Give God's Word the Attention It Deserves
Aug 20, 2008
The chapter of the Bible with the most verses by far is Psalm 119. In it, the psalmist has a theme to which he continually returns. He loves God's word. Verse 97 of the Psalm says, "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." Verses 1 and 2 say, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!" These verses are only a couple examples out of many, which indicate how this psalmist feels about God's word. The respect with which this psalmist so clearly views God's word, laws, and statutes should give us an idea of just how valuable they are. And more parts of the Bible than this one Psalm place a high value on God's word. God's word needs to remain our focus much more than man-made religious traditions ever become. The high value of God's word should also tell us just how important it is to study it and to be familiar with it.
The poetic language used to describe the greatness of God's word extends beyond Psalm 119. The very beginning of the book of Psalms describes the blessings of a man who "[delights] in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:1-3). A later Psalm states that "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalm 19:7+8). There is certainly no shortage of scripture to show us how important God's word is. Part of the reason it is so important is that it keeps us out of trouble with God. Old Testament examples show us that the ones God punished were the ones that did not have enough respect for His word. According to Numbers 15:31, one who “despised the word of the Lord, and [broke] His commandment” would be guilty. The people who did not respect God or His messengers had aroused God’s wrath (2 Chronicles 36:15+16).
Considering the importance of God’s word, there can be little excuse for placing greater emphasis on man-made traditions that cannot be found in the Bible. During Jesus’ time as a man, His disciples were criticized for not following traditions that had been created by the Jews. Jesus called them hypocrites for their pretentiousness of serving God according to the instruction of men instead of according to God’s own commands (Matthew 15:1-9). The apostles similarly rejected instruction from supposed religious leaders when that instruction contracted what God said (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29).
Again considering the importance of God’s word, there can be little excuse for not becoming familiar with it. We probably have easier access to the Bible now than any society ever has. Copies of the Bible can be found for as little as a dollar and they are often given away for free. There are also multiple web-sites with online bibles. It is unlikely that any adult in this country who wants to read the Bible could be denied from it. So that’s what we should be doing. We should “desire the pure milk of the word, that [we] may grow thereby” (1st Peter 2:2). We should “abide in [Christ’s] word” (John 8:31). God’s word is what equips us for obeying Him and doing His work (2nd Timothy 3:14-17). Let’s give it the respect and the attention that it deserves.
The church that I am a member of is having a gospel meeting this weekend. There are no expectations or obligations of you if you come. It will just be a good opportunity to hear God’s word preached. It will be August 22nd and 23rd at 7:00 each night and then Sunday, August 24th, at 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning. Our building is located at 1463 County Road P in Rudolph.
The poetic language used to describe the greatness of God's word extends beyond Psalm 119. The very beginning of the book of Psalms describes the blessings of a man who "[delights] in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:1-3). A later Psalm states that "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalm 19:7+8). There is certainly no shortage of scripture to show us how important God's word is. Part of the reason it is so important is that it keeps us out of trouble with God. Old Testament examples show us that the ones God punished were the ones that did not have enough respect for His word. According to Numbers 15:31, one who “despised the word of the Lord, and [broke] His commandment” would be guilty. The people who did not respect God or His messengers had aroused God’s wrath (2 Chronicles 36:15+16).
Considering the importance of God’s word, there can be little excuse for placing greater emphasis on man-made traditions that cannot be found in the Bible. During Jesus’ time as a man, His disciples were criticized for not following traditions that had been created by the Jews. Jesus called them hypocrites for their pretentiousness of serving God according to the instruction of men instead of according to God’s own commands (Matthew 15:1-9). The apostles similarly rejected instruction from supposed religious leaders when that instruction contracted what God said (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29).
Again considering the importance of God’s word, there can be little excuse for not becoming familiar with it. We probably have easier access to the Bible now than any society ever has. Copies of the Bible can be found for as little as a dollar and they are often given away for free. There are also multiple web-sites with online bibles. It is unlikely that any adult in this country who wants to read the Bible could be denied from it. So that’s what we should be doing. We should “desire the pure milk of the word, that [we] may grow thereby” (1st Peter 2:2). We should “abide in [Christ’s] word” (John 8:31). God’s word is what equips us for obeying Him and doing His work (2nd Timothy 3:14-17). Let’s give it the respect and the attention that it deserves.
The church that I am a member of is having a gospel meeting this weekend. There are no expectations or obligations of you if you come. It will just be a good opportunity to hear God’s word preached. It will be August 22nd and 23rd at 7:00 each night and then Sunday, August 24th, at 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning. Our building is located at 1463 County Road P in Rudolph.