spirit vs. flesh

In Matthew it says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." I didn't get that at all for the longest time. Then somehow I started understanding it to mean that all I needed to live in this life is the Word of God. But I couldn't figure out how I could go without physical food and still survivr. I seriously took it to mean one or the other....that God's Word would/could replace actual food. And honestly I was mad at God for asking me to do that.

But apparently now that my 6th child has begun to read, I have learned how to read as well. For example, I am seeing ALL of the words that are there. I have realized that, aside from being called to fast, God is not telling me to quit eating and just read the Bible or memorize verses.

Thanks to some wonderful sisters in Christ, my eyes have yet again been opened to some awesome truths. Tonight's revelation is one that I hope I can relate in a way that makes sense. Here goes...

I am actually two separate beings....a physical being and a spiritual being...my flesh and my spirit. Just like my body requires physical food to grow and thrive, so does my spirit man require the Word of God for "food" to grow and thrive. And just like in our physical lives where the stronger person dominates the weaker person, so in our own bodies the stronger of the flesh or spirit will dominate the weaker.

In the end, whichever is fed more will grow and thrive more and will dominate. It's my choice. To choose the spirit is to choose life and connection to God. To choose the flesh is to choose death and separation from God. Yes, there will be growing pains...but the more I choose to walk in the spirit...and the more dominant that part of me becomes....the less painful life will be.