I still remember all those cereal commercials from my childhood. “They’re great!” screamed Tony the Tiger about the Frosted Flakes. “They’re magically delicious!” proclaimed the Lucky Charms leprechaun. “Follow your Nose!” said Toucan Sam making us ask for Froot Loops! At the end of all of the cereal commercials was a line that said, “All part of a balanced breakfast.” They would show a quick glimpse of a full breakfast with eggs, toast, and all the things you should eat, with a bowl of their cereal. Turns out, those things probably drug down the healthy balance of the meal, as most shiny and sugary things tend to do.  Our lives have the same sugary and shiny things that the world projects as a part of a balanced life, but in reality, it is more harmful than good! 

Think about how we treat physical meals. Most of us wouldn’t dream of skipping breakfast, lunch, or dinner—we plan our schedules around them, we get irritable without them, and we naturally crave them. Yet when it comes to our spiritual lives, we often go days without “eating” from the Word of God, and somehow we convince ourselves we can still thrive. Just like food strengthens your body, Scripture strengthens your soul. Skipping a meal here or there leaves you physically weak. Skipping the Word leaves you spiritually vulnerable. Fasting teaches us this truth in a powerful way: what our body craves from food is what our soul craves from the Word. And all the world can give us is a shiny, sugary snack! 

In Matthew 4, Jesus is facing off with Satan himself, who is trying to stop Jesus from entering His ministry before it begins. Jesus had fasted for 40 days and no doubt was hungry, and Satan said to Him, “if you are who you say you are, turn these rocks into bread.” And Jesus quotes Moses in Deuteronomy by saying that "man doesn’t live by bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God." Church, I am afraid that we are way too well fed with food, and we are starving when it comes to the Word of God. 

Psalm 119 says this:

When we do not take time to dive into, or to keep the analogy ‘consume,’ the Word of God, we starve our spiritual life, our wisdom, and our conscience. The psalmist describes God’s Word as a lamp and a light—something essential for direction and survival. Just as you wouldn’t try to walk a rocky trail in the dark without a flashlight, you shouldn’t try to navigate your life without Scripture guiding your steps.

During fasting, your physical hunger reminds you that your body needs fuel. But even more, it reminds you of how desperately your soul needs God’s Word to live with strength, clarity, and purpose. When you feed on Scripture daily, it doesn’t just give you knowledge—it transforms your mind, strengthens your faith, and illuminates the next step God wants you to take.

So, today and as we move forward, set aside 15 extra minutes today to slowly read and meditate on a passage of Scripture (perhaps Psalm 119:1–16). Write down one verse to carry with you all day. Each time you feel hunger during your fast, quote that verse and remind yourself: “God’s Word is my true bread.” Then you will experience the fullness that God has for you in your relationship with Him as the supplier of all your needs! Don’t settle for the cereal when God’s offering the true balanced meal!