“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your Name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
Jeremiah was a prophet during the reign of King Josiah in Judah. You can find the story of his reign in 2 Kings 22 & 2 Chronicles 34. Josiah became king at age 8 following the reign of some very wicked men. The region of Judah was in a mess. Idolatry ran rampant throughout the land, the temple had fallen into disrepair. And the book of the Law had been lost and forgotten in the hearts and minds of the people. Every man did what was right in his own eyes and when that happens, there is chaos! It is not a coincidence that these three things, the loss of God’s Word, idolatry, and chaos, go together over and over in Scripture. Losing God’s Word has devastating consequences! Then and now!
About 18 years in to Josiah’s reign he called for the temple to be restored. In the process of the temple’s restoration work, the Book of the Law was found and read aloud. When Josiah heard the Words from God his heart was broken. He tore his clothes in repentance and great reformation began in the land of Judah. Idols (that had been erected in the places intended for the worship of Yahweh) were utterly destroyed throughout the land. No more were they to live according to their own wisdom and what seemed right to them. They now had God’s Word that would direct them. And under the leadership of King Josiah, it was to Yahweh that they listened. Directly opposed to what happens when God’s Word is lost, when it is found, great things can happen—repentance that leads to reformation which leads to life!
In this beautiful passage of Scripture, the prophet Jeremiah, shows us what the attitude and response is of someone who belongs to God and loves God has towards the Words of God. Notice again with me what this verse says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, FOR I am called by your Name, O LORD, God of hosts.” Jeremiah’s attitude and his response to God’s Word being found flowed out of a heart that belongs to God. He is called by God’s Name. He craved the Word of God because the words came from the God that he loved. The text says, he ate God’s Word. Eating God’s Word means to take His words into your whole person. You savor the taste of the words as your meditate on the God who said them and their meaning in your life. You allow this food of the Word to nourish and strengthen your body by swallowing it and allowing it to permeate into your entire system...changing the way you think, your emotions, your attitudes, your will, and your behavior. When we belong to God, called by His name, His child, there is such a delight in our hearts to hear from God. We crave to spend time in His Word, reading His Scripture, because we long to know Him, we long to see Him, simply put. We love Him.
Several years ago when our children were younger, I went away on a 10-day, husband approved, vacation with a friend of mine to the sunny, warm state of Florida. When I left for this trip, Keith handed me a stack of envelopes with instructions on the outside telling me when to open each one. At the appointed time, I opened each envelope to find precious words of love from my husband. I devoured his words and read them over and over again throughout the day. I looked forward to when I could open the next envelope to read what else he had to say to me. It was not a drudgery to read them, instead it was a joy to me and the delight of my heart. His words reminded me of the person that he is and of his love for me. They stirred my heart with love and affection for him, and created in me a longing to see him again.
The Bible is the same thing to Christians, those who are called by God’s Name, as those letters from Keith were to me. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Our Creator, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend has given us HIS Word so that we may know Him and know of all that He has done through Christ Jesus on our behalf because of His goodness and love for us. How do we respond to His Letter? Are they to us a joy and a delight to our heart. Are we eager to open the “envelope” to see what He has to say to us today? Are we devouring His Words to us, over and over again, delighting in them? Do they remind us of who He is and of His love for us? Are they stirring your heart with love and affection for God and creating within your heart a longing to see Him?
If you’re like me, the answer to those questions isn’t always yes. Sometimes we are quite apathetic when it comes to our attitude and response to God’s Word. But I want my words to encourage you not condemn you. If you are struggling with apathy, take your apathy to your heavenly Father. Ask Him to give you a hunger for His Word. Ask Him with a heart that desperately understands your need for God to send His Holy Spirit to stir your affections for Him. And then take action. Get yourself in the Word and begin eating on a daily basis. And finally, be accountable. Put yourself in a situation where you are accountable to others as your pursue intimacy with your King.
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