The Care and Feeding of a Child of God by Jon Bryon

I am a grandfather, though I don’t necessarily identify with the age associations and images of grandfatherly types. There is, however, one facet of this whole thing that fully engages my energy, and that is my granddaughter, Zoe. I have heard grandparenting described as “all of the perks with none of the work,” and this seems true.

I try to recognize the parameters of this relationship because it is best not to repeat the blunders of the past. For instance, when my children were very young, I fed them–and let them taste–just about anything. This proved to be fun for me, but not as beneficial to them.

Today, parents are much more aware of the implications of diet than I ever was. Zoe has been watched carefully in this regard. Her mom and dad have done meticulous research on that which will best nourish and enhance her physical body. They were deliberate to lay down particular rules with me that eliminated random tasting of such foods as lemons and pickles. It also eliminated the introduction of that cursed enemy, “white processed sugar,” into her diet. Her parents have been training her appetite with food that is healthy for her development and growth.

I have recently been reading the book of Ezekiel, and though I certainly don’t understand all that Ezekiel saw in his visions, I have come to appreciate the awesome nature of God that defies my comprehension. I have also been reminded that God is not only worth listening to, but He invites us to be nourished upon what He says. The Lord speaks to Ezekiel and says, “But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” (Ezekiel 2:8).

If you are like me, you may find yourself eating a variety of foods that may not be healthy for you. We tend to ingest so many things that sometimes it is hard to keep track. We do this spiritually as well. The world prepares meals daily that promise to provide some level of entertainment, escape, direction and possibly, nourishment. It seldom delivers on that promise. The results of this “world diet” are disappointing at best and harmful at worst.

God invites Ezekiel to eat from the table He provides. Later, Ezekiel is shown a scroll containing words from God, and He is commanded to eat. God’s word is to nourish and sustain Ezekiel. Then, that which Ezekiel ingests and digests becomes metabolized into His life. It becomes the message of His life in word and deed.

We all need to establish regular meal times when we take in the food appropriate to our lives. It is easy to find ourselves severely undernourished spiritually because we have taken no time to ingest the food God provides. When we take time to listen to the Word, reflect on the Word, then respond to the Word, we find ourselves spiritually better off.

Like Zoe’s parents, God wants the very best for His children. The diet He provides is appropriate for spiritual nourishment. He only provides what will benefit our lives and cause us to grow. His intention is to cause us to be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus. Each word spoken is a morsel filled with life. The invitation to Ezekiel and to us is to “open your mouth and eat what I give you.” We are called to develop a discerning palate, to distinguish true food from insubstantial counterfeits. We are invited to the meal God provides; that meal is taking place all around us all the time. God is speaking His word throughout His creation.

I’d like to encourage you to set aside particular and intentional time each day to enjoy the delightful and nourishing meal of God’s Word. Let His nourishing Word work its way into the very fiber of your life, so all that you speak and do will be a manifestation of His Word in you.

There are resources available to help you do this. The daily devotional page provided with the sermon notes might be a place to start. Another opportunity to listen to God’s Word is in Morning Contemplative Prayer (Lectio Divina). Bible studies, Celebrate Recovery, worship services, and small groups can be places to listen to God’s Word, as well.

The key is to develop a daily rhythm of listening, in the same way you would develop a daily meal rhythm. As eating is not optional to physical life, spiritually eating is not optional to spiritual life. If you want to grow, you must take time to allow God’s nourishment to feed your soul.

My granddaughter Zoe is continuing to grow, and I am continuing to enjoy her. I have a list of inappropriate foods, but more importantly, I’m learning the things that are appropriate and healthy for her. Your heavenly Father longs to see you continue to mature and grow as His child. He knows exactly what’s best for you and has provided living bread for you to be filled, satisfied, and enabled to share His bread of life with others. May you learn to linger often at His table and share the bounty of His living bread.