LEARNING DAILY

Joshua 1:8, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.

Psalm 119:97, Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

2 Timothhy 2:15, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God.

Every once in a while, I read a devotion or hear a message about the importance of reading and studying the Word of God. In the last few days both have occurred. Is it okay to pass on this reminder in order to encourage each reader about the importance of taking time to read, study and meditate on God’s Word each day? If you have not read Psalm 119 in a while, take time to do so. Take your time reading through it, meditating on what the Psalmist is writing and how it applies to your own life.

The guest speaker at NorthRock Church began his message by mentioning the “shaking of everything around us” and the need to “build on the foundation that cannot be shaken – Jesus Christ, the Living Word, and His Written Word”. Timothy’s writing is a reminder for Believers to study God’s Word in order to apply it correctly. Believers are to diligently read and study in order to find His truth, apply them, and reveal them to others. It is so important for every Believer to spend time in God’s Word daily because everything around us that can be shaken is being shaken.  We diligently study God’s Word “to be approved by Him, to be a worker who does not need to be ashamed”. God is the One every Believer must seek to please!

Believers study God’s Word not only to understand and apply it correctly but to also know when false teachers come and twist the Truth to fit into their own particular purpose. It is certainly easier to believe false teaching that twists the Truth just enough to mislead the person who has not spent much time in God’s Word.  Do not forget the devil used Scripture, quoted inaccurately, to try to tempt Jesus. Because of time spent studying the Truth of God’s Word, the Believer can be alerted to know something is not right when confronted with false teaching.

I have found both peace and joy from meditating on God’s Word. I have found that the Holy Spirit will bring to my mind truths I have put into my heart through study that have helped me avoid difficult situations, have helped me know when to speak and when not to address foolishness in conversations around me.  I have found that the Word of God does strengthen me to say “no” when I come against temptations in my life and strengthens my walk with Him through situations that are difficult.

Reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word is a commitment every believer must strive for. It is a commitment that the enemy will do everything to convince you not to do. However, the old adage that “nothing worthwhile comes easy” may certainly be applied here. The writing of Timothy tells Believers that God’s people are to grow in their faith and knowledge of God’s Word – to even excel. To do so requires one to do the work, to put the time into their reading and study. Just as the seed needs to be planted and die in order to bring forth fruit, every believer needs to put the time into God’s Word. It will truly change your life and be your guide to fulfilling God’s plan for you.