Junk Food

Our devotion this morning came from 1 Peter 2. Here are a few things that was shared. Verse 1 says, Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. When we see "therefore", we must ask, "What's it there for?"In other words, in lieu of all that I have said in chapter one, we need to do these things.

Verse 2 says, Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. This verse is contingent upon the first verse. If we don't lay aside the things in v.1, then we will not be able to enjoy the Word here in v.2. However, if we don't enjoy the Word, we will not have the strength to lay aside the things in v.1. Remember we talked about how that sitting under the teaching of the Word of God is like sitting under a shower?

 

One pastor compares the things in v.1 to junk food. No matter how good the home cooked meal is that is waiting for us at home; if we eat junk food on the way, we will not be interested. The same is true of us and the Word of God. When we stop studying the Word (the home-cooked meal), it's because we're eating the junk food (the things the world has to offer).

Funny Story: A candidate for church membership was asked, "What part of the Bible do you like best?"  He said: "I like the New Testament best.  Then he was asked, "What Book in the New Testament is your favorite?"  He answered, the Book of the Parables, Sir."  They then asked him to relate one of the parables to the membership committee.  And a bit uncertain, he began... "Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, Sir, a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment. And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here! And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stoney ground. And it begin to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, "Come in and take supper with me." But he said, "I can't come in, for I have married a wife." And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, "Throw her down out of there," and they threw her down. And he said "Throw her down again," and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! NOW, whose wife will she be in the day of the Judgment?" The membership committee agreed that this was indeed a knowledgeable candidate!

The bottom line is that we need to study the Word of God. It is the real deal. It is the home cooked meal. Everything else is simply junk food!