I hardly touched vegetables for the first twenty years of my life. I occasionally ate carrots or peas soaked in gravy or hidden in a mound of mashed potato, but that was my limit. If my mother tried introducing cabbage or broccoli, I turned my nose up in horror.
I enjoy most veg now, apart from sprouts and mushrooms. I credit this to the maturing of my palette, and to my friend Anne, who challenged me when I said I didn’t eat veg by asking when I’d last tried it. I gave in and haven’t looked back since.
Life must be pretty boring for those with a restricted diet, either for medical reasons or out of choice or fussiness. Most people relish chocolate and cake, but we can’t eat it all the time. There are different food groups, all of which are important. We need a balance of carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, etc.
Today, as we enjoyed a rare treat of winter sunshine, my husband and I talked about the Word of God and how it is food for our souls. I have read the Bible through once a year at least ten times, but this year, I’ve noticed it’s grown a little stale. It feels wrong even to admit that, but I believe in honesty, both with one another and with God.
Last week, I attended a wonderful evening of worship and prophecy. A man prayed for me and shared words from the Lord. They were so apt that I knew Jesus was in the room. He said, “The Lord wants you to know he realises you’re struggling to read your Bible. He understands you’re going through the motions. He wants to remind you his Word is your daily bread, and you need it every day.”
Rather than conviction, I felt loved and understood. However, I sensed God was urging me to change my method of Bible reading. After much prayer, I have a new plan for 2025. Perhaps I’ll share more in the new year so you can accompany me on my new journey.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, he replied by quoting the Old Testament. “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 ESV) If Jesus needed the word as food, then how much more do we?
Some parts of the Bible are easy to digest. The Psalms bring us comfort during troubling times. They allow us to pour out our souls to God and give us the words to ask for help. The Gospels are all about Jesus. Who doesn’t love reading about his miracles and the wisdom he taught? Acts is exciting, but Paul’s letters can be difficult to understand, and some of the Old Testament is heavy-going. The prophetic books can feel depressing with their forecasts of gloom and doom, and Leviticus contains laws we struggle to understand. The early part of Numbers is full of long lists of … well, numbers!
Just as we need a balanced diet of food to be healthy, we also need a balanced diet of scripture. It does us good to read the harder books. Sometimes it helps to switch to a different version, to look for a study guide, or to read and discuss with friends.
Remember, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16-17 NIV). So enjoy the chocolate and cake by all means, but remember to eat your greens.