Every morning and evening my goldfish gather at the feeding spot until I arrive. Some swim with their mouths open, gulping in expectation of the food they would soon receive. Some swim near the surface appearing to look for food in the water around them as if it would suddenly appear. Which it does. Some seem to just be swimming around because the others are. And a few remain hidden under the floating plants.

When they see me, they swim faster around each other until the moment the food hits the water. Then a feeding frenzy breaks out with fish gulping at the food as if they had not been fed for days. Then slowly, one by one, they settle down and return to their normal lives.

I love watching them go from ordinary swimming to excited expectation to an explosion of activity and then back to ordinary swimming as they drift back under the plants that provide shade and protection. It reminds me of groups of Christians as they meet each week.

Some Christians come to church with their eyes looking up and with their hearts wide open, ready to receive any tidbit God sends down.

Some Christians come to church with a hope that they will find spiritual food sometime during the church service. But instead of looking up, they are looking at others such as the worship team or the preacher.

Some Christians attend church just because their families or friends do. They focus on each other, chit chatting until the preaching starts. And sometimes even after it starts.

And some Christians stay away from church until they get desperate.

When the service is at its peak – whatever that means in whichever denomination they are in – everyone seems focused on receiving from God. But before and after that, they are in different places.

For the goldfish, it doesn’t matter which place they are in – the food arrives for all of them and they all get fed regardless of how excited they are.

In a way, that is true for Christians also. The food – God’s Word – is available for all of us regardless of our enthusiasm. We can be in church or out of church, on fire for God or busy with our own lives – God’s nourishment arrives daily.

However, in both cases, for the fish and for the Christians, the food must be deliberately and personally ingested. The food doesn’t enter our bodies automatically, nor do we get fed by watching others eat. Fish must open their mouths and suck the fish food flakes in. We must open our ears to hear, to actively listen. But just listening won’t nourish any more than just looking at the food on a banquet table. We must open our hearts and chew on the Word of God.  We must take it into ourselves, meditate on it, and act on it.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Psalm 36:7-9

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Other Scriptures:

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

I will ponder all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:12

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22