With a world speeding further from truth and into the atmosphere of mind-blowing crazy, I’ve pondered the extreme value of keeping myself in the Word, reviewing Scripture and meditating on hard-core truth. In contemplation and prayer, I’ve come up with seven reasons we should definitely keep the Word close at hand and heart.
And seven, by the way, is the biblical number of completion. Seemed appropriate to land on seven.
These seven reasons (plus one because I’m all about bravery) are not in order of significance as all Scripture holds immense value in the building up of faith, spiritual growth, and agility in Sword swinging. As well, all Scripture is breathed by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
Who doesn’t want the breath of God filling their own lungs? Breathe in truth, then blow it out. This is the process of spiritual growth.
Let’s go!
The Seven Reasons We Should Digest the Word …
1. Christ Embodies the Word
In Psalm 119, the psalmist documents 176 verses pointing to the blessings of the Word and praying for deeper understanding of the truths of God.
Then, in the book of John, we are told the Creator of the earth entered His creation, taking on flesh to answer all those pleas and the preliminary quests for understandings of the law—the testimonies; precepts; statutes; wonders; and commandments of God. All the searching is answered in the arrival of Christ.
The Word, we are told, is embodied in Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (John 1:1-4) If we believe in Him, follow Him, trust Him, then we conduct and engage with a large part of this—our faith—through the written Word.
If you grow closer to the One who died for you through taking in the Word–why wait? You’ll need Him close in the future.
2. The Word is a Weapon
In his written account of Christ, Matthew tells us that before Jesus began His official ministry of miracles, He was taken into the desert and tempted by Satan. Interestingly, Satan, twisting the truth just enough to be believable, throws Scripture in Christ’s face. Christ, not only knowing the Word, but being the Word, recited true Scripture back to Satan. Truth (the Word) will always trump the lie. No matter how noble the motive or strong the desire, the lie will never prevail and be victorious. White lies are lies.
Lies don’t have color—they have consequences.
Truth alone wins. The Apostle Paul implores the church members of Ephesus to be prepared for battle in the spiritual realm and, along with other armaments, he encourages his flock to “take up the sword, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) As well, in the book of Revelation, Christ is seen destroying His enemies with a sharp Sword striking from His mouth—a symbolic picture of how truth slays false beliefs in the future (Revelation 19:15).
The Sword (The Word) is our ultimate weapon against false beliefs. I bet there’s a Sword on your shelf somewhere in the house—or maybe by your bed or on your phone. Make sure you’re sharpening it, then getting it into the sheath at your hip, ready for unexpected battles.
You now have the world’s most powerful weapon at your fingertips.
3. The Word Illuminates Your Way
God’s Word serves as an illumination tool guiding us through the dark (Psalm 119:105).
In the book of John, We are told that the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. As we typically contemplate Christ as the light, I like to also contemplate the counter object of what Scripture contrasts. I don’t want to overlook the fact that darkness existed at the time of John’s writing and certainly now in this troubling era of the world. And we’re told that darkness did not (and will not) understand the light. This truth is key to your personal efforts at evangelizing or perhaps more seriously, current or coming persecution. Not all people will come to the light. Not all people will understand the light. Or want to live anywhere near it. Some may hate the light, having grown comfortable with the drafty and moldy dark corners in their minds. You see, those who follow the dark don’t have to think for themselves—they’ve chosen the dark path because the dark path requires nothing more than locating the heel of the last one in the crowd while up at the lead are the true enemies of God.
This is not the case in the light. With all things illuminated, we’re forced to contemplate God’s purposes—His forgiveness, grace, mercy, salvation, and love in the entirety of life. On the lighted path, our contemplations result in a supernatural connection through the unfathomable reasonings with the God who lives within. Life doesn’t offer a more satisfying, thrilling experience. You and I were made for this.
4. The Word Revives (you won’t lose heart)
According to Psalm 119:159, the Word of God can revive your weary and worn soul. This is accomplished in a myriad of promises and prophecies throughout the Bible.
But we are also revived in the history—the constant of God’ love for His people and His shepherding of His flock. From the beginning in the garden, where we were made to reflect His nature, to His ultimate plans for us while still on a cursed planet earth, He has never faltered. Oh, we have faltered, but He has not. And soon, we will see the culmination of prophecy and promises fulfilled in the second coming of Christ. This is the good news: salvation through grace, the very essence of revive.
What a relief that we can’t earn or lose salvation; that a truthful and good king is headed our way; that we will never experience the sting of eternal death.
5. The Word is Our Comfort
In Psalm 119:76, with his quill pen, the psalmist scribes that he receives comfort according to God’s Word.
According to the Word, comfort comes. What a miraculous event!
Through the Bible, we receive God’s revelation of not only mankind, but His grace, mercy, and most of all Love. Because the Word is living, when we breathe in Word Life, we take in the profound truth of God – He doesn’t just love; He is Love. (1 John 4: 7-12).
In Psalm 42, we’re told “deep calls to deep” and this psalmist describes this holy interaction of God’s Spirit as a waterfall washing over his soul. Throughout Scripture, water is used metaphorically for the Word—it washes over us, purifying our thoughts and motives; hearts and minds. It’s comforting to know that God is concerned with your emotional welfare and will overcome the fears with a supernatural wave of His majestic love imparted through His Life-giving Word.
6. The Word is the Past, Present, and Future
The Holy Bible documents the history of God’s creation and His interactions with man over the span of earth’s time. But in the Word, we also discover His unfailing plans for the future and much of these are written directly from God’s perspective.
There’s no need for guessing. We’ve been made aware of the history, the purpose of the days at hand, and what’s coming down the road.
From the end to the beginning, and from times of old to the time yet to be, God says, “My plan will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…” (Isaiah 46:10). I want that astounding truth to wash over me like the waterfall we talked about under number four. To you and me and those that believe, God declares what He is going to do about the future. Why? Because you are His. Because He is yours. Because you walk in the light. Because He wants to comfort you. Because, for some reason I don’t fully understand you’re a reflection of Him–made to represent Him here. When things look to be a big fat mess in the world, and because you’re in His insider circle, you are not blind or deaf to truth. Isn’t that comforting?
I cannot say this enough: You are His; you will inherit the earth and rule and reign with Christ. So, of course you are to know your father’s business and through knowing, you are not to be afraid. Or caught off guard. Or caught ashamed, unaware of the times. In this mystical relationship, you are privy to top-level classified information. It would be a shame to, one day in the future, confess to your king that you hadn’t taken the time to read the God’s-plan-for-mankind-documents He went to great lengths to make sure you had access to.
7. The Word Rescues You From Delusion
When Christ’s disciples asked Him for the sign of the end of the age and of His second coming, He replied, “Let no one deceive you.” And then He explained that there would be false prophets and false Christs in the world. Isn’t it interesting that Christ wasn’t addressing the already deceived Pharisees of the day. Or the crowds who didn’t yet grasp His messiahship.
He addressed His closest friends-the inner circle guys. He spoke to those He’d walked with, eaten with, and slept in desert hills with for nearly three years.
What I’m saying is that if the disciples were at risk to be deceived, then how much more are you and I?
Paul echoed Christ’s warning in his second letter to the church members in Thessalonica. After explaining the order of end-time events, he warned the young church to let no one deceive them about the prophecies of Christ’s return. Paul also addresses trickery and deception in his letter to the church in Ephesus, writing that believers were not to be tossed about by waves and winds of false doctrine, lies, and deceit. He refers to those who are subject to deceit as “darkened in their understanding,” which is the opposite of the light, which is Christ, which is the Word, which is the Truth. It appears, you’re either operating in the light, or headed for darkness.
In Romans, Paul addresses foolish hearts that had been darkened. Clearly as Paul wrote believers, he expressed concern with the alluring temptation to follow a deceitful path dark with fraud and the inability to grasp the truth of God.
Deception is a terrible, horrible, very bad but effective tool of our spiritual enemies. Putting the Word into your mind and heart protect you from the slippery slopes of the devil’s schemes.
Stay in the light; stay in the Word.
Bonus reason (because I couldn’t not have this one included)
The Word Imparts Acts of Bravery
The revelation of Christ, the Bible reveals a God who calls His people to be brave mentally and morally. Being brave for Truth and the Gospel means putting oneself at risk for all sorts of vulnerability like getting hate email, p____ing the wrong people off, or turning family members you really, really need into enemies.
It takes mental strength…maybe.
From our Maker’s perspective, being brave is not some mental state of mind you call into action when facing a fear, but a response of trust to the Maker’s promises. When we trust in God’s limitless capabilities to achieve what is humanly impossible, we bring Him glory—pointing to Him and His faithfulness.
Throughout the Word we are called to take courage—not make courage. We take our courage from the One whom we mirror—God Almighty. He offers us bravery to achieve His purposes. Sure He can do all things without us. But that’s not His choice. He chooses that we wee little creatures accomplish great fetes of heroism by leaning into His power. We’re invited, my friends, to share in the victory.
God’s Word prepares us for victory.
Why would we not want to be in that sweet spot?
Hey – while we’re talking the Word, did you know that more than one-billion people still do not have the precious Word of life in their own language? This Christmas, through The World For The World, you can share a verse from the Christmas story with with as many at 500,000 people living within a language group without the Holy Scripture–the revelation of Christ and the Truth. For the month of December (2023), ALL donations will be matched starting at $30.00
Give hope. The Word for the World invests in local leaders, equips them for Bible translation, and builds an infrastructure so that the people of God living in bibleless places can handle all aspects of Bible translation bringing God’ Word to their own people.
Let’s spread the truth!
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14 esv
Much love and anticipation because “If I perish, I perish.”
Author Laurie Green Westlake 