Don’t Feed on Crumbs, Eat the Loaf!
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2)
Here’s what I’ve learned about sermons and preachers: No matter how much they love you, there’s a limit to what they can offer. Don’t base your Christian walk solely on sermons. I often say that, as passionately as preachers preach, they’re just giving you crumbs from their bread.
They’ve fed themselves well on God’s Word and prayer, and now they’re giving you from what they’ve eaten. But can you truly grow on someone else’s food? the food someone else has digested? So, what makes you think you can grow by only listening to sermons or attending church services? The end goal of a powerful sermon is to inspire you to feed yourself as well. It’s meant to encourage you to do what they’re doing, to seek God’s Word and pray as well.
My Journey of Discovering God Through the Bible
I’ve shared this story before; the one about when I truly embraced God’s Word and its impact on my life.
I was raised Catholic, taught to pray using missals and prayer books. We often prayed with the rosary, so by the time I reached my third year in university, I couldn’t say I knew how to pray, let alone study the Bible. There were a few Bibles around the house, but they just collected dust.
Imagine my shock when I discovered that there were people who not only shouted in prayer (which I found quite unnerving), but they also prayed for hours. As if praying for an hour wasn’t enough, they prayed for 4 to 12 hours at a time! What sins could they be repenting for? Murdering a city? I couldn’t fathom it.
Fast forward to 2013, one of the most memorable years of my life, when I was introduced to God’s Word. I was one of the many students in Nigeria affected by the ASUU strike, which eventually forced us home for six months. I barely survived a month at home, but now I faced six months of idleness. Little did I know, God had amazing plans for me. In the first two weeks, my mom gave me the best gift she or anyone had ever given me: a Bible. At first, I ignored it, though I loved its pink, beautiful design.
But, something about that book drew me in. Every time I saw it, I felt strangely compelled to pick it up. In retrospect, the scripture that says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” perfectly captures what I was experiencing. In His mercy, God was drawing me to Himself, igniting within me an insatiable desire to know Him more. I thought it must have been the color. At one point, I even placed it next to my head on my bed, as if the words would magically enter my mind. At the time, I had both nightmares and daymares, so I hoped it might bring salvation. Unfortunately, the daymares only intensified!
Eventually, I picked it up and started reading.
Let me tell you, the Bible is addictive! Once you start studying it, you don’t want to stop. At least that’s how I felt, and still feel. I believe the greatest tactic against believers is distraction; workloads, daily routines, comforts of life, marriage, children, anything that pulls you away from His Word. That’s why you must prioritize God’s Word above all else. Study, even if it means burning the midnight oil, but never neglect it.
When I say I devoured the Bible, I mean I consumed it hungrily, eyes wide in disbelief as story after story unfolded. For the average Pentecostal, these are well-known stories of an amazing God and His love for humanity, but for me, they were completely new! I couldn’t believe I had missed out on so much. Often, it felt surreal, like something out of a movie, with men and women doing the impossible. It was the kind of thing we Nigerians might call “film trick.”
Day after day, night after night, I read with rapt attention. Little did I know, I wasn’t just reading; I was encountering a Person, a Spirit. Without even trying, I came under the intense influence of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.
Before long, my mom said, “Trish, I don’t know what it is, but Toritse, you’ve changed. You’re calmer, happier, just different.” She never actually saw me reading the Bible. For some reason, every time she knocked on my door, I quickly hid it under my pillow. I can’t explain why, but I didn’t want her to see me reading it.
Here’s what I noticed:
I was truly joyful. I found myself happily doing tasks around the house, even washing my mom’s car, something I’d always disliked. But there was something else: I began pausing on scriptures that revealed my true identity, the authority of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Little did I know, during those pauses, underlining, highlighting, reflecting on those words, I was actually praying. I was allowing the Holy Spirit to engrave those truths in my heart. Around this time, my dream life began to improve.
Over time, I noticed that scriptures began flowing naturally from my mouth. I didn’t consciously try to recall them; they just came, rising up to meet thoughts or actions that weren’t aligned with God’s Word.
That’s when it clicked for me: the Holy Spirit was doing exactly what Jesus said He would do.
John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
John 16:8– “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”
John 16:14 – “He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.”
God’s Word is the foundation for every true and sustainable change in our lives.
No sermon or meeting can truly fix you, only God’s Word can.
