The Living Word of God
I love the Bible.
I have loved it ever since I was a little girl at my father’s knee … reading it with him … in the dark hours of the early morning.
“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” -Charles Spurgeon
Honestly … today as an adult … sometimes I cry while I am reading the Word in my daily devotions.
And then there are those unforgettable moments I sob while I study the Bible for a teaching series or in preparation for writing a book.
I am gobsmacked that God didn’t throw us all on planet earth and then say, “Figure it out!”
Oh no … He is so much more loving and compassionate than that.
The God of the universe has granted to us His wisdom … His heart … and His promises … in written format.
And so … I read on with tears streaming down my middle-aged cheeks.
I read when I don’t understand it … and when I am in deep pain.
I read it when I am tired …and when I am busy.
I digest the sacred pages of scripture as if it were a delicious and nutritious meal.
“Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;”
Jeremiah 15:16
For the next few weeks … I will be writing to you about the Word of God … why we read it … what is has the power to accomplish … and why you need it!
I guarantee you these writings will not be boring or merely academic … but they will be filled with the loving invitation to enjoy the heart of God toward you … His very favorite child!
“The Bible is the book of my life. It's the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.”
N. T. Wright
The Bible is the best-selling book of all time … the best-selling book of the year … every single year.
Not by just a little bit, either … the Bible is sold at least twice as much as its nearest competitor.
Most American homes have at least 4 Bibles … so when people buy a Bible … they likely already own a copy or two. Or three or four.
Conservative estimates are that annual Bible sales in the United States alone top 25 million copies per year!
The demand for this Book is stratospherically high and shows no signs for slacking off.
The Bible is only as outdated as you believe God to be.
If you believe that God is an ancient superstition … you will write off the Bible as a collection of myths and religious nonsense
However … if you believe that God is a living being … actively engaged in your life …then you cannot … you must not … dismiss the Bible as a relic or as non-applicable.
What are words? What are anyone’s words?
Words are the declaration of our minds and our hearts.
God’s Word – the Bible – is the declaration of His mind and His heart.
God’s Word is His will.
Psalm 119 is one of the most glorious chapters in the entire Bible … it is also the longest chapter in the Bible containing 176 verses.
The theme of this chapter is to magnify God’s Word … His Law … His way … His testimonies … His commandments … His precepts … His truth!
“How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD.
How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.”
Psalm 119:1 & 2
There is no way to measure the blessing that is extracted from walking in the Way of the Bible!
When you have your life in alignment with the Word of God … the blessing will be extravagant and lavish!
We often pray for blessing … “God! Bless me!”
May I humbly submit to you that the Bible gives instructions concerning how to secure the blessing of God?!
One foundational route to the land of blessing is to walk in the ways that the Bible presents!
Imagine that!
Blessing always follows obedience to the Word.
The Word of God always leads to blessing.
Another way to experience the blessing of God is to seek Him with your whole heart!
Your heart was made for God … your passions were given to you so that you would passionately seek the One who made you.
Instead … we have allowed our passions to take us in other directions … to food … shopping … entertainment … or self-fulfillment.
If you try to live a vibrant and abundant life with spending … creature comforts … addictions … or even travel … it will be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
You will always be unfilled and empty until you give him your whole heart.
Your whole heart.
Seek Him with your whole heart.
If you truly love the Lord … you will love His Word.
God’s Word is the visible representation of His nature … His heart … and His will.
It is calling your name today.
Will you read it??
“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.”
Augustine of Hippo
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart, but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is.