Loving the Word

Let me start this post off by saying that I don't write this in any way to trump myself up or appear arrogant. Whenever I hear or read of someone reporting about their spiritual discipline (i.e., their personal Bible study, prayer life, meditations, etc.), I often think about those religious leaders in the New Testament who received so much criticism from Jesus. If they wanted to get a pat on the back from others for how "spiritual" they appeared to be, then that is all that they would get.

It can be a fine line to tread when sharing of how God is moving someone in their personal devotional life lest he or she appear pretentious or Pharisaical. However, Scripture is littered with examples of men and women who were spiritual giants in their devotion and commitment to God and His word. All of that being said (or rather typed), I want to write this as both encouragement and instruction to others in the area of reading and studying the Bible, God's holy and inerrant word to man.

There is a "rule" that I have chosen to live by when it comes to my approach to reading the Bible: It is the first book that I read every day. If there are other magazines, newspaper articles, or books that I want to read then they all must wait until I have spent time communing with God in His word. That may sound basic or even trivial, but for me it is essential. The very first words, thoughts, instructions, and visuals that I want to put into my mind each morning are those given to me by God Himself. Honestly, I don't always accomplish this but it is my daily goal.

Psalm 119:9-16 is incredibly instructive and encouraging in its application of how we are to approach God's word. Simply put, we are to love it. Look at the ways we are instructed to read and study the Bible and the results that benefit us when we do:

• We are to keep it (vs.9) because when we zealously guard God's word it will help to keep our ways pure
• We are to seek it (vs.10) with all our heart for it will keep us on the right path
• We are to treasure it (vs.11) in our hearts so that we might have no room for sin
• It should teach us (vs.12) as we actively pursue God's truth in it
• We are commanded to proclaim it (vs.13) - all of it - which means we must know it
• We are to rejoice in it (vs.14) because the very testimony of God shows us the way; there is more value in one word from God than all the riches in the entire world
• We are to meditate and think on it (vs.15), which means we need to ponder over it, think it through, ask questions, roll it around in our minds, let it marinate in us. These are God's ways revealed to us - we must do more than casually read them.
• We are to delight in it (vs.16), taking great pleasure in studying and applying God's word. This delight speaks to an intimacy much like we would enjoy and express with someone we dearly love. In other words, we shouldn't be able to keep our hands off of God's word!
• We are to never forget it (vs.16). The Hebrew is very vivid here - don't let God's word slip your mind; don't ignore it; don't let it wither within you.

Notice what this passage doesn't tell us to do. It doesn't give us a reading plan to go by or boxes to check off when we've finished a chapter or a book. Instead, we are to love God's word, treasure it and seek after it like valuable riches, rejoice in it and treat it like an intimate friend, allow it to teach us and in turn teach it to others, meditate and thoroughly think on it, and never let it grow stale or so casual that we forget it or simply ignore it.

If we are committed to approaching the Bible in such a way then our study of it will no longer be something that we have to do but rather something that we can't wait to do.