When we read the Bible, we’re fed by God’s Word and supplied for our Christian life. Jesus mentioned this in Matthew 4:4 when He said:

“Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.”

The Bible makes it clear that God’s Word is nourishment to His children. For example, 1 Peter 2:2 says,

“As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation.”

The Old Testament also tells us that God’s Word is food to us. Jeremiah 15:16 says,

“Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word became to me the gladness and joy of my heart.”

By eating physical food, we’re supplied with the nutrients we need to be healthy and live our physical life. We get the energy we need to go to work, to exercise, and to do things like spend time with our family and friends. Conversely, when we skip a day of eating we feel weak, tired, and maybe even grumpy. And if we keep missing meals, we become susceptible to even greater problems like illness. So we generally eat every day, several times per day.

Similarly, when we eat spiritual food we’re supplied spiritually to live our Christian life. But when we’re away from God’s Word for a while we can become spiritually weak, tired, and “grumpy.” We become more susceptible to temptation, doubts, and other kinds of spiritual sickness. We simply don’t have the means to cope with the many challenges that come into our life as believers.

It’s very important, therefore, that we get supplied by reading and feeding on God’s Word every day. To maintain a healthy and even joyful Christian life, we need to daily receive the spiritual nourishment that is in God’s Word for us.