Time to Eat

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:1–5

“Are there any more potatoes?” Levi asked as his family was eating dinner. “And maybe another roll?”

Mom laughed as she passed him the potatoes. “You had a snack just an hour ago!” she reminded him. “No wonder you’re growing right out of your clothes!”

Levi shrugged. “All I know is that I’m really hungry!” he said, heaping potatoes onto his plate.

On Sunday, Pastor Tom spoke to Levi’s class about Levi’s favorite subject—food!

“How many hours are there between breakfast and lunch?” Pastor Tom asked. “And between lunch and dinner?”

“About five or six,” replied one of the girls.

“And how many hours from dinnertime until you eat breakfast again?” asked Pastor Tom.

“Too many,” said Levi. Everyone laughed.

“We don’t like to go too long without food,” said Pastor Tom. “But how often do we feed ourselves spiritually?”

Levi was glad he didn’t have to answer that question out loud. He wouldn’t think about missing an actual meal, but he hadn’t been very faithful lately about giving himself spiritual food. He’d sometimes go from one Sunday to the next without opening his Bible or even thinking much about God.

“If you skip meals, you get hungry,” Pastor Tom said, “and if you don’t regularly ‘eat’ from the Word of God and spend time with Jesus, you get hungry spiritually. You need food to nourish you and help you grow—both physically and spiritually.”

Levi remembered his mom saying he was growing so fast—right out of his clothes. He looked down at his ankle-length pants. Mom was right. He had grown an inch and needed new clothes. He wondered if anyone would say he was growing fast spiritually. Probably not.

“Read some verses from the Bible every day,” Pastor Tom urged the kids, “and spend time talking to Jesus and ask Him to help you understand what you read in His Word and put it into practice.” Pastor Tom held up his Bible. “Just like it’s important to take care of the body God gave you, it’s also important to take good care of your spiritual needs. Feed your faith by spending time with Jesus and getting to know Him better.”

How About You?

Did you eat food today? Did you also “eat” from God’s Word? You need food for both your physical and your spiritual health. Try to read at least a few verses every day. Then think about them and ask God to help you understand what He’s saying to you. Spend time with Jesus every day and trust Him to help you grow.

Today’s Key Verse: 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Feed your spiritual life