Hear and Believe

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Beloved,

True Christian discipleship starts with the Word of God.  All Scripture has been given to us by God to build us up in Christ Jesus.  All Christians should regularly study and meditate on the Word of God.  We should not do so begrudgingly, but joyfully because it is profitable to our souls.  The Psalmist calls the man blessed who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).  He goes on to say, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

It does not take a whole lot of convincing to see the importance and the benefit of spending time in and with the Word of God.  But even though we know its value, are we making the Word a priority in our lives? Satan often uses good things to shift our priority from the Word.  Whatever means Satan uses whether it is activities, entertainment, recreation or rest (all good things), we can never sacrifice the primacy of God’s Word in our life.  For God’s Word should inform our activities, entertainment, recreation and rest.  We want to be people that submit to the authority of God’s Word in theory and in practice.

Immediately following the declarative power of God’s Word, pastors are commanded to publicly declare God’s Word. 2 Timothy 4:1-2a, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.” Pastors, must preach the Word. And therefore, Christians must hear the Word.  Every age will challenge the authority of God’s Word, and our age is no different.  Beloved, we must make the reading and hearing of God’s Word the foundation of our life. And when we hear it, we must accept it not as the word of man, but as what it truly is, the Word of God in obedience and faith (1 Thess. 2:13). 

So what is hindering your time in the Word?  If the Word will make us complete and equipped for every good work, then we must lay aside every weight that hinders our meditation and delight in God’s Word. This world is full of good things, but we cannot sacrifice the BEST for the good. Let us reprioritize our lives around the Word rather than the arranging the Word around our lives. 

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blog post adapted from one I previously wrote in May 2013.