Food for the Soul

Spring is a time of new life and new beginnings. In the plant world, spring is necessary for the survival of many species. Without the spring that brings new life to dead plant matter, life as we know it on earth would cease to exist.

Death is a natural part of life. Everything that is currently living is dying. From the trees that add another ring of "age" to their trunks, to you and me who are one year closer to the death of our natural bodies. From the spring flowers that will soon fade, to the insects that pollinate them and complete their own life-cycle; everything living today is dying. It's the natural order of things.

The good news? Dead seeds, with a little help from water and the sun, overcome their lifeless state and form new plants, flowers, trees, and fruit to produce new seeds that will also die but then return to life. This also is the natural order of things—or rather, the supernatural. It's the way God overcomes the curse of death on this world, just as He first created everything out of nothing "In the beginning…"  He is the giver of life we read about in the Bible:

The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”...

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.

(Genesis 2:9,15-17; 3:1-8)

In the same way we see death-to-life in the plant world, we can also see it in our existence as humans. The curse of death God warned about became a reality when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and every day our bodies are dying but are also fighting to remain alive. We eat food to overcome the dying state of our cells. New nourishment provides energy to overcome the natural order of decay, and we live another day. Even if we must go without food for a day or two, our bodies have a built-in storage system to provide our cells with reserve energy until we can get a new supply.

Most of the time we don't think about it that way. We simply eat food because we get hungry and it tastes good. We give our bodies what it needs with very little thought to survival. It's only when our bodies become run-down, sick, or unhealthy that we think more carefully about what "fuel" we are giving it and make better choices—what is "good" rather than what will do the job but have unwanted side-effects.

Similarly, our spiritual need to overcome a natural decay of our souls is necessary. Jesus talked about seeds being planted in good soil, and good fruit being a result of good nourishment. Jesus has given our spirits new life through His death and resurrection, but they are still prone to decay—to discouragement, despair, fear, hopelessness, poor thinking, apathy, and fatigue. Like our natural bodies, my spirit needs nourishment every day to overcome its natural tendency toward death. I can't expect to have a healthy heart if I'm not eating the best food for the soul.

Sometimes girls say to me, 'I got really close to God for awhile and I was doing really well, but now He seems distant and I don't know what happened.'  That's like me saying, 'I ate really well last month and felt good, but now I'm back to my old eating habits, feel run-down, and have no energy.'  We can't live on last month's nutrition; We have to keep eating right every day. The same is true with seeking and knowing God and thriving in your relationship with Him. A new day needs new "food", and without it, your spirit will begin to die.

Do you ever watch the news and then fear for your own safety? Do you ever go on social media sites and end up angry, discouraged, or hurt by what other people say? Do you ever watch a television show or read a book that makes you question your faith and beliefs? Do you hang around others who negatively influence your thinking and decisions? Which "tree" do these sources represent, do you think? The "tree of life", or the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"?

To have a healthy and thriving spirit, I must give my mind and heart what they need to overcome the natural order of spiritual decay. What was God's warning to Adam and Eve about eating the wrong fruit? They would die. What did He say about all the other "good" fruit in the garden? Eat freely!

Why did Eve decide to disobey and eat the "bad" fruit? It seemed good, it was appealing to her eyes, and the serpent (her enemy) said it was good for gaining wisdom. But was it true? No. She believed the enemy instead of God, and what was the result? Fear and shame.

Any "food" you eat that results in fear, shame, worry, doubt, discouragement, anxiety, despair, feeling bad about yourself, or making you question God's love for you, is not good. Good food should result in everything else Adam and Eve had in the garden: security, joy, peace, and living in the presence of God. Deep, soul-touching love does that. Lies do not, even when disguised as the truth.

Feed you soul with the truth—real, life-giving truth: You are loved; You are valued; You are safe in His care. His Word is filled with these truths, so read your Bible. He promises to lead those who ask for guidance, and help those who are in need. So ask, and listen, and follow. He promises to be with you always, in every situation, decision, and pursuit.

The LORD hears his people when they call on him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

(Psalm 34:17-18)

Scripture taken from the New Living Translation (NLT).