4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Luke 5:1 (CSB): “As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
Psalm 119 is not only the longest chapter in the Bible, but it also celebrates God’s Word in every single verse! Every single one of the 176 verses has at least one word that refers to the Scriptures (e.g. “instruction,” “decrees,” “ways,” “precepts,” “statutes,” etc.).
But this psalm is also special because it progresses through every letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Every verse in verses 1-8 begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph). Every verse of the next 8 verses (vs. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet (beth). This continues until we get to the final verses (vs. 169-176), which all begin with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (taw).
Because of his high level of technicality, constructing this psalm would have required much time, thought, and creativity. Giving this much effort to crafting this masterpiece of a psalm clearly demonstrates that the psalmist loved the Scriptures.
There have also been special times of revival in church history where people experienced the same kind of love for God’s Word. Sometimes, it was a very personal revival when God, in His grace, allowed an individual to hunger after God’s Word so much that they could join with the psalmist and say, “How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long.” (Psalm 119:97).
Sometimes, those revivals have been corporate. Churches were filled with people who were hungry for God’s Word. The Holy Spirit enabled them to understand the taught or preached Word. People responded with conviction, repentance, and restoration to a right relationship with God.
We don’t know how everyone responded, but the verse I have chosen for today tells us that people were drawn to God’s Word as Jesus taught it to them.
Luke 5:1 (CSB): “As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.”
But there have also been prolonged seasons in church history when Bibles collected dust. There was no hunger for God’s Word. Bible lessons were taught and sermons were preached while people yawned and periodically looked at their watches to see when it would end.
Unfortunately, far too many Christians have only known the latter. They haven’t experienced times of refreshing. They don’t know what it’s like to genuinely love God’s Word and the God of the Word. They need someone to demonstrate what it looks like to love God’s Word in such a way that others are drawn to it.
Will you pray for a greater love for God’s Word? Will you pray that God enables you to love the Scriptures like the psalmist and many others have experienced?
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to enable you to see His Word as the indescribably incredible book that it is.
- Ask God to help you make good on your commitment to read His Word and study it regularly.
- Ask God to help you grow in your love for His Word.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into enjoying God’s Word, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“How do we delight in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2)?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 