Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has set his seal. – John 6:27

Scripture reading: Psalm 63

Here’s a definition of gluttony: an inordinate desire for food and drink. We take God’s good gifts and we want them too much. Ultimately we hunger for something more than for God. Gluttony is more about our hearts than our mouths or stomachs. Frederick Buechner once wrote, “A glutton is one who raids the icebox for spiritual malnutrition.” We easily escape into food instead of drawing near to Jesus. We can fill the void in our stomach as a way of masking our desperate need to cry out, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you…My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (Psalm 63:1, 5).

Is gluttony really that serious? Does it deserve mention alongside pride and lust? If we are not careful, we will lose our appetite for our true home, the place where true satisfaction lies, and for the true bread, the Bread of Life. We will lose our taste for true spiritual pleasures, we will joy in lesser things, we will notice the smell of meat grilling on the BBQ but miss the presence of the Spirit convicting us of sin and calling us to obedience.

Be careful: you live in a land full of abundance. You will have to fight hard to find your joy in Christ. “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Suggestions for prayer

“Deliver me from every evil habit…everything that dims the brightness of thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in thee.” – The Valley of Vision: Confession

This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA.