I looked up this word "eat" here. I've heard the term in my Father's Word many times, especially in John 6 when Jesus was telling the people unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you.

According to Strong's Hebrew Definitions it means "to consume, devour, dine, feed, or burn up." Jeremiah was in a terrible situation here. God was telling him that because of the grievous sins of Israel, that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him, he would not listen to their intercession for this people. He was casting them out of his sight. Jeremiah knew judgment and destruction was coming up on his people for their refusal to listen to and obey God. They had declined so much they had begun to out-sin the world around them. At such a time, Jeremiah's strength was found in the word of the Lord. He held on to the word of the Lord tightly. He did not physically eat the parchment it was written on, but he read it and read it and read it until it was hidden in his heart, not to be forgotten, he accepted it as it was, without chiding with it or trying to change or rationalize it. He kept it. He did not compromise it. He obeyed it. He did not let it go or lose it.

Here you have a prophet of Israel, Ezekiel, who is also suffering the consequences of his people's sins. The captivity and judgment and destruction that God had prophesied through Jeremiah had come to pass, and the captives were sitting in Babylon by the river Chebar. He got a vision of the Lord on his throne, for even though his people were suffering and had lost their homes, their homeland and many of their loved ones, God would not leave them alone. They had brought judgment down on their heads, and God had to judge them just as he'd had to judge the nations before them whose land they had been given. He'd warned them back then if they became like the nations he cast out before them, they would bring judgment on themselves. He'd warned them for years, sending prophet after prophet. Some they mocked, some they jailed, some they killed. But God knew he had a people, a select group who though they loved righteousness, and God and his word, were suffering right along with the rebellious. God must have loved all these people. He could have just written them off, left them there and forgotten about them. After all, he'd given them chance after chance to repent, and if you read the scriptures, you will see these people mocked him, his word, his prophets, his mercy, his grace. They were so arrogant, and had become so used to the blessings and prosperity of the Lord, they thought they didn't need him anymore.

And what a word he had to give Ezekiel, to digest. It didn't appear to be anything good.

He’s talking here about the priests that approach God eating the Holy Things, in a separate place-oh, that got my heart pumping. Jesus said enter the secret closet-which could be where ever you can get away by yourself with the Lord, enter his presence by prayer and faith, and commune with him. In secret. Not so you can say “I prayed, did my duty.” Not so you can be a show off with a “word from God” for people so they think you‘re something. But because you love him, and want to get to know him. Because you know the world is in need and you don’t have what your lost loved ones in yourself-you have to get it from HIM. A word of life, a word of hope. Revelation of Who He IS. Drawing from the Lord his strength, and wisdom. What thing can be more holy than the Holy Spirit of God being poured into his willing children who enter his presence, reverently seeking his face? Seeking to glorify him with their lives, not wanting to waste their lives on self.

It grieves my heart and I know it HAS to grieve the heart of God to see the things that go on in his name, in what is supposed to be his church in this country. People won’t leave their idols at home to come into his house. They come with the attitude, I’m going to dress comfortable, not respectable, I’m going to deck myself up so people will notice me. People think it’s okay to bring their cigarettes, their shorts, their worldly music, their video screen TV’s, their programs, their rummage sales, their bingo, their bake sales all into the house of the Lord. Too often the people come only to soothe their conscience, oh, God, I did you a favor, I came to your house, see ya next month, or next year. Or next funeral. I’ve been in churches where there are ashtrays on either side of the door going in to what is supposed to be the sanctuary when the Word of God clearly says in Rom 13:14 not to make provision for the flesh. But to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ll never forget when I was a new Christian, and under conviction because I had a 17 year smoking habit. I can truly sympathize with anyone trying to quit. It’s hard. It literally took the love and help of God Almighty to deliver me. One morning getting ready for work, I went to put my cigarettes in my purse, and the Holy Spirit brought that verse to my remembrance like he whispered it to my heart. I put them down, I didn’t take them with me. It was a hard day, needless to say. I prayed much as my body was being detoxified from the chemicals in the cigarettes. Others around me were smoking, and I broke down and bummed a cigarette or two from a co-worker. But after a 2 and a half pack a day habit to two or three cigarettes, I was amazed to see I survived. It wasn’t long after that the Lord helped me lay them down for good. It wasn’t easy, but He was my Resource-all the Resource I needed. No matter what the situation he is all the church needs to be what he says we are to be. Is it wrong to not want your children to wear cartoon figures on their clothes in the House of the Lord? Or sarcastic statements meant to be funny on their tee shirts? Is it wrong to want them to be clean, and not to allow them to run and holler in the House of the Lord? To instruct them to save the sports talk for outside the sanctuary after the service because the Word of God says in Psalms 89:7
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”

I don’t think it’s right to deal harshly with new Christians about their appearance in the church-that is the Holy Ghost’s job. When someone gets saved, and they don’t dress to suit you, pray for them. If you know they are doing something wrong, they are a babe in Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to help them see. It’s not my job to criticize them. If I do I am overstepping my bounds. It’s not my job to tell them they need to change this or that. It’s my job to be a light, and pray for them. It’s not wrong to want to honor God in his own house. I am supposed to teach my children this. I have taken a lot of criticism over it, as well. And Lord knows, it’s not what you do or don’t wear that saves you, and I don’t want to be a Pharisee.

His word is available to those who want it. Seek and ye shall find. Pray for more understanding. He offers it, to those who are hungry. If you are only using it to further your own agenda, you’ll get no heavenly revelation of its precious truths. But if you are seeking it as the Pearl of Great Price, seeking to know him, it will humble and amaze and delight you. It never gets old. He always makes it fresh.

Jesus demonstrated in John 6 that he could take a few loaves of bread and feed thousands. He showed them the natural application with food. Now consider his Word. It’s bread for our spirit. Can he not take his word and feed millions? He said the word he speaks is spirit and life. (verse 63)

When you eat something, it sustains you. It becomes a part of you, it enables your body to continue to function. When you eat the word of God, and hide it in your heart, when trouble comes, it will sustain you. When the enemy lies to your mind, it will rise up against the foe, and defend you, when you are troubled, it will comfort you. When you are in danger, it will protect you. When he steps out on the clouds to get his Bride, it will quicken and change you. It’s the power that works within you, preparing you to meet him. He said if his word is not in you, you have no life in you.

How can you eat his flesh? Get in the Book. Eat the Book. Devour it hungrily, whole heartedly. It’s addicting. I promise it is. When I did not have the desire to read it as I should, when I’ve went through troubled times, I had to pray and ask the Lord to open my eyes, stir up the hunger in me for his word, and I kept coming back to it. He would draw me back to it. Oh, he’s faithful. He knows what we need. His word will sanctify, wash, change, and separate you from sin. It’s my wisdom, my comfort, my guide. It’s my Treasure. He said in Psalms 34:8-Oh taste and see the Lord is GOOD. He is.

But we must remember one more thing Jesus said about the Book:

His word is what we will face at the judgment. Have we kept it? Changed it? Disregarded it? Neglected it? Let the enemy steal it from us? Let the influence of the world compromise it from us? Or have we sought to understand and keep it? Have we asked for power to walk in his light, in his truth? If we have, then we will know him. For he said ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. He said I am the way, the truth and the life. He’s the only way to get there. (John 14:6; John 8:32)

What about all the self-help books written by Christian authors? What about that?

But what did Jesus say about his Word again? It is spirit and it is life. I love to read. I have a few books by Christian authors. Most notably, I’d have to say, my favorites are those I have by David Wilkerson. Anointed and power-packed. Good sheep food. But there are others, I could never get past the first chapter. It could not hold my interest. Some have sent a red flag up within my spirit, and I put them in the trash when I found them contradictory to scripture, like a book I bought on spiritual warfare, a few years ago. The author claimed Christians could be inhabited by demons in their flesh, but the Lord in their spirit at the same time. Rubbish. Poppycock, as the old timers used to say. The Lord is Supreme in his Holy Temple and he will not dwell with a demon in the same vessel. He does not share. He casts them out, he binds them.

If I hadn’t been reading God’s word for myself, and had I taken heed to this man’s book, I’d have been deceived, and would have opened myself up for all kinds of problems. When someone asks me what I think about things if I can’t give them an answer rooted in scripture, then I need to clarify all I have to offer is my opinion and that is not worth much. Only what the Word of the Lord says matters.

If I keep my mind on his word, and marvel at his word, and it is something to marvel at, if I am seeking to live what I read, believe what I read, and share what I read-then listen to what it will do-it will SAVE me and those who will hear it. Oh, it’s such a priceless treasure. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s a Masterpiece. It’s in a class all by itself. There’s never been another book written like it. There never will be. Don’t accept anything less than the real thing.