It was early Monday morning. I was tired. I dropped down to do what I did not want to do: push-ups. Anticipating the monotonous up-down, up-down, I searched my phone's playlist for music appropriate for a little push-up pick-me-up. Then I found THE SONG.
Three months ago THE SONG was lighting up the charts and ringing in my ear. Now it is collecting electronic dust ...
Shelf life!
- Songs lose their sizzle.
- Canned goods expire (except Spam).
- Automobiles break down.
- Bodies give out.
- Appliances die.
- Milk goes sour.
- Ice cream gets freezer frost.
But there is one thing that has no shelf life--the Word of God! The Bible has no "Best by" date. It never expires. It is always relevant. Jesus said,
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35 ESV
While the Word has no shelf life it isn't meant for the shelf. Jeremiah said,
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
Jeremiah devoured the words of God. It was a meal he simply would not pass up. How about you? When it comes to the Word of God, too often we diet when we should be feasting. We will skip the meal God is serving because we think:
- "There's just not enough time."
- "It's too hard to understand."
- "It's too long."
Really? There are "only" 774,746 words in the Bible. That seems like a lot, but the average person can read about 1,368,750 words in a year, reading just 15-minutes a day (click here if you want to read more about that).
That means most people are just 15 minutes from a little more peace, 15 minutes from a little more wisdom, 15 minutes from a little more success, 15 minutes from a little more joy. God's word promises peace (Psalm 119:165, Philippians 4:6-7), wisdom (Proverbs 1;1-7), success (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3), and joy (Jeremiah 15:16).
Interestingly, Jeremiah said, "your words became to me a joy."
I didn't care for broccoli when I was a kid. I love it today. You could say that broccoli became to me a dish I enjoy. It grew on me and because I eat it, the vegetable has "grown me." It works the same way with the Word. It becomes a joy and the more we eat it, the more we grow.
God has a meal for you. Eat up! If you need help, click here.