Secondly we must study the Word continually. Remember, God does not waste a single word in His Bible. The word continually is here for a reason. Our time after salvation is called a walk with God for a reason. It is not a sprint. We have traded in our old lives for the new creation Christ has made us but that requires the rest of our lives beloved. We cannot approach the Bible hot and cold. We cannot study it this week and read it next week. We cannot be actively seeking to listen this month and only try and hear next month. It doesn't work that way. When the Israelites were in the wilderness after being delivered from slavery in
Then Moses told them, "Do not keep any of it until morning." But some of them didn't listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them. -- Exodus 16: 19-20 (NLT)
The Bible is our chief source for spiritual nourishment. It is our chief source for spiritual sustenance. A Christian who does not pursue the Bible is malnourished and sorely lacking what they need to walk in the power God intended for them. Yet like the Israelites we too can develop lazy habits and try to gather our spiritual food in bunches. Beloved, God has fresh manna for us every single day if we would just take the time to open the book. Instead, so many try and live on yesterday's manna, despite the fact that God has a fresh Word for them today. I have written 2-4 pages per day for over five years now and every time I think I don't know what to write -- God gives me ten more things to consider. His blessings do not run out. His Word has no end. What He wants to show us and teach us lives forever. We cannot just study the Word; we must do so continually.
Thirdly from the key verse we see that we are to meditate on it! This now really cuts to the heart of listening versus hearing. The biological process of hearing does not require any further consideration. How many times have you been in an argument and known your spouse is not listening to a word you say. When you accuse them however their response is usually a defiant -- "I am listening -- you said That of course only means they heard you. It does not mean they have considered what you are saying. They have not listened. Meditation is thoughtful consideration. It is trying to understand what it is that you have heard and how it applies to your life. THAT is how we are supposed to divide the Word of Truth. Let's look at a practical example. Let's say we are new to the faith and we read the following:
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. -- John 14: 6 (NLT)
You study it and see there are no contextual concerns. If you merely heard it then it wields no power in your life. It's just a nice saying. But if you meditate on it and let God speak into your heart you will discover that this eradicates the worldly arguments about us all serving the same God. You now have to make a choice about who you are going to believe -- Jesus or the world. Jesus says the only way to God is through Him and the world says there are many paths. Because you have placed your faith in the infallibility of the Word of God -- you correctly choose to believe Jesus. Because you chose to listen and not just hear -- you have been set free from one of the common lies of the devil the world always falls for. Because you approached the Word and considered it, meditated on it, the power of the Word of God has destroyed a trap the enemy sets for you!
The fourth consideration for us today is that we are to obey the Word according to the key verse. What a novel concept! In fact the key verse says that we meditate on it specifically to be able to obey it properly! While we approach the Word of God as a scholar, this is not an academic endeavor. God doesn't want our opinion on His Word. He is not looking for a debate. He wants us to follow it -- period. The most misunderstood point is that somehow God's desires for us are born out of some sense of control, anger or disappointment. The reality is that it is through obeying His Word that we can be assured of having less drama and trauma in our lives. It is when we are willfully disobedient that we see our lives start to fall apart. Recently we have seen the growth of heretical teachings that solely focus on grace. Now, the grace of God is endless and thank the Lord for that because I need His grace every single day! But grace only takes care of the eternal consequences of sin. The temporal consequences will still apply. When Moses sinned he was still denied access to the Promised Land. When King Saul sinned he still lost his kingdom. When David sinned he still lost two children. There is a real life consequence for sin that grace does not cover. Jesus Himself taught how important obedience to His Word is:
"So why do you keep calling me "Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins." -- Luke 6: 46-49 (NLT)
