Isaiah 55 says that the Word gives bread to the eater and seed to the Sower. In his Journal, Jim Elliot makes a great distinction between the two. Bread is of “immediate use.” But seed is for “future use” in a sense. There isn’t an immediate benefit–it needs to be planted, grow roots, and eventually bear fruit.
I like thinking of the word as “seed.” If I’m not in the Word on a consistent basis then I have no seed to sow into other people’s lives. And my life won’t produce a harvest. It’s that simple. The size of the harvest is dependent upon the amount of seed and the amount of seed is contingent upon how much we’re in the Word.
One more thought. As a pastor, one of the dangers I face is trying to get a word from God for others. My relationship with God can become utilitarian. I need to allow God to speak into my life before he can speak through me. I need bread–what God wants to do in me. And I need seed–what he wants to speak through me. The word gives me both/and.