The Power of a Good Meal
THIS MONTH'S THEME: CALM. DOWN.
Food for the body. Food for the soul. My Jesus loved food.
Comfort Food
I feel pretty confident in making that statement. Jesus loved food and he loved to use food as an opportunity to break tension, relieve stress, and create spiritual satisfaction.
Food for the body. Food for the soul.
We see it in the
abundance of two fish and five loaves,
the sweet communion of the Upper Room,
the breaking apart of bread by hands with nail holes,
the aroma of fish cooking on the shore.
Christ continually and intentionally demonstrates how engaging our physical appetite's need for touch, smell, taste opens our ears to satisfy the appetite of our faith.
... faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ~Romans 10:17, New International Version
Nourishment in his hands calms our nerves.
Broken bread at his fingertips breaks strongholds of stress.
Through those "sup with him" moments, he who is the Truth and the Life shared life-altering, life-affirming truths with the disciples.
That is comfort food.
Think about it. Have you ever said grace before going on a binge? The food we ingest out of fear, frustration, or loneliness does not bring us comfort. It invites complacency. It serves as a numbing agent, shutting out the Holy Spirit and its opportunity to satisfy what nothing else will.
Do you want to be nourished or numb?
I confess, this revelation gives me pause about that bag of Cheetos I ate a few days ago. If I shift my mindset to see even the food I ingest as my opportunity for true communion with Christ, what truths would he reveal?
What glimpses of God have our diets deprived us of?
Food for the body. Food for the soul.
If what, how and why we eat mattered to Christ, it should matter to us.
Thank you, Lord, for the food we are about to receive. Nourish our bodies so we may serve your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.
This is the prayer my mother taught me to say before each meal. After an entire lifetime of its repetition and ritual, I see it differently now.
Grace for me hits a little different now.
If the food we put in our mouths does not nourish our bodies so we may serve his kingdom....
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ~Revelations 3:18-22, new King James Version
Complacency, even in the context of food, deafens us our capacity to receive God's counsel and answer his divine call.
Food for the body. Food for the soul.
I pray we all allow the power of good food with a good God to calm our fears, dry our tears, and open our ears. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Much love,
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