There is an important difference between hearing about something and experiencing something. Picture someone describing the nourishment found in a big healthy meal to a starving man. As the man listens he grins, he can imagine the taste of the yummy food, he knows the meal would provide him the vitamins his nonexistent diet lacks, he knows his body would feel so much better once he ingested the nutrient rich food. For a moment, he may be satisfied but then he realizes: just knowing about the benefits of this healthy meal does nothing for him if he can't actually experience the meal. He needs to actually ingest the fullness of it.
When it comes to the Word of God, we are much like this man. We can know about the benefits of ingesting the Word but unless we actually read it for ourselves and experience the fullness of the Spirit, we will remain hungry. Personally, I am guilty of trying to fill my God-given need for the Word with fillers and substitues. I do my 'daily devotionals' and try to think those will fill me up. They may, for a while, but eventually my craving for pure nourishment, straight from the source wins out. Eventually (thank God) I go back to the Word and once again am amazed at the experience, the filling of my soul, the peace that surrounds my heart.
There is no substitute for God's pure Word. Daily devotionals and words written by others certainly help us to know about the Word but only experiencing it for ourselves will we truly meet our need for sustenance. Only then will we truly experience His undeniable love for us.
"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 NIV
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