I remember several years ago in a Miss World contest,one of the contestants was asked to mention three items she would take if left in a desert and given the choice of just three.I found her answer quite intriguing. She replied that she would take water,a blanket and a Bible. In the last post, we talked about a dry pit meaning a pit without the word of God and coincidentally just this Sunday, my pastor re-emphasized in his sermon the need for us to read and meditate on the Word of God.
Trying to move the church to become Bible literate is a challenge for many Pastors today. Somehow the truth is we have not fully realized the importance of God’s word and even when we do, we struggle with the discipline to create time for it. It seems that we have time to do every other thing but read the word of God and sometimes there are legitimate reasons for which we postpone the reading of God’s word till the end of the day when we are already fagged out(assuming you are also a morning person). It does not need a word of knowledge (rather a word from knowledge) to know that in a few minutes of reading the Word in such a wearied state, we would end up sleeping .And this unfortunately is the case for most of the week for many people.
According to my Pastor, just as we need food for our human bodies to be able to function rightly, we need the Word of God for our spirit man to function as well. The Word of God which has been likened to water has a cleansing and a purifying effect (Ephesians 5:26). Other benefits of the Word include salvation (James 1:21),deliverance( Psalms 107: 20),healing (Proverbs 4:21-22) ,revival (Psalms 10:25,49-51,107,154),sanctification (Psalms 119 9-11 ), direction (Psalms 119:105) and growth(1 Peter 2: 2).As we dwell in Gods Word, our lives are enriched and produce more fruit (John 15 5- ) .There are several earthly and eternal benefits which abound when we become rich in God’s word. Spending time in God’s Word enables us to know Him more. The more of him we know, the richer our experience and the deeper our intimacy (Psalms 42 7, Hosea 6: 3). The more of the light we receive from the word of God and practice (James 1: 22 ),the more we can reflect and become lights in our world (Matthew 5 14-16; 2 Corinthians 3: 18) and rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2: 15).
The benefits of studying the word of God are unquantifiable and if it is going to be of any benefit to us, then an epileptic &emergency approach to it must be shunned. The Bible should not be left on the dining table neither should it be opened to a Psalm of protection(Psalm 91) and kept under our pillows before we sleep .This to me seems like we are leaving it for the pillow to read!
Many of us would hardly go off for the day without breakfast and this week I challenge us to“No word, no breakfast”
Love the Word,
Grace Tom-Lawyer.
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