1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Job 23:12 …I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.

Psalm 19:10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

The other weekend I was sitting on the front porch while the kids readied their bikes for a ride around the neighborhood. Knowing that biking is a high energy endeavor, and being the concerned dad that I am, I suggested that we all eat a Fudgesickle before they depart. It was my greatest concern that they be properly fortified before strenuous exercise.

I went to the freezer, got the frozen treats and distributed them to every one. All activity ceased and a gentle calm descended on the front yard as we settled into eating. It was a beautiful scene: blue sky, gentle breeze and the slurping of ice cream… the perfect spring day.

Justin is the slurpiest eater of all. He REALLY enjoys his food. As he was finishing up I looked at his face covered in chocolate and said, “Did you get any in your mouth there, bud?”

“What?” he said.

It was at that point that Pam noticed that in the course of eating his Fudgesickle he had dripped on his face, shirt, shorts, leg, shoe and ground- literally every article of clothing he was wearing had melted ice cream on it, except for his socks.

“Nice job!” Josh and I congratulated.

The One who does the wash in our house had a different perspective on what had just happened… Nevertheless, we got the camera and took a photo to mark the day that in 5 minutes Justin simultaneously ate an ice cream cone and created a load of wash.

***********

As parents we expect that our kids will be able to feed themselves; maybe not perfectly (as Justin illustrated) but certainly effectively. In fact, one of the first skills that a child masters is the ability to get food into their mouth. Shouldn’t the same be true spiritually?

To the believer, God’s word is our spiritual food. It is what sustains us and gives us strength for life’s challenges. Just like skipping meals endangers our physical health and depletes our energy, so neglecting reading and meditation of Scripture weakens us spiritually. As God’s children it would seem that one of the primary spiritual disciples we should be developing is the ability to consistently feed ourselves. Relying on just one meal a week is risky business. How do you intentionally cultivate your relationship with God beyond Sunday morning?

Sometimes I go through seasons when I really struggle to feed myself spiritually. I grow bored, undirected, and unfulfilled. I think everyone goes through dry spells. During those times I sometimes eat spiritual snack food, grab fast food on the run or just starve. It doesn’t take long for me to feel really weak or just numb. Recently someone suggested that I sign up for an online lectionary. A lectionary is a standardization of scripture readings according to a three year rotation. Every morning a couple of selections from Psalms, Proverbs or prophets, the gospels and New Testament letters shows up in my inbox. It’s been really good. There is always way more than I can actually read, but it’s remarkable how the scripture I do read invariably fits into my day- whether to encourage, equip, direct, or challenge me. Having it arrive new every morning builds anticipation and makes it feel fresh and alive. I wonder what God has for me today?

I say this not so that you would feel like you must imitate my routine, but just to confess that there are times when I feel stuck. When that happens, I ask others for help and vary the menu. The most important thing for any child or (child of God for that matter) is that they get hot nourishing food.