God’s Word

Spiritual Malnutrition: The Hidden Hunger Most Christians Ignore

~ Dave Mudra ~ Leave a comment

God designed us to live from the inside out—spirit first, then soul, then body—and His Word is the food that keeps that whole system alive and healthy. When we ignore that order, everything starts to wobble: our thoughts, our emotions, even our physical strength. When we honor it, life begins to feel aligned again, like a machine finally running the way its Maker intended.

Scripture shows that we are not just a body with some vague “inner life.” Paul writes, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). That’s not random wording. It suggests a clear structure: spirit, then soul, then body. The spirit is the deepest part of you—the real “you,” where you are aware of God, where you sense and know things that go beyond logic (Romans 8:16). When someone is born again, that spirit is made new, righteous, and united with the Holy Spirit. The soul sits in the middle and includes your mind, will, and emotions—the part of you that thinks, chooses, and feels. The body is your visible, physical shell, the way you show up and act in the world.

The Bible even tells us that God’s Word can reach into these layers and separate them in a way nothing else can. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is so sharp it can divide soul and spirit, “joints and marrow.” In other words, it can cut right down into the deepest places and show what’s happening where. Only God’s Word can do that, because only God’s Word is designed to feed and sort out those different parts in the right order.

Just like your body needs food, your spirit needs food—and not just occasionally. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Bread keeps the body going; God’s Word feds the spirit and quickens our souls. Peter compares believers to newborn babies who should crave “the sincere milk of the word” so they can grow (1 Peter 2:2). No food, no growth. That’s true physically, and Scripture says it’s just as true spiritually.

Job understood this long before any of us. He said he valued God’s words more than his necessary food (Job 23:12). He saw that real life is not just about keeping the body going; it’s about feeding the spirit. Jesus agreed: “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). God’s Word is spiritual in nature and life-giving in effect. When your spirit takes it in, something living is happening, even when you don’t feel anything dramatic.

Now think about what happens when you don’t eat. When the body goes without food, it gets weak, tired, and shaky. You feel faint, you can’t focus, and your emotions often sink. Scripture uses that picture to help us understand what happens on the inside when we neglect spiritual food. David described his inner dryness this way: when he kept silent and held things in before God, he said his bones felt like they were aging and his strength was gone “as in the drought of summer” (Psalm 32:3–4). His spiritual condition was affecting his physical and emotional state.

Proverbs gives the same idea in a sentence: “A broken spirit drieth the bones,” but “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). When the spirit is crushed, the body feels it. When the inner life is joyful, it’s like medicine to the whole person. God built us so that what happens in the spirit eventually touches the soul and finally shows up in the body. This is not an accident. God designed life to flow from the deepest part of us outward.

When the spirit is fed with the Word of God, the first place the effects show up is in the soul—how we think, feel, and choose. Scripture renews the mind, which is part of the soul. Paul says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). And what is the benefit of that? The passage goes on to say that you will prove that God’s will is good, perfect and acceptable!

The Word doesn’t just give us new ideas; it reshapes how we see reality. It also brings peace to the heart: “Great peace have they which love thy law” (Psalm 119:165). Love the Word, and peace follows. Jeremiah said, “Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Joy doesn’t begin in the emotions; it starts with the Word reaching the spirit and then flowing out into the feelings. David could say, “He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:3), because God’s truth reaches weary, damaged places inside and brings them back to life.

So the chain looks like this: the Word strengthens the spirit, the strengthened spirit renews the soul, and then both begin to affect the body and even the physical world around you. Paul describes it like this: that God would strengthen us “with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). The Holy Spirit uses the Word to empower the “inner man”—your spirit. That inner strength then shows up in clearer thinking, better attitudes, steadier emotions, and wiser choices.

From there, Scripture shows that the body is not left out of the process. What is planted in the heart eventually appears in how we live, act, and even in our health. Solomon urges his son to pay attention to God’s words and keep them in his heart because “they are life unto those that find them, and health to ALL their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20–22). Notice the order: the Word enters, settles in the heart, and then becomes life and health to the body. It’s inside → outside every time.

John echoes this when he says, “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2). The prosperity and health he longs for are tied to the condition of the soul. God’s pattern is consistent: the state of your inner life sets the tone for your outer life.

Put simply, God designed spirit, soul, and body to work as a team—with the spirit leading, not trailing behind. The Spirit of God lives in the believer’s spirit and produces fruit—love, joy, peace, and so on (Galatians 5:22–23). But for that fruit to shape the rest of life, the spirit must be fed. When the spirit is nourished by the Word, the soul is refreshed, reordered, and stabilized. Then the body is guided and strengthened by that inner overflow instead of being driven purely by feelings or circumstances.

Ignore spiritual food, and the results are predictable: weakness, confusion, lack of stability, and reduced capacity to handle life. Feed the spirit, and you see the opposite: strength, clarity, peace, and steadiness. This isn’t a motivational slogan; it’s the order of creation as Scripture reveals it.

Finally, Jesus ties all of this to the renewing of the mind and to trusting Him. A renewed mind is not a luxury; it’s how we learn to recognize God’s will and walk in spiritual strength (Romans 12:2). When Jesus says, “Man shall live by every word of God” (Matthew 4:4), He is not giving a poetic line; He is telling us how human beings actually live as God intended. To believe Him is to take that seriously.

So if Jesus tells us that His Word brings blessing, peace, and spiritual vitality, then valuing mind renewal is really a way of saying, “I trust You, Lord.” Feeding the spirit with the Word becomes an act of faith, not just a habit. We feed on His Word because we believe what He says. We renew our minds because He has told us this will transform us. And we seek the health of spirit, soul, and body because that is how God made us to function: life starting in the spirit, moving through the soul, and reaching all the way out to the body.

Spiritual Law – It Works Like Gravity

~ Dave Mudra ~ Leave a comment

Think for a moment about the natural world around us. You know it as well as I do—gravity never fails. If you jump, you will fall. If you plant seeds in good soil, they will grow. If you put your hand in fire, it will burn you. These are not mere guesses or superstitions. These are laws, predictable and unchanging, woven into the very fabric of creation. And just as surely as the natural world is governed by these physical laws, the spiritual realm operates by unshakable spiritual laws.

What many call “commands” in the Bible are not arbitrary rules given by a stern taskmaster; they are God’s loving guidance about these laws. He is not demanding obedience to make life difficult—He is showing us how to avoid harm and experience blessing. When He says, “Don’t do this,” He’s saying, “I see the cliff ahead, and I don’t want you to fall.” When He warns against sin, He’s not withholding something good—He’s steering you away from something that will destroy you. Every spiritual law He reveals is born from a heart that loves us more than we can imagine. This is why you can trust God’s goodness: His laws exist to bless you, protect you, and lead you to the abundant life He intends for you.

Jesus Himself teaches us about these laws. In John 15:7, He says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” At first glance, you might think this is a reward—something God gives to the super-spiritual. But Jesus isn’t talking about rewards; He’s showing us how spiritual laws work. Abiding in Him is not a requirement to earn God’s favor—it’s the connection that allows His life to flow into us. Just like gravity pulls a falling object to the ground, abiding in Christ releases the flow of His power, blessings, peace, and favor into your life.

Picture a vine and its branches. The branch doesn’t strain to bear fruit. It doesn’t work hard to prove itself worthy. It simply stays connected to the vine. The vine does the work. The vine provides the life. And as long as the branch remains connected, the flow is constant, and fruit is inevitable. That’s what abiding in Christ looks like. The Holy Spirit—God’s one and only source—flows into you like floodgates wide open. Everything in the vine flows through you: all the blessings, all the favor, all the love, and all the power.

But here’s where things can get tricky. The flow never stops on God’s end. The floodgates are wide open. Yet sometimes, we don’t experience the blessings He intends because we block the flow. Imagine a garden hose, pouring water at full pressure. If you kink the hose, the flow slows to a trickle—or stops altogether. Fear, anxiety, unbelief, and disobedience are the kinks that crimp the flow of the Spirit.

Think about fear for a moment. Fear tightens your grip on the hose. It says, “I don’t trust God to handle this.” Anxiety does the same thing—it’s faith in the wrong direction, trusting that something bad will happen. Unbelief shuts the hose entirely, refusing to trust God’s Word. And disobedience? Disobedience is stepping out of alignment with the flow altogether. God’s Spirit never stops flowing, but we step out from under the blessing when we choose our own way.

Now here’s the good news: you can remove the kinks. God doesn’t ask you to “fix it all” or “work harder”—He simply asks you to trust Him. Replace fear with trust. Replace anxiety with prayer. Replace unbelief with faith. Replace disobedience with alignment to His Word. Every step you take to align yourself with God is like unkinking that hose. The flow of the Spirit begins to rush through you again—bringing peace where there was chaos, joy where there was sorrow, and provision where there was lack.

God’s laws are consistent. They don’t play favorites. Just as gravity will pull anyone down, spiritual laws will work for anyone who abides in Christ and aligns with His ways. The gardener doesn’t scream at the soil to make seeds grow; he simply creates the right conditions. And the seeds grow naturally because of the laws God put into place. The same is true for you: your part is to stay connected and create the right conditions. When you remain in Christ and remove the blockages, the fruit will come naturally, and the fruit isn’t just “spiritual success”; it’s real, tangible change in your life. You’ll experience peace where there was chaos, joy where there was sorrow, and provision where there was lack. God’s blessings will overflow, not only for you but also for those around you.

Faith operates in a similar way. When you speak words, you trigger spiritual laws and create physical changes. Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” Faith isn’t about striving to prove your spirituality—it’s about aligning your words and actions with God’s spiritual laws that govern all reality. When you release faith through your words, you activate these spiritual laws, and things begin to change.

Let this truth settle deep in your heart: the spiritual realm is not just real—it’s more real than the physical world. The spiritual realm is the birthplace of everything you see, touch, and experience. God spoke, and the universe came into existence. That same spiritual reality governs what happens in your life. When you align yourself with the spiritual laws God has set in motion, you are tapping into the source of all power, all life, and all blessing.

If you jump, you will fall. If you abide, you will bear fruit—fruit that brings supernatural peace, abundant provision, unshakable joy, and overwhelming love. And the best part? This isn’t reserved for a few spiritual elites. It’s available to anyone. The floodgates are open, and the flow of God’s Spirit is constant. All you have to do is stay connected, trust His goodness, and remove the blockages.

Because the laws of the Spirit don’t fail—because God’s love never fails.

You Only Need One Thing

~ Dave Mudra ~ Leave a comment

Imagine walking into a bustling home filled with the clatter of dishes and the hum of activity. In the kitchen, a woman rushes about, flushed and flustered, trying to keep up with the demands of hosting. But across the room, her sister sits motionless, absorbed, her eyes fixed on their guest. She isn’t helping in the kitchen, cleaning, or preparing. She’s simply sitting—still, attentive, and focused.

This is the scene in Luke 10, when Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. Martha’s frustration boils over, and she pleads with Jesus to make Mary help. But His reply is unexpected:“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41–42).

One thing. In a world drowning in demands, distractions, and endless duties, Jesus cuts through the noise and declares there is only one thing we truly need. And Mary found it—not in activity, but in sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His Word.

This story isn’t just a quaint moment in the Gospels. It’s a profound lesson for every believer today. The “one thing” Jesus spoke of is the meditation on and devotion to God’s Word—the only thing that truly sustains us.

The Word as Our Spiritual Food

Jesus’ words to Martha are not a dismissal of work or service. Rather, they are a call to prioritize what matters most. The Bible consistently teaches that God’s Word is essential to our lives. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 4:4:“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”Just as food nourishes our bodies, the Word nourishes our spirits.

But think about it—what happens when you go without eating? Your stomach growls, your energy fades, and eventually, your body begins to shut down. The same is true spiritually. When we neglect the Word of God, we grow weak. Our faith falters, our joy diminishes, and our ability to resist temptation crumbles. Without the Word, we are spiritually starved.

Mary understood this in a way Martha didn’t. Martha was feeding her guests, but Mary was being fed by Jesus’ words. She realized that spiritual food takes precedence over even the most pressing of tasks.

God’s Word is Alive and Transforming

Here’s the thing: the Word of God is not just a collection of ancient texts or moral teachings. It is alive. Hebrews 4:12 declares: “For the word of God is alive, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”When we meditate on Scripture, we aren’t simply reading words on a page. We are engaging with the living, breathing truth of God. His Word cuts through confusion, convicts us of sin, and brings clarity to life’s complexities.

Proverbs 4:22 describes the transformative power of God’s words:“For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”The Bible isn’t just informational—it’s transformational. It brings life to our spirits, healing to our bodies, and guidance for our minds.

When we sit with God’s Word—whether reading it, hearing it, or reflecting on it—we open ourselves to His transformative power. It renews our minds, strengthens our hearts, and equips us to face life’s challenges.

The Danger of Neglecting the Word

But as alive as God’s Word is, it won’t transform us if we fail to engage with it. Skipping time in God’s Word is like trying to run a marathon on an empty stomach—you might start strong, but eventually, you’ll collapse. Without the Word, our spiritual strength fades, our faith becomes brittle, and we are left vulnerable to the storms of life.

Neglecting the Word leaves us directionless. It’s no wonder Psalm 1 compares the person who meditates on God’s Word to a tree planted by streams of water—stable, fruitful, and unshakable. The person who ignores it? They are like chaff, blown away by the wind.

Spiritual starvation is subtle at first. You skip a day in the Word, then another. Soon, you find yourself running on empty, your faith dry and brittle. But the good news is this: God’s Word is always ready to restore us. One verse, one moment of meditation, can reignite a fire in your soul.

The One Thing Needed

So, what about us? Are we like Martha, “careful and troubled about many things,” or like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus? The truth is, we all live in Martha’s world—a world of deadlines, distractions, and constant demands. But Jesus reminds us that onlyone thingis needful. When we meditate on the Word, everything else falls into its proper place. Our priorities shift, our burdens lighten, and our hearts find rest.

But let’s be honest—if we refuse to do thisone thing,we are, in essence, saying we don’t believe Jesus. We’re declaring that we know better than the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. How can we truly call ourselves believers if we don’t actually do what He has told us is most important?

James 1:22 challenges us with this truth:“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”If we claim to believe in Jesus, our faith must lead to obedience. To ignore His instruction to prioritize His Word is to live in self-deception, claiming allegiance to Christ while disregarding His authority.

Jesus has made it clear:“One thing is needful.”To reject this is to reject not only His guidance but His lordship over our lives. But to embrace it—to choose the “good part,” as Mary did—is to live in alignment with His will, nourished by the very words of life.

Engage with the Word in Any Form

The question isn’t just whether we’ll read our Bibles, spend time in prayer, or engage with God’s Word in other ways. Whether it’s listening to Scripture, soaking in inspired messages, or reflecting on a powerful sermon, the heart of the matter is this: will we truly believe Jesus enough to do what He says we need to do? If we refuse to prioritize His Word in any form—reading, hearing, or meditating on it—can we really call ourselves His followers? Faith is not merely what we profess but what we practice, and engaging with God’s Word is the practice Jesus has made non-negotiable for all who claim to follow Him.

Let us, like Mary, choose the “good part.” Whether by reading it, hearing it, or meditating on it, let God’s Word become the priority of our lives. It will never be taken from us, and it is the only thing we truly need.

For more resources to help you meditate on God’s Word, visit these websites:

• www.JosephPrince.com

• www.awmi.net/video/tv-archives