The Bible is God’s living Word. We are commanded to feed on it daily so that we can grow spiritually. Spiritual babies must feed on spiritual milk and mature believers must eat spiritual meat to grow and be nourished, in the same way we need physical food for physical growth. Without this daily sustenance, we will become spiritually malnourished.
The devil wants us to be impoverished spiritually, to let the world squeeze us into its own mold, and then die spiritually. His agenda has not changed. He is subtle and deceptive and he spares no one. He was bold to even tempt Jesus right after Jesus’ baptism. Satan undermined Jesus’ identity despite the fact that God had commended Jesus as His beloved Son in whom He was truly pleased! Jesus used the Word of God to fight every fiery dart that Satan used to undermine Him.
If Satan did not spare Jesus, he will not spare us! That is why it is important for us to be intentional in studying God’s Word. As we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we will grow in our faith, be equipped in God’s truths, and be protected from the fiery darts of the devil. The Holy Spirit takes God’s truths and transforms and renews our minds. The more we read God’s Word and allow the Spirit of God to transform our minds and our wills, we will grow and flourish “like a tree planted by streams of water” and bear much fruit (Psalm 1).
The Bible is like a diamond with many brilliant facets. To understand the beauty of this ‘diamond’, we need to look at different pictures that describe God’s holy Word so that we as Jesus’ apprentices for life, will give Him our total allegiance and nurture this intimate relationship with Him.
We are taught to use the Bible as a Sword because it aids us against all the erroneous worldviews that confront us daily. The Bible as Sword of the Spirit cuts/pierces right into the very core of our being to bring conviction of “sin, righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8-10). The author of the Book of Hebrews said, “The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (4:12).
The Bible is a Seed. It is alive. It grows as we allow it to germinate in our mind, heart and life. Peter writes: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23). Christ’s disciples must allow this Seed to grow and allow it to transform and renew us, daily.
The Bible is like a Mirror because it reflects God’s truths and enables the disciples looking into the ‘mirror’ to see ourselves as God sees us. James describes a situation where a person looking into the mirror so quickly forgets what he looks like!
“Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:23-24). Often we are like that person James is talking about. We read God’s Word and so quickly forget what it tells us!
The Bible is likened to a Lamp for it gives light and shows us the way. The psalmist said: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
My strongest and earliest impression was waking up every day and seeing my parents reading this Black Book. They read the Bible everyday, and every evening they would gather us 6 children, to read the Bible and pray before we went to bed. They taught us to love God’s Word and to treasure it as our lifeline to God.
The Bible indeed is the Word of God and we must feed on it daily for our spiritual nourishment. It is no wonder that the early Protestant missionaries spend many years translating the Bible into the languages of the people so that every tribe and tongue will be able to read God’s Truth, grow to love Him more, and guard their lives from Satan’s deceptive ways. Yes the Bible is our anchor and our GPS as we navigate our lives in the midst of many confusing voices today.
By Dr Violet James, Associate Pastoral Staff (YCKC Bulletin 21&22 April 2018)