I spend much of my time thinking about food. Not because I’m a glutton (I don’t think I am, anyways). But so much of my days and weeks are planned out in terms of food. There’s meal planning for the next week, grocery shopping, eating at least 3 times a day, planning what I’ll pack in my lunch for work (making sure I have a meal plus snacks). I try to make sure, when I leave with my packed lunch, that I’ve left behind sufficient food in our fridge and cupboard for my husband to pack a good lunch. I didn’t always realize it, but now it’s profound just how much time and effort I spend on food. 

During morning devotions recently, I was thankful to God for the sustaining power of His Word, even if at times I don’t feel much, emotionally, in response to it. I was glad to have a consistent source of spiritual nourishment, regardless of how I felt on a given day. Which got me thinking about food, and in turn reminded me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 4: “But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” 

If we put so much effort into food-planning and food-consuming, why aren’t we putting as much effort into consuming the Word of God? Of course we don’t want to go hungry, and our bodies are made to need food. But Jesus, in response to the devil’s temptation to turn a rock into bread during Jesus’ 40-day fast, compares the Word of God with food. He puts as much, if not more, necessity on living by God’s Word as we put on living by bread. This could easily turn into an essay on Jesus’ comparisons between Himself/God’s Word and food/drink. But this will not be such an essay. 

Instead, I will share an example of a Scriptural Intake Schedule I made for myself. If I’m spending so much time planning out food, I should also put effort into making sure my mind and soul are receiving the daily intake of the Word of God they absolutely need in order to live. 

The following is a list of ways to consume Scripture:

• Regular Bible reading/studying
• Meditation on a verse or passage
• Memorization
• Short devotional
• Listen to a sermon

Below is a snippet of how I have incorporated some of those Scripture avenues into my daily schedule.

Monday-Thursday
Wake up – Bible reading/studying
Work commute – Memorization
During kids’ nap (I’m a nanny) – Meditation on a verse or passage
Bed time – read/pray with husband, or read a short devotional

Each avenue of Scripture intake does not have to be intense or very time-consuming. But may we be just as concerned, if not more so, about spiritual starvation as we are about physical starvation. We cannot live by bread alone. 

Consume God’s Word, and live.