the Bible – God’s guide for life #3 Fast food or staple diet

fast food or staple diet?

 

A fast food restaurant in the port of Malinska, Croatia

The Bible ‘menu’ is a full one, with lots of interesting things to try. Some portions may be an acquired taste but it is worth being adventurous. There are two ways of approaching this feast of good things: to feed regularly on the spiritual food there, having a regular and balanced diet so that we are sustained daily, or treat it as the equivalent of a fast food outlet – a means to get satisfaction when we feel in the need of filling up.

Excuse me, I hope you don’t mind me butting in, only I was wondering if by all this gourmet talk you meant we can either read the Bible a lot or not much at all?

Yes, I suppose that sums it up. Now to digest the nutritional…

You could just not read it at all but that would be the same as starving yourself!

Quite. As I was saying, to digest…

So what does God say about it?

About what?

Whether we ought to read his book a lot or not much at all.

Well, I’ve got some quotes here from the Bible itself. Jesus said,

It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.                                                                            Matthew 4:4[1]

And this is from Acts about people in a place called Berea, where Paul preached:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so.                                                                                            Acts 17:11

And Paul wrote this to his friend, Timothy:

From childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…           2Timothy 3:15&16

Matthew 25 (1) of The Holy Bible, King James version, 1772. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The impression here is that if we are to live, to know truth and be “wise for salvation” then we should make the Bible a staple diet. Or, to use another metaphor, we should turn to our handbook regularly for direction and guidance and not just look it up when we have lost our way. Not that it is likely to be unhelpful then, anymore than fast food is not occasionally good to fall back on, but we are not going to get the best from it – or from ourselves.

a All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Preceding

the Bible – God’s guide for life #1 Introduction

the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life

In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope

A voice and a Word given for wisdom

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Additional reading

1. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
2. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth 

3. Written down in God’s NameCreator and Blogger God 12 Old and New Blog 2 Blog for every day

   A way to look for Christ, the Bible, Word of God
4. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
5. God’s forgotten Word 4 Lost Lawbook 3 Early digressions and Constantinic revolution
6. Written to whom it is about to be reckoned
7. Knowing where to go
8. Reading of contrasts
9. Testify of the things heard
10. By temptations, by signs, and by wonders we can see the Works of God

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Further reading

1. What’s in a name?
2. How to Share the Gospel with Muslims
3. Building Biblical Literacy in 2016 – Bible Overview
4. The Important Stuff
5. Order my steps in your word
6. Do things God’s way and He will get the glory
7. True faith does not involve religion
8. For the love of all that’s holy, guys…
9. Overcoming Trust Issues…
10. How to Assemble a Complete Spiritual Life
11. Giving God our Trust

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