"A Meal Of Words"

"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."  Jeremiah 15:16

I awoke this morning to another hymn going through my thoughts-- "Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of life; Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of life." 

We all want to "hear a word".  We want someone to speak kind, encouraging, loving, edifying words to us.  But that doesn't always happen.  Some words are cruel, unkind, negative, condemning, attacking, hurtful, mean, hateful, and so on.

Did you know that words are like a meal?  The prophet said he found God's words and "ate" them.  He described them as a joy.  The writer of Psalms described God's word as sweet to the taste; even sweeter than honey.  ("How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103)

If God's word is like a "meal" to our spirit, then the other words we hear, and are spoken to us, are like meals as well.  Some of you have been eating, dining and even feasting on words that are anything but good and pleasant. 

When negative words, hurtful words, the words that we described earlier are spoken to us, they make us feel really bad.  Why?  For the same reason that eating spoiled food effects our stomachs.  These words hurt our hearts, emotions and spirit. 

I want to encourage you this morning to stop eating these words.  Stop letting someone's negative words, their condemning words, their cruel words get into your "system"-- your heart.  Stop letting them feed you.  Instead, constantly eat on the Lord's sweet, wonderful words of life.  When a meal of bad words is set before you, refuse it.  Don't "eat" it-- that means "don't receive them".  Instead, receive God's word of hope, peace, grace, love and life.

Have a great day.  Stop eating hurtful, negative words that others are serving you.  Eat God's sweet words of life.