Yahweh’s teachings are right and make us joyful;
his precepts are so pure!
Yahweh’s commands challenge us to keep close to his heart!
The revelation-light of his Word makes my spirit shine radiant.
Psalm 19:8
A few weeks ago we looked at scripture that describes the Lord as our shield, toward the end of the devotional I wrote in order for us to use our shield we have to become familiar with it. Where does faith derive from? It comes from knowing the word and believing it as truth.
The Old and New Testaments together both portray Jesus Christ as the central figure. The scriptures bear witness of Jesus (John 5:39). The reason for this is that we would fully believe that Jesus is the anointed one the Son of God. Through our faith in him we will experience eternal life by the power of His name. We can't believe or even trust in something or someone if we don't know them. We have been given scripture to fully Know who God and Jesus are. We know the word was written by man, we can trust it is true because it is inspired by God through His spirit (2 peter 1:21).
The importance of God's word is making us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus
The word reveals the true thoughts and motives of our hearts. It revives our soul and makes wise the simple(psalm 19:7). It rejoices the heart and enlightens our eyes (psalm 19:8). Scripture gives account to what happens when we spend time reading the word.
Just as you spend time with a friend, family member or spouse you begin to learn the ins and outs of that person. You become close to them, you build a relationship with them. You may even tell other people about them, their character, or even how they make you feel. This is the same with the Lord and Jesus. Knowing who they are and having relationship with them.
The word brings us knowledge and teaches us how to live a life that is pleasing to the Father. Following his instruction for our lives brings us into abundant living. When we know the word we learn to rightly handle the word of truth. We grow into spiritual maturity, it guides us to clear decisions. The promises in scripture confirmed brings fear and reverence for the Lord. Memorizing scripture and keeping it in our hearts keeps us from sin. As we become faithful to studying the word we can better help others. You can't give away what you don't have.
To sort of sum up the importance of knowing scripture here is a quote from author and pastor John MacArthur.
"I hope you have an appreciation for the Scripture. I hope you have an appreciation for it not as a fetish but because it is the greatest treasure, apart from God Himself, that we have. It is His very Word, His very self-revelation. When people ask me why it is that I systematically teach through book after book, why it is that I pay so much attention to detail and to every verse and every phrase and touch all the words, I tell them it's because I understand them to be the words of God revealed to us from Him. And I would not second-guess the necessity of those words being then presented, taught and understood by all of us."
My prayer for you
Father, we thank you for giving us your word that reveals who you are and gives us instruction on how to navigate this life. Lord help us to commit ourselves to walk in your word. Father that we would trust ourselves to it's provisions. Lord thank you for sending your word into our hearts let it dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Grow our desire to meditate on it day and night that it would be on our lips in every conversation guiding others to know you. Grow us Lord, increase our knowledge and desire to know you. In Jesus Holy and precious name
Amen.
