PsalmTree

  Spiritual Malnutrition

“He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel 3:1-3

Am I just reading God’s Word, or am I “consuming” it? There’s an existential difference.

In short, the image of “eating the scroll” (Ez. 2:8-3:3) is a metaphor: God’s word is to be consumed like food: not merely read, but ingested, digested, and turned into the very nourishment of the soul. The image draws on the universality of human hunger and the way food becomes part of the body, and then applies that to the way God’s word must become part of the believer’s inner life. God’s word is to be consumed like food—chewed, swallowed, digested, and made the substance of the believer’s inner life—so that the words that finally come out of the mouth are simply what has already been nourishing the heart. 

The key exegetical point is that eating is a metaphor for total internalization. To eat is not only to taste, but to swallow, digest, and assimilate what is eaten until it becomes energy, tissue, and function. Commentators often note that ingesting the scroll means the message must permeate Ezekiel’s mind, heart, will, and very being, so that his proclamation is not a performance, but the overflow of what he has already become. 

Believers are to -feed on Scripture until it shapes our desires, judgments, and speech. Passages like Jeremiah 15:16 (“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart”) and Jesus’ own words (“man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” Matt 4:4) place Ezekiel’s scroll in this same pattern. The metaphor thereby teaches that just as food is necessary for bodily life, God’s word is necessary for the life of the soul; it is the anticancer nutrition of the spiritual organism, without which the believer withers.

The scroll tasted sweet in Ezekiel’s mouth despite its content of woe because the word of God, in itself, is delightful to the heart that truly loves Him—even when that word announces judgment. The sweetness is not about the subject matter (lament, mourning, and woe), but about the source and character of the word coming from God.

For the believer, the sweetness teaches that God’s word is always good when rightly received. Even when it confronts, corrects, or warns us, it is still “honey” because it is the voice of the One who loves us perfectly. The fact that the scroll is sweet despite its woe underscores that what primarily matters is not whether a passage is comforting or distressing, but whether it is truly God’s Word—and that Word, when ingested, produces both joy and a holy grief over sin and its consequences.

In short, the scroll tasted sweet because, for Ezekiel, God’s word is always a sweet drink to the soul that loves the Lord, even when it announces the bitter medicine of judgment. The sweetness is the joy of obedience, intimacy, and truth; the woe is the reality of sin and its consequences.

Which brings me to the big question; how do I change my diet? “How do I actually live out this ‘eating the scroll’ thing—how do I internalize God’s word like Ezekiel, so that it tastes sweet even when it’s hard?” 

If I didn’t listen to Mali’s nutritional wisdom, and submit, I would be a walking carcass. I have to remind myself that my preferred diet is not sustainable. In the same way…we must believe God is our source of vibrant life.

1. Surrender our appetite to God - Ezekiel did not refuse; he opened his mouth and let God feed him. To “do this” practically, we have to decide that God’s Word is our primary food, not leftovers after all our other appetites are satisfied.

• Adjust our rhythm: trade a little Netflix, scrolling, or news for focused Bible reading, prayer, and reflection.

• Ask the Spirit regularly: “Lord, give me a taste for Your Word over the tastes the world offers.”

2. Eat it deeply, not just “taste” it - God told Ezekiel to “feed our belly and fill our stomach” with the scroll, not just nibble it. Spiritually, that means:

• Read chunks, not just verses: longer passages, repeated readings, and tracking themes week‑by‑week.

• Meditate, not just consume: Ask, “What does this say about God? About me? What should I believe, repent of, or obey?”

• Write it down: journaling, underlining, and memorizing help turn Scripture from “info” into “diet.”

3. Let it taste sweet in our heart, even when it stings - The scroll was full of lament, mourning, and woe, yet it “tasted sweet as honey” because Ezekiel loved God’s truth more than his comfort. We can train ourself to receive Scripture this way by:

• Expecting both comfort and confrontation: God’s Word will sometimes correct, expose, and humble you—but that is still a gift, like a bitter medicine that heals.

• Praying the words back: Turn hard passages into prayers of confession, dependence, and surrender instead of resentment.

• Rehearsing joy in God’s character: When the text feels heavy, actively remind ourself that God is holy, just, faithful, and ultimately gracious.

4. Let it become the source of your speech - Ezekiel ate the scroll so he could go and speak to Israel. We “do this” in our own context when:

• Our conversations with friends, spouse, or coworkers are shaped by what we’ve been feeding on (grace, truth, patience, justice).

• Our counsel, online comments, and even our anger display biblical patterns of speech because Scripture has been indigesting in us all week.

• We voluntarily speak gentle, truthful convictions, even when few want to hear them, trusting that God’s Word is sweet enough to sustain us through the stiffness of others’ hearts.

5. Remember that God makes the Word nourishing - Ezekiel didn’t force the sweetness; it came from God: “He caused me to eat that scroll… it was in my mouth like honey” (Ezek. 3:3).

So our posture is:

• Dependence: “Lord, open my taste buds for Your Word.”

• Patience: It may feel dry at first, but consistent, prayerful reading reshapes our appetite over time.

• Expectation: Trust that God will use His Word to both delight us and equip us for the hard things He calls us to.

In short: We “do this” by opening our mouth to God’s Word daily, letting it fill our heart, allowing it to be both sweet and difficult, and then letting it shape how we think, feel, and speak—so that our life tastes more of God and less of the world.

“Heavenly Father,

I come before You acknowledging that my body and my desires belong to You. You are my Creator, my Sustainer, and my true source of satisfaction. Today, I surrender my appetite into Your hands.

Lord, where my cravings have led me into excess, lack of discipline, or dependence on food for comfort, I ask for Your mercy and strength. Teach me to hunger for what truly satisfies—Your presence, Your Word, and Your righteousness.

Help me to honor You in what I eat, how I eat, and why I eat. Give me self-control when I am tempted, wisdom when I choose, and gratitude in all things. Let my body be a vessel that reflects Your glory, not ruled by impulse, but guided by Your Spirit.

When I feel empty, remind me that You are enough. When I feel weak, be my strength. Shape my desires so they align with Your will.

I trust You to transform not just my habits, but my heart. I give this part of my life fully to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Live boldly out there today…