by Marty Copeland

"For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

Inside every heart and soul is the hunger to experience God's unconditional love. This love cannot be earned. It is a free gift to be received, therefore glorifying the gift itself. God is love, and His love feeds our spirit, satisfies our soul, and strengthens our physical body. It is the life and power of His love that enables us to live a fulfilled life. Many times, when our hearts are hungry for this experience, we "feed" that hunger with a variety of substances. Whenever we are spiritually low on love, we simply have less to give, and our lives become much more challenging. We must always take the time to honor God's gift of love so that we can strengthen ourselves and better love those around us. We must take the necessary time to feed our spirits.

For spiritual strength to come, we must nourish our spirit consistently. Here are 10 spiritual snacks to chew on every day. Take 10 minutes to repeat these out loud to allow them to get down into your heart. This is a process that can take time. This is a process that can change the rest of your life. Please continue to update your list as you search for those scriptures that particularly speak to your heart. Let's start with this simple prayer: "Lord, help these scriptures to come alive to me and help me to greater understand the love that you have for me. In Jesus' name, Amen."

1. Proverbs 4:20-22 (NIV)-"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."
   
   
2. Psalm 63:1-5 (NKJV)-"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips."
   
   
3. Deuteronomy 28:2-8 (KJV)-"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
   
   
4. Psalm 103:1-5 (KJV)-"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."
   
   
5. Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV)-"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
   
   
6. 1 John 4:7-12 (KJV)-"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
   
   
7. James 1:12 (KJV)-"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."
   
   
8. Psalm 91:1-11 (KJV)-"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his trust shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."
   
   
9. Proverbs 16:3 (AMP)-"Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed."
   
   
10. Joshua 1:8 (AMP)-"This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success."

To meditate means "to dwell on anything in thought; to contemplate; to study etc." In Joshua 1:8, the word "meditate" comes from the Hebrew root word "hagah," which also means to "murmur, speak, and talk." What do we get in return for pondering, studying, speaking, and applying God's Words to our lives? We get prosperity, wisdom, and good success. I don't know about you, but I'll take that trade-off any day. What would more prosperity, wisdom, and good success mean to you, and to those you want to help? I can use all the prosperity, wisdom, and good success that God is offering.

This article is a chapter excerpt from Higher Fitness-Marty's Top Ten Diet and Fitness Strategies.