It’s getting dark, there’s no light on the path.
I stumble and fall.
I shouldn’t have left my best flashlight
back there in the hall.
I look all over for something to eat—
forgot to bring lunch!
My stomach rumbles and grumbles complaint
with nothing to munch.
So now my strength is wilting away,
with no energy stored.
Then I hear the call that I needed so much,
as I strain forward:
“Pull out the Book and take a good look!
My word is bread!
Use it as a lamp and now you can see!
You’re led and fed!”
It may seem simplistic to say that words can feed you. But the Word that comes from our God is truly our spiritual sustenance: it feeds our soul, our inner being. When we ignore it, or take just a small bite once in a while, we are not being fed. We are substituting a little snack bag of chips for the stuffed potato, or totally refusing the platter of a real meal.
God gave us the gift of his Word through his chosen servants: the prophets, the historians, the singers, the messengers, the disciples. And Jesus shared all his Father’s words for the ongoing nourishment of everyone who would enter his family, his Church. Those of us who have translations of these words in our own language are blessed with a banquet!
Jesus pushed back the temptation of Satan by underlining this very truth:
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” (Matt. 4:4 NET)
Satan had urged him to give in to his body’s hunger; Jesus would have none of it. He knew that greater things were at stake here, and he made a point that should prompt us to recognize the incredible value of God’s Word to give us nourishment and strength—real life!
When we rely on his instruction and do what it says, the Lord himself takes up residence in us:
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. (Jn. 14:23 NET)
When we believe in Jesus as our one Rescuer and earnestly love him, we are paying attention to him and yearning to know him better and better. If we really do love and respect him, then we will obey his commands. That is when God gladly enters our being and makes his home in us. It is way too easy to take this promise lightly and assume that a simple confession of faith is all that is necessary, that we are then free to follow our own wisdom and assuage our inner appetites with whatever we want.
No! We need to obey his words! How can we do that if we do not know what he commanded? What if we have heard them or skimmed over them but have not stored them in our minds, our hearts? What if we choose to keep them in a “church” storage cabinet in our minds, but not in the center that guides our daily life? If so, they are not living in us, living with us in the way that is necessary for intimate exchange and obedience.
Jesus’ emphasized this so much that his disciple, John, made it a theme of his written documents, to pass it on to us. Here are key verses: that show what happens when his words are not “residing in” us, in intimate connection:
. . . nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. (Jn. 5:38 NET)
The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. (Jn. 14:24 NET)
We can trust the words of Jesus, which came from the Father (John 15:15). They are truth:
Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. (Jn. 17:17 NET)
And as was written in the psalms, when we digest those words of truth, they empower us to resist breaking God’s commands:
Direct my steps by your word! Do not let any sin dominate me! (Ps. 119:133 NET)
In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11 NET)
His word is a shield to protect us from harm, from distress brought on by evil. It is also our weapon when we are attacked:
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:17 NET)
Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. (Prov. 30:5 NET)
And it is light, given us so that we can see the path before us and not stumble and fall, but follow his directives:
Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path. (Ps. 119:105 NET)
Listen to my cry for help, O LORD! Give me insight by your word! (Ps. 119:169 NET)
This all underlines the importance of storing up God’s words in our hearts. He has given us many ways to do this, and here in the U.S. we have access to his written Word in our language as well as to many churches where his Word is preached. We can store his words firmly through spiritual practices like these:
- listening carefully to pastors’ messages,
- taking notes, journaling, in a way that cements them for us,
- reading the Bible ourselves daily,
- contemplating what we read, not just doing speed-reading,
- memorizing key verses and passages that the Lord highlights for us,
- discussing Scripture with other believers.
When we love his Word, we can even look forward to spending hours with it—even when sleep escapes us:
My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on your word. (Ps. 119:148 NET)
You can hold onto a verse or passage that you love and let it be your theme in the night!
Perhaps some other approaches have helped you—I invite you to share them with me. We are on a journey here on earth, and our Lord has given us what we need to make it to destination, following his path. We just need to respect and use those tools!
Linnea's Lines 