“Ignore the Word and suffer; honor God’s commands and grow rich (shâlam: be accomplished).” (Proverbs 13:13TLB) Ignoring the Word of God is dangerous. When we stop reading Scripture and applying its principles, we don’t just stand still; we actually start DRIFTING AWAY FROM GOD. Peter tells us to long for the Word so we may grow in respect to our salvation “Like newborn babies, CRAVE (epipotheō: having a great affection for) pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may GROW UP in your salvation…” (1 Peter 2:2). And don’t forget, the indwelling Holy Spirit will BRING US UNDERSTANDING of the Word.
This is what the Lord told us about reading His Word, “These commandments that I give you today ARE TO BE on your hearts. IMPRESS THEM ON YOUR CHILDREN. TALK ABOUT THEM when you SIT AT HOME and when you WALK ALONG THE ROAD, when you LIE DOWN (at night) and when you GET UP (in the morning). Write them on their emails and text them to their cell phones.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
The Lord is telling us to read or quote His Word 4 TIMES a day to our children! WHY? “The thief does not come except to STEAL, and to KILL, and to DESTROY…” (John 10:10a) Satan’s desire is to STEAL OUR JOY, to KILL our hope of a renewed relationship with the Lord and DESTROY our ability to share the JOY OF THE LORD. Thankfully Jesus promises, “I have come that they may have LIFE (zóé: the absolute fullness of life), and that they may have it more ABUNDANTLY (perissos: over and above, superior, extraordinary).” (John 10:10b)
We are instructed, by God, to feed the Word to our children multiple times each day because the devil comes often to distract and discourage us, Jesus spoke in parables, saying: “a sower went out to sow…some seed fell by the WAYSIDE; and the birds devoured them. Some fell on STONY PLACES, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and…they withered away. And some fell AMONG THORNS, and the thorns choked them. But others fell on GOOD GROUND and yielded…a hundredfold, sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR!” (Matthew 13:3-9)
Jesus taught them, “When anyone hears…and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he by the WAYSIDE. But he ON STONY PLACES, this is he who hears the word and receives it with joy; has no root, endures only for a while…when tribulation…arises because of the word he stumbles. Now he who received seed AMONG THE THORNS is he who hears the word, and the cares and deceitfulness of riches choke the word, he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the GOOD GROUND is he who HEARS THE WORD and UNDERSTANDS it, who BEARS FRUIT AND PRODUCES: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:19-23)
SO, LET’S GET INTO READING AND SHARING GOD’S WORD…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham