But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4
Pero Jesús le respondió: «Escrito está: “No solo de pan vivirá el hombre, sino de toda palabra que sale de la boca de Dios”». – Mateo 4:4
We are told, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col 3:16). We do so by reading, studying, “meditating”[1] on (Psa 1:2), and “examining the Scriptures daily” (Act 17:11; cf. Mat 4:4; Psa 1:2; 119:11, 33–35, 105, 160; Joh 5:39–40; Rom 15:4; 1Co 3:2; Col 3:16; 1Ti 4:6; 2Ti 2:15; 3:16–17; Heb 4:12–13; 5:11–14; 6:1–2; 1Pe 2:2; 2Pe 3:18).[2] It is through “the word of God” (Act 4:31; 6:7; 8:14; 11:1; etc.), which is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17; cf. Luk 2:35; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21), that God has revealed Himself,[3] “His will” (Joh 7:17; 9:31; Eph 1:9; Col 1:9; Heb 13:21; 1Jn 5:14; cf. Luk 22:42), and His plan for humanity to us, and unless one is well-versed in the Word of God and knows how to properly interpret it, trusting in and obeying the Lord will be more difficult.
You must know Scripture better than Satan and the “wolves,” “vipers,” “false prophets,” “false teachers,” and modern-day “Pharisees,” lest you be “tricked” or “deceived” out of your “crown of life” by following “a different gospel … a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you”—that is, the false teachings and “fake gospels” (paraphrase) of man.[4] How is one not deceived? It is by being diligent to continually “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pe 3:18; cf. Col 1:9–12; Heb 6:1; Php 3:12–14), “make your calling and election sure” (2Pe 1:10 KJV), “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12), “test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves” (2Co 13:5), and “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” in NT Scripture (Jud 3; cf. Col 1:23). And that requires hard work and determination on your part.
I’ve found that if I am not spending enough time in the Word of God (i.e., each day), anxiety, worries, doubts, and fears can begin to arise. You should also be memorizing Scripture (storing it in you) during the good (easy) times so you have it available to you at the ready when hard times come, when you need to teach the Gospel to others, and when you need to fend off the “fiery darts” (Eph 6:16 KJV; also “flaming arrows,” NASB) of the devil. Your “sword of the Spirit” should be a “sharp two-edged sword” (Rev 1:16; 2:12; cf. Heb 4:12), not a dull kitchen butter knife.[5]
Here are some notes to guide you:
In closing, I’d like to ask: Is your time of Bible study (and prayer) a chore that you must force yourself to do each day, or is it something you relish and look forward to with joy as you spend time with the Lord? People tend to find (make) the time to do what they think is important. Are you finding time to read the Word, or does other stuff always push it off? Reflection on these matters can reveal much about your priorities, heart, and desire to seek and serve Christ daily.
[1] Think on, contemplate deeply, and pray over.
[2] Additional verses to consider: Deu 6:6–9; Ezr 7:10; Job 23:12; Psa 19:8; 24:4–5; 27:11; 43:3; 86:11; 143:8, 10; Pro 6:23.
[3] Also, through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb 1:2), and we have Jesus’ words recorded in Scripture.
[4] See the chapter “Beware the Wolves” for verse references.
[5] See the chapter “The Armor of God.”
[6] Most books have a built-in reading plan, and the Bible is no different. In fact, one of the best (and simplest) “reading plans” for the Bible is this: Start in Genesis 1 and continue until Revelation 22. You could also add reading one chapter from the Books of Psalms and Proverbs each day if you want. There, I’ve just saved you countless hours trying to find (and remember) the perfect reading plan. Moreover, you wouldn’t buy a romance novel or thriller and then pick it up and start reading it randomly in the middle, would you? I didn’t think so. Yet some think this is okay to do with the Bible and that God will lead them to open it randomly on the exact right page. While I have seen that happen occasionally, it’s not generally how Bible study works.
[7] See the chapters “Press On to Maturity” and “Persevere in Faith.”
[8] See the chapter “The Wisdom of God.”
[9] See the chapter “Understanding Prayer.”
[10] One must want truth and godly wisdom more than “silver” or “fine gold” (see Pro 3:13–18; 4:1–27; Psa 119:127; cf. Mat 4:4; Psa 1:2).
[11] I’d like to add an observation here: We’ve all seen many thousands (and hundreds of thousands) of people standing or sitting out in the freezing cold, rain, snow, and blizzards on hard metal benches for hours on end to watch their favorite sports team; for example, the Ice Bowl (played on December 31, 1967, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin) had a temperature of –13°F with a wind chill of –48°F. Yet I wonder, how many would endure the same conditions to hear the Word of God preached for three hours? Now, I must admit that I’d be hard-pressed to do so in those conditions, but you get the point I’m trying to make. See also Act 20:7–10; 1Ki 10:1–10.
[12] One must also be a careful reader of Scripture, not reading into it things (or words) that are not there.
[13] This verse was spoken to the disciples, so it must not be construed to mean we will receive special or private revelations (or prophecy) today from God or the Holy Spirit. Before the canon of Scripture was finalized (see the chapter “Choosing a Bible”), the Spirit helped the apostles recall and write the words that were spoken to them by Jesus and gave them prophecy and Scripture (Act 11:12, 28; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 20:22; 1Ti 4:1; the Book of Revelation, etc.). Today, we rely on the same Spirit to be led into truth (“the Spirit of truth,” Joh 14:17; 15:26), for by the Spirit we are able to understand (and obey) the Word of God. Without His help, we cannot understand the (spiritual) things of God (1Co 2:14; cf. Isa 55:8–9; Rom 11:33; Pro 3:5–7; 14:12; 16:25; 1Co 2:16a; Psa 25:4; Job 38:1–7).
[14] See the chapter “Understanding Prayer.”
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