Feeding body is feeding the soul....

Eating has a unique place in the lives of most people.  We do it not only to nourish our bodies and keep them running, but also as a way to connect and socialize with others.  Whether it's a family dinner time, or a lunch out with a friend, food is one of the things that bring people together in shared experience.

It is a common bond among people everywhere, this need to sustain ourselves with food for the body and food for the soul.  In ancient times, some tribes had a custom that if a person ate with them, they were then under the protection of that tribe until they left.  Eating conferred not just psychological and sociological connections, but a safety benefit as well.

Many Biblical events revolved around eating.  From the manna in the wilderness to the feeding of the 5000 to the meal with Martha and Mary, the Bible is filled with examples of feeding body and soul together.  The most famous dinner in the Bible is probably the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples.  His words and actions puzzled his curious disciples, who did not understand what was literal and what was figurative, but probably knew they were on the cusp of a change in the ministry of the teacher they had been following.  Jesus combined physical and spiritual in the ultimate way when he referred to the bread as his own body and the wine as his own blood, still consumed during communion in remembrance of him and the sacrifice he made on our behalf.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said,

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me."  (NASB)

There is often more than one meaning to the words of Jesus, and this is no different.  He is referring to spiritual nourishment in the concrete terms humans understand - the absolute power of God coming to us through our hunger pains.

I don't think it's an accident that food plays such an important role in the Bible.  The human requirement for sustenance is a powerful driver for our daily lives, and God wants us to apply that same drive to our need for spiritual nourishment.  Without the constant feeding of our faith through interaction at God's table, we will slowly starve and wither.

God provided manna in the wilderness for his lost and chosen people.  He provides daily nourishment for us, as well.  While feeding your body today, don't forget to bring God to your table, and share your meal with him.  He is perfect company, and the food he provides will sustain us through whatever life throws our way.

Say a prayer at your next meal, and remember that God has provided for all of our needs, physical and spiritual.  And remember, the body and blood of Christ don't cause heart disease, they cure it for all eternity!