1 Timothy 4:6 (KJV) “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”
Paul instructs Timothy to be nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine. What does it mean to nourish? Nourishment describes that which serves to promote growth; food; sustenance; nutriment. What is true for the body is true for the soul. Is your body nourished by being around food? Reading about food? Of course not. You must partake of it for it to benefit you. Likewise, when it comes to spiritual nourishment, it is not enough to think about reading God’s Word. You have to nourish your soul and your mind with it. Psalm 1 says that we need to do this day and night. This does not mean that we check out of life itself, quit our jobs and become professionally irresponsible people. It means that we put into practice the truth of God throughout the day that we have digested in our souls early in the morning. Just like a good breakfast provides nutrition for the body, hiding and then applying the nutrition of God’s Word hidden in your heart in the morning allows you to be spiritually alert and prepared for the tasks of your day.
Let me pass along to you a few nourishment Scriptures to chew on today saints. (No pun intended!) Jeremiah 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” One more. Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Every single one of these passages requires effort and time on our part. We cannot effectively serve Christ today if we are only Drive Thru Window hearers of God’s Word. We must sit before Him. We must spend time with Him. We must chew on His Word and let it sink deep into our souls.
Lest we think this eating of God’s Word is impersonal and academic beloved, the basis of being nourished is actually the overflow of cultivating a closer walk with Jesus. Colossians 2:19 “And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” It is holding on to Jesus and feeding on His Word that we increase with the increase of a God. Eat well this morning beloved. Feed on Jesus all day long.
