Day 19

19 - FEEDING ON GOD'S WORD

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”

Jeremiah 15:16

What is your favorite food? A few of mine are steak, tacos, enchiladas, fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, chicken parmesan, pepperoni pizza, orange chicken, Swedish meatballs, Italian beef and sausage sandwiches, cheese omelettes, French toast, cheesy potatoes, baked sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, bacon cheeseburgers, bacon…. Come to think of it, there’s not much that doesn’t taste better with bacon and cheese on it.

From the time we were children, we were all taught that a healthy diet consists of a daily balance of the five basic food groups: Grains (bread, rice, pasta, cereal), Vegetables, Fruit, Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), Meat (including other proteins like eggs, nuts and legumes). Growing up, I had my own five basic food groups: Candy, Cookies, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Cake. I have a definite weakness for bakeries! Of course, feeding on my five basic food groups, like sin, offers short term pleasure but produces long term pain… like cavities!

We need to eat to live, and we need to eat healthy to be healthy.

When it comes to feeding on God’s Word, it’s no different, and there are five basic ways that we can do this.

LISTEN

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”. Acts 2:42a

We listen to God’s Word when it’s taught in church, youth group or a small group. We also listen to God’s Word when it’s taught through podcasts, blogs or video.

• How can you become a better listener to God’s Word?

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READ

“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

There is no substitute for reading God’s Word. Just as it was for the children of Israel, God’s Word is to be integrated into our everyday lives. I always recommend reading out loud to yourself. In doing so, you are taking in God’s Word using three different senses. You are reading it with your eyes, speaking it with your mouth, and hearing it with your ears. It takes an average reader about 10 minutes to read three chapters of Scripture. If you did this morning and night, you could read through the entire New Testament in about 6 weeks. What is your favorite part of God’s Word to read? The Psalms? The Gospels? Paul’s letters?

• What is your plan for continuing to read God’s Word when you finish the 40 Days of Disciple-Making Journal?

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MEMORIZE

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Psalm 119:11

Jesus memorized God’s Word. We see this evidenced when Satan confronts Him with three specific temptations, and each time, Jesus combatted the temptation by quoting from God’s Word. When we commit God’s Word to memory, it begins to transform the way that we think and speak. It offers us comfort and strength in times of discouragement, hope in times of despair, and weapons and willpower in times of temptation.

• Have you committed any scripture to memory? Write out, from memory, one of your favorite verses of scripture.

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MEDITATE

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Joshua 1:8

To meditate on God’s Word is to ponder it, to think deeply about it. One of the best ways to meditate on God’s Word is to journal. Write each day about what God is teaching you in His Word. I journal digitally, creating a text each day that I send out to friends and family for both encouragement and accountability.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

• Journal some thoughts here about the significance of God’s Word in your life:

STUDY

“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”

Psalm 119:15

It is easier now than ever to study God’s Word. There are so many free tools available on the web, as well as amazing apps for your phone or tablet like BibleGateway, YouVersion, ReadScripture and The Bible Project. There are guided studies like this one.

• What are some of your favorite tools for studying God’s Word?

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Apart From Him…

• Thank the Father giving you the wonderful, indispensable treasure of His Word!

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Walking As Jesus…

• Ask a friend to hold you accountable to reading God’s Word each day, and commit to text each other what God has taught you through His Word.

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• My Personal Disciple-Making Plan: