms of nature, character and ability. It is a compendium of God’s promises, prophecies and principles which when believed and applied bring about salvation, transformation and empowerment. It reveals things that happened in the past and things to come. Besides, the Word of God regenerates and illuminates man’s spirit and provides guidance and direction on the issues of life.
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
HEM Int'l 