03/04/2022
There is an old saying that goes like this “Variety is the spice of life”, and we all adhere to it in one way or another. We don’t like to vacation in the same place all the time, we like to watch different shows on television, and we certainly like to eat a variety of foods. The same is true in our spiritual lives. Although we might have favorite verses of scripture that resonate with us, that we commit to memory, and which seem to apply especially well to our lives, all scripture is meant to be taught, learned, and made a part of who we are as men and women of faith.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
Have you ever been to a state fair, or walked through a shopping area that had many stores selling a variety of wares, services, or foods? I love visiting places like that, and invariably there will be one or two shops that catch my eye, and I end up buying something just because it appealed to me in that moment. It might have been a painting, a new shirt, or some unique musical instrument; like a juice harp, or a penny whistle, but today let’s talk about the food.
“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.”
Genesis 1:29-30 ESV
Our senses are nearly overwhelmed in places like markets, and fairs. We meander through the shops and hear the vendors hawking their wears, see people walking by eating, watch demonstrations of products, and so forth, but the one sense that seems to direct me most when it comes to food is the smell. Is this true if you? There is something about the smell of onions cooking, peppers being fried, hamburgers on the grill, fresh popped popcorn, griddle cakes cooking in oil, or fried pies, that will draw us like a magnet! Each one of these will remind us of a childhood memory, a certain meal we have especially enjoyed, or sometimes they draw us for some unexplained reason; perhaps our body senses it contains something we need… a certain spice or nutrient that we are missing. When we are reading God’s Word it is like walking through a street packed with shops, and wonderful odors. We smell the breath of God, and it carries with it the aroma of what He has prepared for us. Scripture speaks to us about healing, comfort, love, goodness, giving, and a myriad of subjects that are all food for our souls, and complete us in some way. God is truth, but not only truth…
“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
Psalm 119:160 ESV
God is love, but not only love…
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
1 John 4:8 ESV
And God is good, but not only good…
“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”
Psalm 145:9 ESV
If nothing else, God’s Word shows us that He is many things. He is a variety that when spoken, or smelled, or felt, or heard, or eaten, or sensed in any way, we are given a deep understanding of who He is. Together they are Him, and in this way he is most certainly “The spice of life”… our lives, and all life. How are we smelling His breath today? Does the aroma lead us to consume what He says about a broken heart? Does His breath sooth some deep pain, a longing, a need, or simply to be in His presence? God is the food that sustains our lives, from the milk of a mother’s breast to the soft foods prepared for the elderly, and everything in between.
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17 ESV
So what are we consuming today when we are reading, or hearing, God’s Word? What is the Holy Spirit revealing to us, and is Jesus lighting our hearts on fire as we walk with Him towards Emmaus? Perhaps He is just now blessing, and breaking, the bread with us…
“When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?””
Luke 24:30-32 ESV
What spice are we smelling, tasting, or consuming today?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Holy Word, and for the height, width, and depth of you that it reveals to us. Thank you for the life it contains, and every scent of spice that wafts forth from your breath there. Thank you for this food of faith that leads us to you. You are the one verse we carry always in our hearts, and you are the variety that is written; of all creation. You are the sum of your Word and the sweet aroma that draws us to eternity. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who has breathed life into us, and your Holy Spirit onto us. Praised be your name for every taste of truth we receive from you, and every spicy scent of you that is carried on the gentle breeze in our lives. Merciful are you Father for the milk, wine, meat, fruit, and every good food which you feed us. Your Grace sustains us, and your voice like a vapor, a mist, and sweet smell of goodness, leads us to Jesus, the bread of His flesh, and His blood which is the new wine in His cup. You make covenant with us, and we long to taste it in our lives, and feed our souls with it. Wash us clean in the blood of Jesus, and nourish us as we find upon His gospel. Forgive us, and call us your own then seat us, and bid us to dine at your table forevermore.
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 25:6-8 ESV
Rich Forbes