Devoted to the Word of God

Joshua 1:7-9 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Be strong and courageous men of God, devoted to the Word of God, men of the Word. This is the theme of our Wednesday Christian men’s Bible study group, but truly is the theme of every Christian man, woman and child, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. We have His holy Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), to teach us, to guide us and help us mature in this walk as a child of God, a kingdom of heaven worker and Ambassador of Christ in this world today. Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Our church’s senior Bible Study teacher stated the other night that the Lord will give us the desires of our heart, when we align our desires with God’s desires; when our desires are His desires. My close friend fervently prays, “Heavenly Father, Papa, may the desires of my heart be that my thoughts, words and deeds be pleasing in your sight.” And we know the holy will and ways of our Maker, Almighty God, by devotion to the Word of God in the Bible. Contemplate and meditate on them day and night, keeping the word of God in front of everything that we say and do in pure delight for they are fruitful and never wither, change or wear out with time.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

We write the Word of God upon the tablets of our heart, because they are the fabric of our being by which we live and breathe. What is there to be terrified about and what can discourage us when we know God’s love, know God’s promises, know God’s providence and believe with our whole heart His plan of salvation in Christ; the gospel of Jesus? His holy Word is the light to truth and shines the way to paths of righteousness and abundant life. Shouldn’t we read and study the scriptures daily for they are alive with the Spirit of God and speaks to our hearts with love, joy and peace? Psalm 119:89-90 & 103-105 “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

I’ve read that President George Washington spent an hour each morning and an hour each evening in pray and devotion with an open Bible in front of him. Former President John Adams told his son, President John Quincy Adams, to also start each of his days in office with devotional time in the Word of God. President Abraham Lincoln stated: “In this Great Book, I have but to say, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for this Book we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.” What’s good for our godly Founding Fathers of this nation is also good for us. We have every reason to be devoted to the Word of God. Jeremiah 15:16 “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.”

James Houston. Professor of spiritual theology and former chancellor at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada writes: “If anyone asked you if your were a “devotionalist” today, you would be excused for not knowing what they meant. If someone talked about being devotionally-minded, you might raise an eyebrow. This century is possibly the first one in which action has been emphasized and valued more than contemplation. Today we do things. We think contemplation wastes time, produces nothing, and bumps awkwardly into our schedules. Devotional reading is a questionable priority for most successful people today. But are we successful Christians if we are so busy organizing and propagating the Christian faith that we do not know God personally or intimately? Christian devotional reading, with its motivation to love God with all our heart, mind, and will, helps us find intimate union with God.” John 17:17-18 Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."

In Christ, Brian