The Word of God: For Our Salvation and Spiritual Food
The Word of God For Our Salvation
A man and his wife were sitting one night reading the Bible. Suddenly looking up, he said, “If this book is true, we are lost”. He resumed his reading. Before he had gone far he looked up again and exclaimed, “If this book is true, we may be saved!” Then a little later he said in a loud voice, “If this book is true, I am saved!”
Without the Bible we would never have known that we were lost sinners in God’s sight, or that God loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for us. We know this only because God’s Word has said it (Romans 5:8). Who would dare to say his soul was saved, his sins were forgiven, and that he was going to heaven, if God hand not said so in His Word?
But He has, and we believe it, simply because He said it. Surely that is enough. We do not need men’s opinions. God has spoken to us and we believe Him. We are “born again...by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).
The Word Of God For Our Spiritual Food
Every new-born baby requires milk or else it will not thrive and grow. The working man requires food or else his strength will fail. So it is with the Christian. The new life received by being “born again” requires nourishment. So we read, “as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Have you seen and heard a baby when it is hungry? It is a lesson for us. We should desire the pure, unadulterated milk of the Word of God like that baby wants its milk. Let us drink in verse after verse for our soul’s nourishment and growth, and take every opportunity to meditate and feed upon it. Your soul cannot thrive without it. You cannot grow spiritually if you neglect your Bible. Neglect of God’s Word is the cause of much backsliding and misery.
All God’s mighty men and women have been lovers of His Word. Listen to some of them. The Psalmist said, “O how I love Thy law, it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). Again, “I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162). Job said, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). The Lord Jesus delighted in the law of the Lord and He meditated in it day and night (see Psalm 1:2). He lived by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
You need to make a daily habit of feeding your soul upon God’s Word, saying to your Father in heaven, “Give me this day my daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), and you will be abundantly satisfied. We cannot live today on what we read and learned yesterday. We must be like the Israelites who gathered the manna fresh every morning. They gathered it early, for when the sun was hot it melted (Exodus 16). Feed your soul early each day. If you go out to school, college, or work, before you have the manna for your soul, there may not be much opportunity for it later in the day.
Perhaps you live a busy life and have less leisure time than you wish. Make sure that what time you have is used wisely. Give priority to your Bible. Read it rather than even religious books, papers or magazines. Some, of course, are helpful and useful – but others are not! The Lord told us to “take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24).
Satan hates meditation on the Word of God, and prayer. These sustain the believer’s spiritual life, and Satan will try to cheat you out of them. So watch, read the Word carefully and prayerfully. Feed upon the full range and scope of the Holy Scripture, and not just a few favorite passages – the Holy Spirit guides “into all truth” (John 16:13).
It is important to apply the Word to yourself as you read it, saying “that is for me.” Whatever it condemns about you, give it up. Whatever it commands you to do, do it. Our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 11:28).
A man and his wife were sitting one night reading the Bible. Suddenly looking up, he said, “If this book is true, we are lost”. He resumed his reading. Before he had gone far he looked up again and exclaimed, “If this book is true, we may be saved!” Then a little later he said in a loud voice, “If this book is true, I am saved!”
Without the Bible we would never have known that we were lost sinners in God’s sight, or that God loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for us. We know this only because God’s Word has said it (Romans 5:8). Who would dare to say his soul was saved, his sins were forgiven, and that he was going to heaven, if God hand not said so in His Word?
But He has, and we believe it, simply because He said it. Surely that is enough. We do not need men’s opinions. God has spoken to us and we believe Him. We are “born again...by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).
The Word Of God For Our Spiritual Food
Every new-born baby requires milk or else it will not thrive and grow. The working man requires food or else his strength will fail. So it is with the Christian. The new life received by being “born again” requires nourishment. So we read, “as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Have you seen and heard a baby when it is hungry? It is a lesson for us. We should desire the pure, unadulterated milk of the Word of God like that baby wants its milk. Let us drink in verse after verse for our soul’s nourishment and growth, and take every opportunity to meditate and feed upon it. Your soul cannot thrive without it. You cannot grow spiritually if you neglect your Bible. Neglect of God’s Word is the cause of much backsliding and misery.
All God’s mighty men and women have been lovers of His Word. Listen to some of them. The Psalmist said, “O how I love Thy law, it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). Again, “I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162). Job said, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). The Lord Jesus delighted in the law of the Lord and He meditated in it day and night (see Psalm 1:2). He lived by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
You need to make a daily habit of feeding your soul upon God’s Word, saying to your Father in heaven, “Give me this day my daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), and you will be abundantly satisfied. We cannot live today on what we read and learned yesterday. We must be like the Israelites who gathered the manna fresh every morning. They gathered it early, for when the sun was hot it melted (Exodus 16). Feed your soul early each day. If you go out to school, college, or work, before you have the manna for your soul, there may not be much opportunity for it later in the day.
Perhaps you live a busy life and have less leisure time than you wish. Make sure that what time you have is used wisely. Give priority to your Bible. Read it rather than even religious books, papers or magazines. Some, of course, are helpful and useful – but others are not! The Lord told us to “take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24).
Satan hates meditation on the Word of God, and prayer. These sustain the believer’s spiritual life, and Satan will try to cheat you out of them. So watch, read the Word carefully and prayerfully. Feed upon the full range and scope of the Holy Scripture, and not just a few favorite passages – the Holy Spirit guides “into all truth” (John 16:13).
It is important to apply the Word to yourself as you read it, saying “that is for me.” Whatever it condemns about you, give it up. Whatever it commands you to do, do it. Our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 11:28).
