A Feast for the Soul

January 12

There’s nothing like a good meal to impart a feeling of satisfaction and well-being. To have dined well and to have relaxed after its enjoyment is counted as one of life’s blessings. Enjoying a repast with beloved family and friends is to add an incalculably valuable dimension to the partaking of excellent cuisine.

And there is another dimension to our being that basks in an even greater satisfaction. Proverbs 18:20 stirs our soul with a deep sense of peace by confirming that it is, “from the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is satisfied. He is filled with the product of his lips.’”

This is to say that the assurance of a good meal that is pleasurably enjoyed comes not so much from the meal itself but by a man’s satisfaction with himself in his conversation with others. What he has spoken to his friends and his family will impact his ability to enjoy food.

Strife between friends diminishes the enjoyment of even the finest fare. It is difficult to have any appetite at all when food is taken in an atmosphere of contention. But when peace and harmony abound, when a man’s words are softly spoken in kindness, the meal before him becomes a feast for his soul.