Treasuring God’s Word in our Hearts

 

Susan Narjala

 

 

Back in my teen years, one New Year resolution I consistently made was to read my Bible every day. While I had given my life to Christ as my Lord and Saviour in my early teens, Bible reading often felt like a chore that made its way to my to-do list.

 

Despite my good intentions, my trusty hardbound NIV would gather dust on my shelf till, out of guilt, I would pick it up. My Bible reading streak would continue for a few days and then the “I’ll-read-it-tomorrow” excuse would kick in for weeks after that.

 

But, by the grace of God, somewhere on my journey as a Christian, he re-kindled in my heart the steadfast desire to read Scripture.

 

Well, to be precise, not just read it, but to ponder it, to meditate on it, to gaze upon it, to sit with it, to underline and highlight it, and to share it—to truly value this book because I finally grasped that the God of the universe was breathing out his words to me.

 

Is it my desire to pore over God’s Word every day? Not always. Often, it’s just a daily discipline. But, again, by the grace of God, a daily discipline can turn into a delight as you discover God’s words are sweeter than honey.

 

While I don’t have a formula or a five-step programme on how to treasure God’s Word, here are some questions we can ask ourselves:

 

Do I approach God’s Word with anticipation? Job 23:13 says: “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” To Job, God’s Word was more important than food. He seemed to have deeply understood the idea that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Do we have a similar hunger, an insatiable appetite, for Scripture? If not, that might be something to commit in prayer.

 

Have I prepared my heart through prayer? Pausing to pray before we read the Word may sound formulaic, but prayer is the warm-up before we get into Scripture heavy-lifting. It positions our hearts to understand that we are in the Throne room only by God’s grace.

 

Am I devoting time to hear Him speak?  In our Instamart/ Blinkit culture, we expect Bible quick fixes. When we don’t have an “epiphany,” we grow disheartened and tend to disengage from Scripture. But we learn to treasure Scripture when we take the time be still and to reflect on it. Luke 2:19 records that when Mary heard God’s words through Gabriel, she “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” We are called to ponder on God’s words. That means taking the time to tune out from the world’s noise so we can tune into God voice.

 

Am I learning first-hand or am I happy to be spoon fed? Even though I’ve written more than a dozen devotionals, here’s what I encourage you to do: read Scripture for yourself. God speaks to you personally. In Psalm 119: 162 David says: “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” Devotionals are secondary sources. Mine God’s Word and uncover the “great spoil” for yourself. There is nothing quite as sweet.

 

Have I looked for who God is in the passage? Often we approach Bible reading like it’s a band aid for our bruises or a neon arrow that points us in the right direction. But when we first look for the heart of God in the passage, it completely changes our perspective. The Bible is not a story about us. The Bible primarily bears witness about God (John 5:39). When through Scripture we come to know God more, we develop an insatiable appetite for more of the Word as our hearts were created for Him.

 

Have I looked for who I am? While the Bible captures God’s heart for the world, it is also a lens through which we see ourselves more clearly. The Word of God is a mirror. It’s a lamp to our feet. It’s a sword to wield against the enemy. It convicts. It comforts. It chastens. It encourages. It warns. It strengthens. It exhorts. God uses the Word to conform us, broken as we are, to the likeness of Christ. What a grand and glorious purpose. Scripture becomes more precious to us when we understand our role in God’s redemptive story.

 

Have I responded in prayer and worship? Scripture comes alive when we use the words of God to respond to God. It’s as simple as saying, “Lord, thank you for being my good Shepherd. I know that you will lead me by still waters,” when you read Psalm 23. It’s confessing, “Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me” when you read Psalm 51. Scripture is not meant to just stay on the page. It’s meant to be used. Jesus quoted the Old Testament in his sermons, during his temptations, in conversations with Pharisees, and even on the Cross. To treasure the Word, pray the Word.

 

When we reflect on the Word of God, we reflect the God of the Word to those around us.