The Power of God's Word

Updated: Fri, 05/28/2021 - 11:26 By admin

RELATED RESOURCES
On Bible and The Power of God's Word

 Inductive Bible Study: Application

 Meditation - An Application of Inductive Bible Study
 Primer on Biblical Meditation
 Memorizing His Word
 Expository Notes on 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:17
 Expository Notes on 1 Peter 2:1; 1 Peter 2:2
 1 Peter 2:1-3 Hungering for God's Word - John MacArthur
 1 Peter 2:1-3 Desiring the Word - John MacArthur
 1 Peter 2:1-3 Cultivating a Hunger for God's Word - John MacArthur
 The Sufficiency of Scripture - John MacArthur
 Life Hid and Not Hid by Alexander Maclaren
 The Necessity of Scripture - William D. Barrick
 The Bible “A Lamp Unto My Feet by Greg Herrick
 Rationality, Meaningfulness & Precision of Scripture - Robert L. Thomas
 The Authority of Scripture - excellent article by Richard L. Mayhue
 The Word-Filled Life - Developing the Mind of Christ by Hampton Keathley III
 Psalm 1 Delighting in the Law of God - John Piper
 Psalm 1 Meditate on the Word of the Lord Day and Night - John Piper
 Psalm 1 Delighting In The Word - Scott Grant
 Psalm 1:2 - Notes on this Passage - C H Spurgeon
 Psalm 1:1,2 Separated and Saturated - Warren Wiersbe
 The Authority & Power of the Word upon the Heart - J C Philpot
 The Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures - A W Pink
 Profiting From the Word - A W Pink
 Benefits Arising From the Word of God - Charles Simeon's Sermon on Micah 2:7

What You Will Find on This Page

 Introduction and Instructions
 Blank chart for Class to fill out
 Chart filled out to aid discussion
 Explanatory and background notes for the leader
 References for discussion with introductory quote
 Quotations related to Word of God

THE POWER
and

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 SUFFICIENCY OF GOD'S WORD:
A Simple Inductive Study using Select Scriptures
Introduction and Instructions

GOAL: The objective of this study is to examine the Scripture and chart out the truth revealed about the
benefits or promises of God's Word and what our responsibilities are in order to realize those
promises. In this exercise the student should see the value of simply observing the text and
interpreting the passage based on those observations. The ultimate goal is for each student to
comprehend the power and sufficiency of God's Word, so that they leave the discussion like new-born
babes who have a passion and desire for the pure life-giving milk of God's Word. Pray much before,
during and after the study, for our battle is not against flesh and blood but is spiritual and the enemy of
our souls hates the Word of God.
This study could be easily tailored for a Sunday School class or small group session by handing out a
chart like the one below (without the columns filled in of course!). Another handout could be the
Scriptures you would like to discuss, which has the advantage of saving time (if time is at a premium)
and assures that everyone is reading the same translation. Alternatively, the students could observe
the passages in their own Bible, which is always a good practice. The Scriptures used to fill out this
chart are from the NAS translation, because it is one of the most literal (BIBLE VERSIONS How Literal
is your translation?)
If you have access to an overhead projector, prepare a copy of the chart to fill in as the class observes
each verse. Alternatively, you could fill out the chart on a white board if available.
You probably have some favourite verses that are not included in this brief survey and you are
encouraged to add or substitute as you desire. It would be best to select verses that are not
controversial and in which it is easy to observe Man's responsibility and God's promise or benefit.
Note that the explanatory comments in parentheses are to be used by the leader as deemed
appropriate to guide and amplify the discussion. It is a good practice to briefly establish the  context of
the individual verses to ensure accurate Interpretation of the passages.
Copy and paste the handout chart below noting that the columns for "Our Responsibility" and "Our
Reward" are to be filled in on an overhead transparency or a white board as your class offers their
observations on each verse. You might want to substitute other Scriptures that speak of the
sufficiency of the Word of God for all life and godliness and the rewards thereof (e.g., Psalm
19:7, 8, 9, 10, 11 "in keeping them there is great reward"). You will probably need to delete some of the
Scriptures if your discussion time is limited. In a test run with a group of Indonesian Christian students,
going through this chart interactively took about 90 minutes, but even then the last 4-5 verses had to
be discussed hurriedly! Obviously the length of time depends on how long you spend explaining the
background context and whether you illustrate or explain some of the Scriptures with ancillary material
in the Leader's Guide.
Read the Bible as if God were speaking to you. He is!
Give it a try! Read each Scripture and simply observe what your responsibility is in order for the benefit
or promise of God to be realized or "activated". Keep it simple. It will still be profound and convicting
because it is God's pure word. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves and guard against subjective
comments such as "I feel this verse means… ", etc. Direct the participants back to pure  observation…
what does the text say. It is only when we allow God's Spirit to speak directly to us through the Word
that we are able to determine what He meant when He inspired the human authors to write the
passage. At strategic points during the discussion you will have opportunity to insert application type
questions or comments, some of which are suggested in the Leader's Guide.

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This study would be excellent "warm up" prior to another Bible study because it emphasizes the power
and sufficiency of God's Word and it also makes the point that any Bible study that is going to have
significant life transforming impact "stay very close" to the pure milk of God's Word. Bible studies that
drift away from "thus saith the LORD" may "feel good" but only God's Word discerns the thoughts and
intentions of our heart. Only God's Word provides everything the believer needs for true, fulfilling and
abundant life.
Related Resource: God's Word is a Word of...(see Scriptural descriptions)
My Favourite Illustration of the Power of the Word of God - Spurgeon who experienced the power of
God's Word, went on to become one of the greatest preachers of God's Word. The following Spurgeon
anecdote beautifully illustrates the supernatural power of God's Word…
The renowned preacher C H Spurgeon once tested an auditorium in which he was to speak that
evening. Stepping into the pulpit, he loudly proclaimed,
Behold the lamb of God
Who takes away the sin of the world.
(Jn 1:29)
Satisfied with the acoustics, he left and went his way. Unknown to him, there were two men working in
the rafters of that large auditorium, neither one a Christian. One of the men was pricked in his
conscience by the verse Spurgeon quoted and became a believer later that day! Such is the
penetrating power of God's eternal word! Little wonder that Paul is so insistent on the persistent
"preaching of the Word" (2Ti 4:2-note)
I love Charles Haddon Spurgeon's words on the Word and his prayer each time he opened the Word…
How are we to handle this sword of “It is written” (referring to Mt 4:4)? First, with deepest reverence.
Let every word that God has spoken be Law and Gospel to you. Never trifle with it; never try to evade its
force or to change its meaning. God speaks to you in this book as much as if again He came to the top
of Sinai and lifted up His voice in thunder. I like to open the Bible and to pray,
Lord God, let the words leap out of the page into my soul, Thyself making them vivid, quick, powerful,
and fresh to my heart.
Our Lord Himself felt the power of the word. It was not so much the devil who felt the power of “It is
written” as Christ Himself. “No,” saith He, “I will not command stones to be made bread; I trust in God
Who can without bread sustain Me. I will not cast Myself down from the temple; I will not tempt the
Lord My God. I will not worship Satan, for God alone is God.” The manhood of Christ felt an awe of the
Word of God, and so it became a power to Him. To trifle with Scripture is to deprive yourself of its aid.
Reverence it, I beseech you, and look up to God with devout gratitude for having given it to you. ( From
his sermon - Infallibility—Where to Find It and How to Use It)

THE LIVING AND ACTIVE WORD OF GOD

Provides Everything Necessary for Life & Godliness
Hebrews 4:12,13, 2 Peter 1:3

SCRIPTURE MAN'S PRACTICE GOD'S PROMISE

OUR OUR
RESPONSIBILITY REWARD

2Ti 3:16, 17    

1Peter 2:1, 2    

Psalm 1:1-3    

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Psalm    
119:9, 10, 11

Joshua 1:8    

Ezra 7:9-10    

Jeremiah 15:16    

Matthew 4:4    

Job 23:10, 11, 12    

My prayer for each of you is that you might "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (see note 2 Peter 3:18)

This quote that can be printed out and converted into a handout or a transparency
to be utilized as an introduction to the discussion of the sufficiency of God's Word.

What is the Bible?

"THIS BOOK contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and
the happiness of believers.
Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.
Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy.
It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you.
It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's
character.
Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed.
Christ is its grand object, our good is its design and the glory of God its end.
It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.
Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.
It is given you in life and will be opened in the judgment and will be remembered forever.
It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and will condemn all who trifle
with its sacred contents."
— Anonymous (found on the flyleaf of an old Bible)

Melvin Worthington gives us a wonderful lesson entitled "The Wonderful Word" based on 2 Timothy
3:14, 15, 16, 17…
Introduction:
The Bible is an amazing book, a living book. It provides information which can be found in no other book.
1. The Nature of the Bible (2Ti 3:16 {note}; Ps. 119:1, 2, 3, 4, 5ff; 1Pe 1:20, 21 {note}). The attributes
which make the Bible a unique book include its author, authority, accuracy, adequacy, appeal, and agenda.
2. The Need for the Bible (1Pe 1:23, 24, 25-notes 1Pe1:23; 24; 25; Jas 1:18-note; John 5:24). The Bible
addresses all the needs of the human being. It is essential for life, likeness, liberty, light, and labor.
3. The Nourishment from the Bible (see 1Pe 2:2-note). The Bible reveals and regulates the development God
planned, the diet God provided, the disposition God prescribed, and the diadem God promised.
4. The Neglect of the Bible (1Cor 3:1, 2). Neglect of the Bible leads to dullness, drifting, disobedience, despising,
denouncing, and departing from the Lord.

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Conclusion:
Christians need to peruse, ponder, and pray over the Scriptures. This takes time, thought, toil, and tenacity. We
need to pray—Father help me hear, heed, hold, honour, and herald the Word of God.

LEADER'S GUIDE

THE LIVING AND ACTIVE WORD OF GOD

Provides Everything Necessary for Life & Godliness
Heb 4:12-note, Heb 4:13-note, 2Pe 1:3-note

SCRIPTURE OUR GOD'S PROMISE

RESPONSIBILITY and/or BENEFIT
2Ti 3:16,17 Believe It All Scripture is profitable for:
Click note (Do you believe that all Scripture has Teaching (show us what's right)
(Context= Paul's last been inspired or breathed by God - Reproof (shows us what's wrong)
words charging Timothy from Genesis to Revelation?) Correction (shows us how to get right)
to Guard the Treasure of (Do you believe that all Scripture is Training in Righteousness (shows and
God's Word & Entrust it to truly profitable for your life? Even the leads us to live right = according to God's
faithful men who can Old Testament?) standard, not men's standard of what's
teach others) right)
Adequacy Adequate, equipped for every good
work

1 Peter 2:1,2 Putting aside all… Growth in salvation

Click note1; note 2 Malice (Not grow to be smarter sinners but to be
(Context = 1Pe1:23, 24, 2 Guile more like the Savior)
5 Peter readers have been Hypocrisy
"born again" by the "living
Envy
and abiding word")
Spiritual Slander
Growth Approach the Word like a...
newborn baby
Long for (desire, delight) pure milk of
God's Word (a command not a
suggestion)
(No desire? Are you a "newborn baby"?
Are you born again? Have you "put
aside"? Perhaps you need
to confess your sin to God and repent)
and believer upon the Lord Jesus
Christ Romans 10:9,10)

Psalm 1:1-3 Do not… Blessed (fully satisfied independent of

Click notes 1:1; 1:2; 1:3
Real "happiness" and
Prosperity
Walk in counsel of wicked
Stand in path of sinners
Sit in the seat of scoffers
Delight in the Word
(When something delights us, we
become preoccupied with it and we tend
to protect and guard it)
circumstances)
Is like a tree planted by water
Yields fruit in season
Its leaf does not whither
All he does prospers
(Prosper = expresses idea of a
successful venture, as contrasted

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 Meditate in the Word day and night with failure and the source of such
(Meditation is to our inner person what success is God)
digestion is to our body - “chewing the
cud”. Make the Word a part of your life
and you grow)

Psalm Treasure (memorize) the Word Keeps our way pure

119:9, 10, 11 Keep (heed, obey) the Word Equips us so that less likely to sin
Dealing with Sin Pray the Word (do not let me wander) against God

Joshua 1:8 Meditate on the Word day and night Way prosperous

Moses has died Do not let it depart from your mouth Success
Lord instructs Joshua (it should be a constant component of
Leadership your conversation - not necessarily
Spiritual Warfare quoting Bible verses but speaking
according to the principles of the Word)
Be careful to do (obey) it

Ezra 7:9, 10 Set your heart to study the Word Good hand of God upon him
Click note Ezra 7:10 Practice the Word
Leadership Teach the Word

Jeremiah 15:16 Find the Word Joy

Feeling downcast (Do you seek it?) Delight in one's heart
"Eat" the Word
(Do you just nibble at it?
Is the word just "snack" food?)
Digest, Assimilate and make the Word
part of your very being.

Matthew 4:4 Eat the Word Live

Temptation (Implied) (Real Spiritual Life)
Unless the Word becomes a vital part of
our inner being, we can’t receive
nourishment and grow in the spiritual
life.

Job 23:10, 11,12 Hold fast to His path, keep His way Come forth from trials
See notes Job Don't turn; depart from His command As "pure gold"
23:10; 11; 12 Treasure His words more than food!
Trials
(Context = Job 1 =
blameless, upright, fearing
God, turning away from
evil" Loss of children and
wealth. Responds with
worship)
 

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 SUPPLEMENTAL
NOTES
To Be Used As Needed by Leader to Amplify the Discussion
(See also Quotations related to Word of God)

2 Timothy 3:16-17
(For more detailed exposition click here)
What is man's responsibility?
To believe that all (every word) of Scripture from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is inspired or
breathed by God and to order our steps accordingly.
Reproof -
“Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.”
In 2 Timothy 3:17 (note), "adequate" describes the man or woman of God who is able to meet all the
demands of the work God has prepared for them beforehand in Christ Jesus that they should walk in
them (see Ephesians 2:10-note). They are full ready, qualified, fully ready, perfectly fit. The following
story illustrates what it means to be "adequate, equipped":
The disease often plagues armies, explorers, and crusaders, since these men’s diets normally
consisted of biscuits and salted meat that could easily be stored and kept unspoiled on a ship. A
Scottish naval surgeon named James Lind discovered Vitamin C after a four year sea voyage which
was lead by Admiral George Anson. During the voyage more than a thousand sailors lost their lives to
scurvy, after which Lind began investigating the disease and came to the realization that the disease
was most common among people who’s diet had been extremely limited. To test his hypothesis (that
the disease was caused by a limited diet), he decided to treat sickened sailors with different foods
during a ten-week sea voyage. He found that a diet with citrus fruit provided the most dramatic cure for
the disease. Lind published his findings as Treatise on the Scurvy in 1753, and as a result, in 1795 daily
doses of lime juice were prescribed to all the sailors in the British navy and Scurvy quickly vanished.
However, the British were the only people who accepted the idea that Scurvy was the result of a dietary
deficiency, and Great Britain was the only place where there was a decline in the cases of Scurvy. In
America, during the Civil war, many men on both sides of the war died from this disease due to the
lack of a source of Vitamin C in their diet. THEY WERE NOT ADEQUATELY EQUIPPED
Thanks for the Bible
Thanks for Thy Word, O blessèd Redeemer!
Open our eyes its beauty to see;
Grant us Thy grace to study it wisely,
Close every heart to all but Thee.
Refrain
Thanks for the Bible, off’ring so freely
Pardon and peace to all who believe;
Help us, O Lord, its counsel to follow,
Meekly by faith its truth receive.
Thanks for Thy Word of precept and promise,
Lamp to our feet and light to our way,
Points us afar where pleasures immortal
Bloom in Thine own bright realm of day.
Refrain
Blessed are they who keep its commandments,
They shall abide for ever with Thee;
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Close by the clear and beautiful river,
Sharing the fruits of life’s fair tree.
-- Fanny Crosby

1 Peter 2:1-2
(See notes 1Pe2:1; 2:2)

Psalm 1:1-3
(See Commentary)

For this psalm "charted out" click here

Blessed You will take careful note that there is an obvious concentration of this Hebrew word blessed
('esher) in Psalms. Click and ponder the uses of "blessed" noting associations and asking God to
search your heart. Blessed is a state of prosperity or happiness when superior bestows favor (i.e., God
for Christians). The Hebrew is translated in the LXX in this verse (and often in other OT uses) with the
Greek word makarios which means fully satisfied independent of one's circumstances (which
therefore has to be a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit). One can be "makarios" - blessed - and in
miserable circumstances. "Blessed are you," Jesus said, "when they insult you and persecute you and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in
heaven" (see Mt 5:11-note; Mt 5:12-note). So "blessed are you" does not mean untroubled are you" or
"healthy are you" or "admired are you" or "prosperous are you." It means "between you and God all is
well." You are deeply secure, profoundly content, happy in God - even if you are weeping over the pain
of a struck body, a perplexed mind, or a heart-breaking relationship. Strengthened by His Spirit you can
still in all things give thanks and rejoice always.
You will note that nowhere does Scripture tell us that God blesses programs or promotions. But it does
teach that He blesses individuals. He blessed Abraham so he might be a blessing to others. And He
blesses us so we might bless others.
Delight (2656) (see also notes on Psalm 1:2) Hebrew chephets = basic meaning = feel great favour
towards something. The root idea is to incline toward something. In chephets, the object of one's
delight solicits favour by its own intrinsic qualities (E.g., "O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all
the day." Ps 119:97). The subject is easily attracted to it because it is desirable.
What you delight in is what will direct your life, so be careful what you enjoy.
The Bible: The more you read it, the more you love it; the more you love it, the more you read it.
Spurgeon in his Treasury of David writes…
1. Blessed. See how this Book of Psalms opens with a benediction, as did the famous Sermon of our
Lord on the Mount! The word translated blessed is plural, and it is a controverted matter whether it is
an adjective or a substantive. Hence we may learn the multiplicity of the blessings which will rest on
those whom God has justified, and the perfection and greatness of the blessedness they will enjoy. We
might read it, “Oh, the blessednesses!” and we may well regard it (as Ainsworth does) as a joyful
acclamation of the gracious man’s felicity. May the like benediction rest on us!
Here the gracious man is described both negatively (verse 1) and positively (verse 2). He is a man who
does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He takes wiser counsel, and walks in the commandments
of the Lord his God. To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and pleasantness. His footsteps are

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ordered by the Word of God, and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign
of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions.
Note next, he standeth not in the way of sinners. His company is of a choicer sort than it was.
Although a sinner himself, he is now a blood-washed sinner, quickened by the Holy Spirit, and
renewed in heart. Standing by the rich grace of God in the congregation of the righteous, he dares not
herd with the multitude who do evil.
Again it is said, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. He finds no rest in the atheist’s scoffings. Let
others make a mock of sin, of eternity, of hell and heaven, and of the Eternal God; this man has learnt
better philosophy than that of the infidel, and has too much sense of God’s presence to endure to hear
His name blasphemed. The seat of the scorner may be very lofty, but it is very near to the gate of hell;
let us flee from it, for it will soon be empty, and destruction will swallow up the man who sits therein.
Mark the gradation in the first verse:
He walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
When people are living in sin they go from bad to worse. At first they merely walk in the counsel of the
careless and ungodly, who forget God—the evil is rather practical than habitual—but after that they
become habituated to evil, and they stand in the way of open sinners who willfully violate God’s
commandments; and if let alone, they go one step further, and become themselves pestilent teachers
and tempters of others, and thus they sit in the seat of the scornful. They have taken their degree in
vice, and as true Doctors of Damnation they are installed, and are looked up to by others as Masters
in Belial . But the blessed man, the man to whom all the blessings of God belong, can hold no
communion with such characters as these. He keeps himself pure from these lepers; he puts away evil
things from him as garments spotted by the flesh; he comes out from among the wicked, and goes
outside the camp, bearing the reproach of Christ. O for grace to be thus separate from sinners.
2. And now mark his positive character. His delight is the law of the Lord. He is not under the law as a
curse and condemnation, but he is in it, and he delights to be in it as his rule of life; he delights,
moreover, to meditate in it, to read it by day and think upon it by night. He takes a text and carries it
with him all day long; and in the night-watches, when sleep forsakes his eyelids, he muses (click) upon
the Word of God. In the day of his prosperity he sings psalms out of the Word of God, and in the night
of his affliction he comforts himself with promises out of the same book. The law of the Lord is the
daily bread of the true believer. And yet, in David’s day, how small was the volume of inspiration, for
they had scarcely anything save the first five books of Moses! How much more, then, should we prize
the whole written Word which it is our privilege to have in all our houses! But, alas, what ill-treatment is
given to this angel from heaven! We are not all Berean searchers of the Scriptures. How few among us
can lay claim to the benediction of the text! Perhaps some of you can claim a sort of negative purity,
because you do not walk in the way of the ungodly; but let me ask you—Is your delight in the law of
God? Do you study God’s Word? Do you make it the man of your right hand—your best companion and
hourly guide? If not, this blessing does not belong to you.
3. And he shall be like a tree planted. Not a wild tree, but one planted, chosen, considered as property,
cultivated and secured from the last terrible uprooting (see Matthew 15:13).
By the rivers of water. Even if one river should fail, he has another. The rivers of pardon and the rivers
of grace, the rivers of the promise and the rivers of communion with Christ, are never-failing sources of
supply.
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season. Not unseasonable graces, like untimely figs, which are never
full-flavored. But the man who delights in God’s Word, being taught by it, brings forth patience in the
time of suffering, faith in the day of trial, and holy joy in the hour of prosperity.  Fruitfulness is an
essential quality of a gracious man, and that fruitfulness should be seasonable.

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His leaf also shall not wither. His faintest word will be everlasting; his little deeds of love will be
remembered. Not only will his fruit be preserved, but his leaf also. He will neither lose his beauty nor
his fruitfulness, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Blessed is the man who has such a promise
as this. But we must not always estimate the fulfillment of a promise by our own eye-sight. How often,
my brethren, if we judge by feeble sense, may we come to the mournful conclusion of Jacob, “All these
things are against me!” For though we know our interest in the promise, yet are we so tried and
troubled that sight sees the very reverse of what that promise foretells. But to the eye of faith this
word is sure, and by it we perceive that our works are prospered, even when everything seems to go
against us. It is not outward prosperity which the Christian most desires and values; it is soul
prosperity which he longs for. We often, like Jehoshaphat, make ships go to Tarshish for gold, but they
are broken at Ezion-geber; but even here there is a true prospering, for it is often  for the soul’s
health that we should be poor, bereaved, and persecuted. Our worst things are often our best things.
As there is a curse wrapped up in the wicked man’s mercies, so there is a blessing concealed in the
righteous man’s crosses, losses, and sorrows. The trials of the saint are a divine husbandry, by which
he grows and brings forth abundant fruit.
Meditation is to the soul (real "soul food") what digestion is to the body. It means assimilating the
Word of God.
Warren Wiersbe comments that…
A tree has roots. The most important part of your life is your "root system." Don't be like the ungodly,
who are like chaff (Ps 1:4). Chaff doesn't have roots. It is blown away by every wind that comes along.
Your root system is important because it determines your nourishment. It also determines your
stability and your strength when the storm comes and the wind starts to blow.
People can't see your root system, but God can. Praying and meditating on the Word of God will cause
your roots to go down deep into His love.
God delights in blessing His children. But we must prepare ourselves for His blessings by first
appropriating the resources He has given us. Delight in the Word of God and feed on it. But do more
than occasionally read the Word; meditate on it constantly. Make it your source of spiritual
nourishment, and God will bless you with strength and stability.
Two of the most popular words in the Christian vocabulary are bless and blessing. God wants to bless
His people. He wants them to be recipients and channels of blessing. God blesses us to make us a
blessing to others, but He has given us certain conditions for receiving blessings.
First, we must be separated from the world (Ps 1:1-note). The world is anything that separates us from
God or causes us to disobey Him. Separation is not isolation but contact without contamination. Sin is
usually a gradual process. Notice the gradual decline of the sinner in Ps 1:1. He is walking (Mark
14:54), standing (John 18:18) and then sitting (Luke 22:55). Becoming worldly is progressive; it
happens by degrees. We make friends with the world; we become spotted by the world; we love the
world, become confirmed to it and end up condemned with it. Lot is an example of someone who
became worldly. He looked toward Sodom, pitched his tent toward Sodom, lived there, lost everything
and ended in sin.
Second, we must be saturated with the Word (Ps 1:2-note). Whatever delights us directs us. We
saturate ourselves with the Word by meditating on it. Meditation is to the spirit what digestion is to the
body. When we meditate on the Word, we allow the Spirit of God within us to "digest" the Word of God
for us. So not only do we delight in the Word, it becomes a source of spiritual nourishment for us.
Enjoy the blessings God has for you and allow Him to make you a blessing to others. (A third condition,
being situated by the waters, is the topic of our next devotional.)
God desires to bless us, but we must meet His conditions for receiving blessings. By staying separate
from the world and keeping saturated in the Word, ("This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of
our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the

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world." James 1:27) we may expect God's blessings. Resolve to meditate on the Word of God and obey
it. He will make you a blessing to others.
"Like a tree": A tree is a blessing. It holds soil, provides shade and produces fruit. The godly are like
trees, with root systems that go deep into the spiritual resources of God's grace (Ps 1:3-note). But
sadly, many professing Christians are not like trees but are like artificial plants or cut flowers with no
roots. They may be beautiful for a while, but soon they die. (Ed note: Cf Jesus' words that "those on the
rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they
believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. And the seed which fell among the thorns,
these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and
riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity." Luke 8:13,14, 15; Paul's warning about
those who "profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient,
and worthless for any good deed." Titus 1:16 (note), Jesus' stern warning "Not everyone who says to
Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in
heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I
never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." see Mt 7:21-note; Mt 7:22-
note; Mt 7:23-note)
A tree needs light, water and roots to live. We all have resources upon which we draw life. The question
we need to ask ourselves is, Where are our roots? The person God can bless is planted by the rivers of
water. We must be careful not to be like Christians who are dry and withered and depend upon their
own resources. They are like tumbleweeds, blown about by any wind of doctrine.
To have the blessings of Ps 1:3, we need to meet the conditions of Ps 1:1, 2. That is, we must first
be separated from the world and saturated with the Word to be situated by the waters. God desires to
bless us, but we need to meet certain conditions to receive His blessings.  We bear fruit only when we
have roots, and we must draw upon spiritual resources to bring forth fruit in due season. To bear the
fruit of the Spirit, we must allow the Spirit to work in us and through us.
In contrast to the believer, the ungodly are not like trees but are like chaff. They have no roots,
produce no fruit and are blown about. The ungodly reject the Word of God and will perish without
hope (Ps 1:6). As Christians we must not reject the ungodly but try to reach them. God blesses us so
that we might be a blessing to others. His Spirit helps us bear fruit that can help win the lost.
Are you like a tree or like chaff?
We need God's resources to bear fruit. But where we place our roots is paramount. Only as we grow
them deeply into the spiritual resources of God's grace (Ed note: His Word, cf "And now I commend
you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you
the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32) will we produce fruit. Make the Bible
your spiritual resource. Delight in it and feed your soul with its truth. God can use you to help win the
lost. (Wiersbe, W: Prayer Praise and Promises: A Daily Walk Through the Psalms) (Bolding added)

Psalm 119:9-11

How in the world a person keep clean in this unholy world? The psalmist answers that it is "By taking
heed according to God's word" a truth which doesn't apply only to young men but to every man, woman
and child. The world is spiritually "dirty" and the pollution will not get better but worse so as we walk
around in this world we need to make sure we walk in the Word of God by daily  reading and hiding the
Word (in our heart - our "command center" so to speak) so that we can be heeding the word.
G. Campbell Morgan noted that this verse…

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It tells us about the best book--'Thy Word'--in the best place--'my heart'--for the best purpose--'that I
might not sin' against God.
When was the last time you memorized a passage of Scripture? God's Word has a cleansing effect.
You must (no excuses please) get into the Word so that it can get into you and can then become
effective in your life, as the Spirit uses it to renew our minds and transform our thinking so that we are
enabled more and more to discern the will of God at every turn of the road of our life. The Word obeyed
is the best preventative for the "dirt" of this world which is passing away as are it's lusts.
What does it mean to "treasure" something? (Click definition of the Hebrew word)
I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than
memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be
strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will
begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be
enhanced. Your faith will be solidified. (Charles Swindoll)
I am convinced that one of the greatest things we can do is to memorize Scripture. (Billy Graham)
One of the most important Christian disciplines is Scripture memory. If I had it my way, every student
would know 500 verses word perfect with the references before leaving Dallas (Dallas Theological
Seminary) (Howard Hendricks)
God's Word more clearly unveils God's will for your life than any other modality and as  Alexander
Maclaren puts it…
When God’s will is deeply planted within, it will work quickening change on the heavy dough of our
sluggish natures. It is when we bring the springs of our actions — namely, our motives, which are our
true selves — into touch with His uttered will, that our deeds become conformed to it. Look after the
motives, and the deeds will look after themselves. ‘I have hid Thy word within my heart.’ ( Click to read
Maclaren's entire message)
Warren Wiersbe notes that…
You must also rejoice in God’s Word, delight in it and meditate on it. Meditation is to your inner person
what digestion is to your body. When you truly delight in the Word, you will have a desire to meditate on
it and make it a part of your life. In Psalm 119, the writer connects “delight” and “meditation” (Psalm
119:15,16, 23,24, 47, 48, 77,78) Cultivate an appetite for the Word of God. (Wiersbe, W: With the Word:
Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook. Nelson or Logos)
A powerful illustration of someone "treasuring" the Word of God:
The first requirement for keeping that TREASURE is to recognize that it is a TREASURE. A beautiful and
touching story is told of a young French girl who had been born blind. After she learned to read by
touch, a friend gave her a Braille copy of Mark’s gospel. She read it so much that her fingers became
calloused and insensitive. In an effort to regain her feeling, she cut the skin from the ends of her
fingers. Tragically, however, her callouses were replaced by permanent and even more insensitive
scars. She sobbingly gave the book a goodbye kiss, saying,
“FAREWELL, FAREWELL, SWEET WORD OF MY HEAVENLY FATHER.”
In doing so, she discovered that her lips were even more sensitive than her fingers had been, and she
spent the rest of her life reading her great treasure with her lips. Would that every Christian had such
an appetite for the Word of God!
The Preacher's Commentary addressing the question “How can a young man cleanse his way?”
writes…
The question is classic because it is the great issue of the Bible. How can a sinner stand in the
presence of a holy God? The cleansing of our way implies that we have fallen. How can we be washed
and restored? The reference to youth reminds us of the Book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 1:4,8, 10, 15,
etc.). The answer to the question is as follows: “By taking heed according to Your word.” This taking
heed includes two things. First, the Word of God cleanses us as it separates us from this world and all

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of its uncleanness. Thus Jesus tells His disciples, “You are already clean because of the word which I
have spoken to you” (John 15:3). But, second, the Word of God also cleanses us as it directs us in the
paths of righteousness. It not only separates us from the world; it also separates us to God. The Word
works to bring us into the will of God.
Next, the psalmist confesses: “With my whole heart I have sought You” (v10; see v2). Because of his
singleness of purpose, his “whole heart,” he can then continue, “Oh, let me not wander from Your
commandments.” God not only reveals His will to us; He keeps us in that will. We must note again that
the psalmist is not a legalist. He has no illusions that He can do God’s will in his own strength. He is
entirely dependent upon the God who calls him to keep him. This divine keeping is a matter of the
heart. Thus he continues in verse 11, “Your word I have hidden [‘laid up’] in my heart, / That I might not
sin against You.” As the Word is memorized and internalized, it becomes directive for our lives. No
wonder Jesus tells us that if we “abide” (“continue, remain”) in His Word, then we are His disciples
(John 8:31). His Word will determine our walk.
As a new Christian I was encouraged to memorize Scripture. Introduced to the Topical Memory
System of the Navigators, I amassed several score of verses on salvation, prayer, the Christian life, etc.
Often during my high school lunch hour I would slip away to a quiet place for review. This investment
was for a lifetime. Again and again in preaching and counseling, these verses have come back to me.
How grateful I am that as a young believer I was introduced to hiding God’s Word in my heart. (Briscoe,
D. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. The Preacher's Commentary Series. Thomas Nelson or Logos)
C H Spurgeon (Treasury of David) comments…
"How will he become and remain practically holy? He is but a young man, full of hot passions, and
poor in knowledge and experience; how will he get right, and keep right? Never was there a more
important question for any man; alas, his way is already unclean by actual sin which he has already
committed, and he himself has within his nature a tendency towards that which defiles.
Here, then, is the difficulty, first of beginning aright, next of being always able to know and choose the
right, and of continuing in the fight till perfection is ultimately reached.
Let him not think that he knows the road to easy victory, nor dream that he can keep himself by his
own wisdom; he will do well to follow the psalmist, and become an earnest inquirer asking how he may
cleanse his way.
Let him become a practical disciple of the holy God, who alone can teach him how to overcome the
world, (2 Peter 1:4{note}, 1John 5:4,5, Gal 6:14) the flesh, and the devil, that trinity of defilers by whom
many a hopeful life has been spoiled. He is young and unaccustomed to the road; let him not be
ashamed often to inquire his way of him who is so ready and so able to instruct him in it.
Our way is a subject which concerns us deeply, but it is not to be answered by unaided reason, nor,
when answered, can the directions be carried out by unsupported human power. By taking heed
thereto according to thy word. Young man, the Bible must be your chart, and you must exercise great
watchfulness that your way may be according to its directions. You must take heed to your daily life as
well as study your Bible, and you must study your Bible that you may take heed to your daily life. To
obey the Lord and walk uprightly will need all our heart and soul and mind.
Yet the word is absolutely necessary, for otherwise care will darken into morbid anxiety, and
conscientiousness may become superstition. It is not enough to desire to be right; for ignorance may
make us think that we are doing God service when we are provoking him, and the fact of our ignorance
will not reverse the character of our action, however much it may mitigate its criminality.
Let each person, young or old, who desires to be holy have a holy watchfulness in his heart, and keep
the Holy Bible before his open eye. There he will find every turn of the road marked down, every slough
and miry place pointed out, with the way to go through unsoiled; and there, too, he will find light for his
darkness, comfort for his weariness, and company for his loneliness, so that by its help he will reach

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the benediction of the first verse of the psalm, which suggested the psalmist’s inquiry, and awakened
his desires.
Note how the first section of eight verses has for its first verse, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way,”
and the second section runs parallel to it, with the question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse
his way?” The blessedness which is set before us in a conditional promise should be practically sought
for in the way appointed. The Lord says, “For this will I be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for
them.” (See also Spurgeon's comments on Verse 10 and Verse 11)
John Calvin comments that…
Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? In this place he repeats, in different words, the same
truth which he formerly advanced, That, however much men may pique themselves upon their own
works, there is nothing pure in their life until they have made a complete surrender of themselves to
the word of the Lord. The more effectually to excite them to this, he produces, in an especial manner,
the example of children or youths. In mentioning these, he by no means gives an unbridled license to
those who have arrived at mature years, or who are aged, as if they were competent to regulate their
own life, and as if their own prudence served as a law to them; but because youth puts men where two
ways meet, and renders it imperative for them to select the course of life which they mean to follow, he
declares that, when a person sets about the regulation of his life, no advice will prove of any
advantage, unless he adopts the law of God as his rule and guide. In this way the prophet stimulates
men to an early and seasonable regulation of their manners, and not to delay doing so any longer,
agreeably to the words of Solomon, “Remember thy Creator in thy youth, ere the days of trouble come,
and the years which shall be grief unto thee,” Ecclesiastes 12:1. They who defer from time to time
become hardened in their vicious practices, and arrive at mature years, when it is too late to attempt a
reformation. There is another reason, arising from the fact, of the carnal propensities being very
powerful in youth, requiring a double restraint; and the more they are inclined to excess, the greater is
the necessity for curbing their licentiousness. The prophet, therefore, not without reason, exhorts them
particularly to attend to the observance of the law.
With my whole heart. Conscious of the integrity of his heart, the prophet still implores the help of God,
that he might not stumble by reason of his infirmity. He makes no boast of self-preparation, as if he
had spontaneously begun to inquire after God, but in praising the grace which he had experienced, he
at the same time aspires after steadfastness to persevere in walking in his ways.
William Cowper comments on Ps 119:11:
There is great difference between Christians and worldlings. The worldling hath his treasures in jewels
without him; the Christian hath them within. Neither indeed is there any receptacle wherein to receive
and keep the word of consolation but the heart only. If thou have it in thy mouth only, it shall be taken
from thee; if thou have it in thy book only, Thou shalt miss it when thou hast most to do with it; but if
thou lay it up in thy heart, as Mary did the words of the angel, no enemy shall ever be able to take it
from thee, and thou shalt find it's comfortable treasure in time of thy need. Among many excellent
virtues of the word of God, this is one: that if we keep it in our heart, it keeps us from sin, which is
against God and against ourselves. We may mark it by experience, that the word is first stolen either
out of the mind of man, and the remembrance of it is away; or at least out of the affection of man; so
that the reverence of it is gone, before a man can be drawn to the committing of a sin. So long as Eve
kept by faith the word of the Lord, she resisted Satan; but from the time she doubted of that, which
God made most certain by his word, at once she was snared. --

Joshua 1:8
(See commentary)

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Establish the context from the preceding passages:
Josh 1:1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD that the LORD spoke to
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying,
2 "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land
which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
3 "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.
4 "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land
of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory.
5 "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I
will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to
their fathers to give them.
7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My
servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success
wherever you go.
8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have success.
9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Observe: Who is speaking to Joshua? Why? When? What has transpired? What is Jehovah's
command? What is the land like into which Joshua is to lead the people? What is Joshua's mindset to
be (note what is repeated three times!). If you have time you can do a simple observation with the
class asking these type of questions.
God Himself is addressing Joshua because Israel's leader Moses has died and the mantle of
leadership is being passed to this new leader. Joshua is to lead Israel into the "promised land" filled
with adversaries and pagan idolatry. Temptation and Warfare will occur. So what does God tell Joshua
he must do? Does He tell him to make sure the soldiers have their weapons and are in good shape?
No. God tells Joshua to make sure that the "Sword of the Word of God" is to be his focus and will
provide all that he needs in order to assure success.
"Book of the law":
A reference to Scripture, specifically Genesis through Deuteronomy (Pentateuch from penta = five),
written by Moses. Deuteronomy 31 talks about Moses' completing the book and of his committing it to
the care of the priests:
"Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, "Take
this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may
remain there as a witness against you." (Deuteronomy 31:25-26)
but it wasn't enough that the priests carried it around and protected it. No, Joshua had to take the time
to read it every single day, to make it a part of his inner person by meditating on it. (My Precious Bible)
"Shall not depart from your mouth"
Joshua literally fulfilled Jehovah's instructions to not let the Word depart from his mouth. With one half
of Israel before Mount Gerizim and the other half before Mount Ebal Joshua…
afterward… read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in
the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not
read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were
living among them. (Joshua 8:34-35)
Joshua remained faithful to this critical instruction even unto his dying day. Knowing that he would
soon fall asleep (die) he instructs the people of Israel…

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"Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may
not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, in order that you may not associate with these
nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by
them, or serve them, or bow down to them. But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have
done to this day." (Joshua 23:6-8)
The last mention of the phrase the "book of the law" is in Joshua 24 just before Joshua dies:
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up
there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
27 And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has
heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, lest
you deny your God."
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.
29 And it came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died,
being one hundred and ten years old.
"shall not depart from your mouth" means that this book of the law it should be the constant topic of
your conversation. Why? "Because you shall meditate on it day and night." Now whatever you're
thinking about all day and thinking about all night will show up in your conversation. So he's saying you
ought to be dominated by the Word of God. It is the dominant thing in your life. Meditatively it becomes
the dominating thing in your life conversationally. Then it's into action that he speaks so that you may
be careful to do according to all that is written in it. You meditate on it, you talk about it and pretty
soon you begin to live it out. Then you will make your way prosperous, then you will have success. But
you need to do according to all that is written in it. There are many Christians who can't do according
to all that is written in it because they don't understand it. And that's why it's incumbent upon us to
study the Scripture so that we can understand it so that we can do it so that we can be blessed and
prosperous and have good success.
"But you shall meditate on it day and night"
It's one thing to say to a leader, "Be strong and courageous." It's quite something else to enable him or
her to do it. Joshua's strength and courage will come from meditating on the word of God, from
believing the promises in it, from living in obedience to its precepts. Moses gave this same counsel to
the entire nation back in Dt 11 almost word-for-word. But now God is applying it specifically to Joshua.
God feeds the birds, but He doesn't throw the food into their nests. In a similar way, the Bible is like a
table, laden with nourishing food we need every day: promises, instruction, wisdom, comfort, and
encouragement. Like any good host, God invites us to "Come and get it!" But we often fail to do this.
We depend on everything but Him and wonder why our faith is feeble. But if like our feathered friends
we'll come and feast daily, expectantly, and actively, our divine Host will provide for all our needs.
Depend on it!
In regard to this "book of the law" A W Tozer said…
"Read it much, read it often, brood over it, think over it, meditate over it—meditate on the Word of God
day and night. When you are awake at night, think of a helpful verse. When you get up in the morning,
no matter how you feel, think of a verse and make the Word of God the important element in your day.
The Holy Ghost wrote the Word, and if you make much of the Word, He will make much of you. It is
through the Word that He reveals Himself. Between those covers is a living Book. God wrote it and it is
still vital and effective and alive. God is in this Book, the Holy Ghost is in this Book, and if you want to
find Him, go into this Book."
For more in depth discussion click Primer On Biblical Meditation or also here.
"So that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" Knowledge of God's law is not
enough; one must also "be careful to do" what it commands. Thus the law of God is to control all

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thought and action. "Everything written in it" must be observed, because obedience to certain parts
only is no obedience at all. When you study the Bible "hit or miss," you MISS more than you HIT.
"For then you will make your way prosperous" generally expresses the idea of a successful venture, as
contrasted with failure. The source of such success is God: "… as long as he sought the Lord, God
made him to prosper" (2Chr 26:5). The root means to accomplish satisfactorily what is intended. In our
lives as Christians, success and prosperity are not to be measured by the physical, material standards
of the world. The issue for us is spiritual blessing; spiritual prosperity. We can choose to set out on our
own to become materially successful. In the words of our text, that would be turning to the right hand
or to the left. But the reality is that we can achieve the goal and live to regret it. There are some famous
words by George MacDonald, the Scottish novelist and Christian apologist: "In whatever a man does
without God, he must fail miserably or succeed more miserably." It is possible to know physical and
material success and yet be an absolute failure spiritually. Meditating on the Scriptures will help us
evaluate our motives in decision-making with regard to success and prosperity. We will learn to ask
ourselves the right questions out of the word of God.
Am I totally committed to the will of God in this action, this choice, this endeavour? Am I relying
completely on the Spirit of God to empower me, or am I trusting my own resources? Am I serving the
glory of God ultimately? If I can answer those questions with a yes, then my ministry, my activity, my
relationships will be successful in God's eyes, no matter what people think and no matter what the
physical, material outcome is.
This passage is calling us to think "Biblically", reading and soaking in and reflecting on the word of
God, so that we live "Biblically" in all we say and do.
"And then you will have success" The Hebrew word means to be prudent and so to act with insight,
which can mean "be successful" by metonymy. The Septuagint (LXX) translates it with Greek word
"sunesis" (click) meaning understanding, the idea being able to put together the pieces and make
sense out of a set of facts presented to one's mind. It's the idea of putting "2" and "2" together so to
speak ~ the ability to assess any situation and decide what practical course of action is necessary.
And in the context of this verse this "ability" is integrally related to the constant intake & assimilation of
the pure milk of God's Word. The result? Success in the way that God defines "success".
Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission (Overseas Missionary Fellowship) made a similar
statement
"God’s work done in God’s way will not lack God’s supply.”
Not only are God’s presence and power essential for success in His work, but we must also work
according to God’s revealed will. It is easy to fall into the trap of substituting human wisdom and
understanding for obedience to God’s Word.

Ezra 7:9-10
(see Commentary)

For - Don't miss this conjunction which introduces an explanation. The natural question is "What does
it explain?" which necessitates observing the previous passages where we see that "the good hand of
the LORD was upon him". Why? Because to put it bluntly, Ezra was a "man of the book", a man like
Apollos who was mighty in the Scriptures (Acts 18:24). This is a great model for any preacher who
desires to be used mightily by the Lord because he has the Lord's hand upon him.
God’s sovereign hand of blessing was on Ezra (Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31) because he was so
completely immersed in His Word (7:10).
"Had set his heart" (not his head but his heart!) More literally ”Set his heart firmly" which gives the idea
that Ezra was inwardly determined. His determination was directed toward: studying, obeying, and
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teaching God’s Law to others—an inviolable order for a successful ministry! You cannot teach with
power until you yourself have practiced what you studied. His heart was prepared by confession of sin
(cp notes 1 Peter 2:1; 2:2; 2:3) It is impossible to study the Scriptures profitably with an impure mind.
Ezra “set his heart” to study God’s Word. The phrase “set his heart” conveys the idea of being firmly
committed to a particular course of action with unwavering steadfastness. The verb signifies being
“established, prepared, fixed” in a determined pursuit. For example the same root is used to portray
God’s intentional acts when He established the heavens (Pr 3:19; 8:27). Thus the expression carries
the idea of a determined purpose and unwavering resolution to act in a prescribed way to bring
something to pass.
His mind “was zeroed in on the primary intention of studying God’s Word.”
"Heart" refers not to his intellect per se only for in Hebrew "heart" speaks of that which rules one's very
being --the seat of affections, emotions, desires. The “heart,” in which Ezra purposed to study the
Scriptures connotes “the totality of man’s inner or immaterial nature”
The Hebrew word for “heart” represents the centre or middle of something, often referring to the
physical heart, the blood-pumping organ which supplies life for the entire body. However, of the
approximately 850 times it occurs in the Old Testament, its most common meaning is spiritual,
signifying a person’s inner or immaterial being—his or her mind, emotions, and will. Thus the heart
denotes the intellect, by which one thinks, analyzes, compares, and understands a matter ( 1Kings
3:12; 2Kings 5:26; 2Chr 9:23; Pr 11:12; 16:23); the emotions, or the deepest innermost feelings of a
person (Pr 17:22, 25:20); and the volition, the seat of the will where choices are made ( Nu
16:28; Judges 9:3; 2Chr 12:14). When Ezra set “his heart” to study the Word he poured the whole
spectrum of his inner life into doing so. In other words, the study of Scripture absolutely consumed his
life.
John Bunyan, seventeenth-century English preacher and author, was also consumed with the study of
God’s Word. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who read Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress every year, once
remarked, “He had studied our Authorized Version … till his whole being was saturated with Scripture;
and through his writings … he … [makes] us feel and say ‘Why, this man is living Bible! Prick him
anywhere; and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He
cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God.’ ”
Study (darash 1875 KJV = "seek") Hebrew verb carries meanings of seeking with care, inquiring,
pursuing, searching, which gives a good picture of how Ezra approached the law of the LORD.
The Septuagint (LXX) uses "zeteo" (see Matthew 6:33-note) which conveys the idea of attempting to
learn something by careful investigation or searching (cf Proverbs 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
For example this word was used when Moses “searched carefully” to find out what happened to the sin
offering (Lev 10:16) or when David “inquired” to find out who Bathsheba was (2Sa 11:3). Ezra studied
the Word by carefully searching it, investigating its truths, probing its parts, surveying its whole, striving
to understand its meaning, being concerned to grasp its message, leaving no stone unturned. He was
not content to skim the surface and gain a superficial knowledge of the text.
Martin Luther said,
When I was young, I read the Bible over and over and over again, and was so perfectly acquainted with
it, that I could, in an instant, have pointed to any verse that might have been mentioned.
He also wrote, “For a number of years I have now annually read through the Bible twice. If the Bible
were a large, mighty tree and all its words were little branches, I have tapped at all the branches, eager
to know what was there and what it had to offer.”
Martin Luther is reported to have said concerning his own study of the Scriptures:
“I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest might fall. Then I shake
each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under
every leaf. I shake the Bible as a whole, like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb—study

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book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not break
the sense. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and
their meanings.”
John Piper writes,
At the heart of every pastor’s work is bookwork. Call it reading, meditation, reflection, cogitation, study,
exegesis, or whatever you will—a large and central part of our work is to wrestle God’s meaning from a
book, and then to proclaim it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Practice it… A good leader is one who… Knows the way, Goes the way, and Shows the way. Knowing
without doing is arrogance not obedience. The Hebrew word for “practice” carries the idea of
expending energy in the pursuit of something.
A good pattern for ministry -- learn it, live it, and let it out
Ezra mastered the Word, and the Word mastered him. His careful study led to a holy life. His personal
integrity became the platform from which he carried out his public teaching ministry. What he learned
in the Scriptures, he lived. Thus after he studied the Word and before he preached it, he was careful to
obey it.
Ezra obeyed the Word with the same “heart” devotion with which he studied it. A class of scribes arose
in Jesus’ day who sought to follow the Law, but not from the heart. With full heads but empty hearts,
these scribes attempted to teach the Word, which prompted Jesus to say,
This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me” (Mt 15:8).
Ezra, however, was a scribe who wholeheartedly kept the Word, not with mere external ritual or empty
routine, but with a deep internal desire.
Moody said,
God did not give us the Scriptures to increase our knowledge but to change our lives
Tozer wrote
Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral
action.
Thomas Adams wrote that
True obedience has no lead at its heels.
Teach conveys the idea of training as well as educating. Biblical teaching seeks to guide people to
follow the will of God, not by offering mere human opinions or suggestions but by bringing “the
authoritative declaration of the Word of God.”
Stott suggests, it is
to open the inspired text with such faithfulness and sensitivity that God’s voice is heard and His people
obey Him.
Many preachers bear more resemblance to entertainers than expositors, stand-up comics rather than
knee-shaking servants. God-fearing, Scripture-reverencing men remain the need of the hour in pulpits
today.
John Knox, the great Scottish Reformer said
I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.
Where are such men who, like Knox, tremble when they open the Word of God?
"Statues and ordinances" The scribes in the early years at the time of Ezra and before were so devoted
to not putting an error in the Scriptures that they would copy the Scriptures with such fastidiousness
it's just beyond belief. Some scribes, you'll find this hard to believe, would write one letter, take a bath,
change their clothes, get a new pen, write another letter, take a bath, change their clothes, get a pen,
write another letter. They didn't get a lot done but what they got done was correct. There was this
tremendous fastidiousness to this completion of the inerrant text and its preservation.

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This comprehensive threefold designation—the Law of the Lord, statutes, and ordinances—indicates
that he studied all facets of God’s Word. Tradition says he was the founder of the Great Synagogue
where the Old Testament canon was first recognized
Every person is important to God and God’s work; but, as Dr. Lee Roberson has often said,
Everything rises and falls with leadership.
McConville has written
The model teacher in Ezra is a doer. And the doer can be no mere demonstrator. He must be what he
would have his disciples be.
Every preacher should follow Ezra’s example and be committed to the study of the Scriptures in a way
that is consuming, careful, and comprehensive. Pastors must guard against the seemingly endless,
mounting pressures placed on them to sacrifice their study of the Word on the altar of their growing
list of “priorities.”
The day the preacher stops studying God’s Word, whether he realizes it or not, is the day he begins
losing spiritual passion and vitality in his preaching.
A shrinking study time may result in shrinking power in the pulpit.
Billy Graham was asked,
If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?
He answered
“One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough, I wish I had studied more and preached
less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should have been studying and
preparing. Donald Grey Barnhouse said that if he knew the Lord was coming in three years, he would
spend two of them studying and one preaching.”
The church needs more men like John Wesley, the powerful eighteenth-century preacher who cried out,
O give me that Book! At any price, give me the book of God.

Jeremiah 15:16
(See commentary)

Whenever Jeremiah began to relish God’s Word, it had become his delight and a joy to his soul in
contrast to the majority of people who despised it in Jeremiah 8:9
""The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they
have rejected (despised, spurned, disdained, scorned, loathed) the word of the LORD, and what kind of
wisdom do they have?"
J Vernon McGee writes that Jeremiah…
He found his consolation in it. He ate it and he digested it and it became a part of him. Oh, how we
need to get into the Word of God today. We don’t need just a little surface learning of a few rules, or
just a little guideline of a few steps to take. We need to digest it so that it becomes part of our being. It
will bring joy and rejoicing to the heart just as it did for Jeremiah. Only the Word of God can do this.
I received a letter from a man who heard our broadcast when I was in Galatians. He heard one word:
Father. That arrested his attention. May I say to you that God is still using His Word today. Oh, how
important the Word of God is!
Jeremiah is in real difficulty. Remember that his hometown rejected him and got rid of him. His own
family rejected him. His life is actually in danger. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas
Nelson)
Warren Wiersbe notes that Jeremiah…

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The prophet experienced the loneliness of leadership and the anguish of ministry, but God encouraged
him as he fed on the Word. God may not take away the pain in your heart, but He can balance it with
His joy. (Wiersbe, W: With the Word: Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook. Nelson)
Not hungry for God's Word? Then make the words of the godly hymn writer Isaac Watts your prayer…
Then let me love my Bible more
And take a fresh delight
By day to read these wonders o'er
And meditate by night.

Matthew 4:4

The parallel passage in Luke 4:1-3 gives the context for the Matthew 4 passage…

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the
wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and
when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell
this stone to become bread."
Man shall not live on bread alone…
"Most of us are familiar with the Pony Express and its oft-romanticized contribution to the history of
the Old West. But for all its glamour, the Pony Express was a business enterprise-and was run like one.
To ferry mail across the open expanse of the western territories, the express route ran 1,900 miles
from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The trip was made in about 10 days, using 40
men who each raced about 50 miles, riding a total of 500 fine horses in the process. To conserve
weight, riders wore light clothing, rode on extremely small saddles, and carried no weapons. Their mail
pouches were also compact and lightweight. Letters cost $5 per ounce for postage. Yet for all these
efficiencies in terms of weight, one thing was not sacrificed: every rider carried a full-size Bible,
presented to him when he joined the Pony Express. By contrast, how often are we found without the
Word of God at our side, in our day of comfort and convenience?"
Every word…
To get a properly balanced diet, we must feed on the whole Bible. Certain chapters and verses in the
Bible are like pie and cake to our souls, and the temptation is to read them often and to try to live by
them alone, neglecting the rest of the Scripture. Jesus said, “every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God”. Every Christian should read and ponder & meditate IN (Ps 1:2) the Bible, chapter after
chapter, book after book, until finished and then go back and start over again. Only in this way can we
get the benefit of “every word” that God has spoken. Let us not skip the “dry” chapters for in them will
be found many of the brightest gems of spiritual truths. Let us read the OT as much as the NT for it is
the foundation upon which the NT is built. Is there not a tendency in most sound, conservative, Bible
believing churches to emphasize the NT sometimes to the virtual exclusion of the OT. This will lead to
spiritual "tunnel vision" and the sheep will not be fully nourished as God intended them to be on a
complete healthy diet that partakes of both Old and New Testaments.
Are you starving yourself spiritually? Do even know what the symptoms of such a malady would look
like? Then you need to read the following devotional from Our Daily Bread (bolding added):
Many of us live in countries where food is abundant and people are well-fed. That's why we may not be
familiar with the symptoms of starvation. At the outset, victims have an insatiable craving for
nourishment. As time passes, however, the body weakens, the mind is dulled, and the desire for
something to eat wanes. In fact, starving people actually reach a point when they don't even want
food that is placed before them. Spiritual starvation follows much the same course. If we have been
feeding daily on God's Word, it's natural to feel "hungry" when we skip our quiet time. But if we continue
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to neglect it, we may lose all desire to study the Scriptures. In fact, we may be starving ourselves. How
much time do you spend reading the Bible and meditating on its truths? Do you miss the Word when
you neglect it? Thomas Guthrie wrote, "If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers,
any book better than the Bible, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope
of heaven--take alarm." If you've lost your taste for the "bread of life," confess your negligence and ask
God to revive your appetite for His Word. Avoid spiritual starvation! --R W De Haan ( Our Daily Bread,
Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. --Lathbury
A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul.

Job 23:10-12
(see commentary)

"Hidden" (Hebrew tsaphan 6845) means to hide or to keep secret and is used of concealing something
of great value, e.g., baby Moses (Ex 2:2), the Israelite spies (by Rahab in Joshua 2:4). Figuratively as
in Psalm 119:11 and here by Job tsaphan refers of keeping something hidden in a person’s heart.
My "amplified" paraphrase of the Septuagint (LXX) based additional insight on the Greek words is…
Neither (double negative in the Greek "ou" = absolute negation & "me" relative no ~ so Job is saying in
essence "absolutely no way") do I neglect, overlook or transgress from His precepts, but I have hidden
(Active voice = personal choice to do this… sounds like he has memorized God's Word!) His uttered or
spoken words in my bosom, because the bosom is the place of honour and close fellowship.
"I have not departed from the command of His lips" This the very thing that Joshua was instructed not
to do Joshua 1:8, although at the moment Job declared this fact, he was far from experiencing
success and making his way prosperous (at least from mankind's perspective) as promised to those
who do not let the word depart from their lips. Clearly as we read his story, Job is a man who is
suffering more than any of us will ever understand, and yet in the face of such affliction has affirms
that he ''shall come forth as gold''. How did he know he would come forth as gold, a question which
emphasizes the importance of examining the context to accurately answer this question. Job instead
of being like "gold" was more like a man whose soul cleaved to the dust. And yet as Job 23:12 states,
he knew God's Word and even more importantly he had experienced intimacy with God through His
Word. He trusted His Father's refining hand. How else could he have said ""He knows the way I take.
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold" and not have been a hypocrite?
A New Testament way of saying one has not departed from the command is to abide in the Word
("Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you
are truly disciples of Mine;" John 8:31), to let the Word of Christ richly dwell within ("Let the word of
Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." see Colossians 3:16-note)
It is interesting and surprising that the NRSV & RSV don't have the last phrase "more than my
necessary food" (I have not researched why this is… it is simply an observation)… RSV reads "I have not
departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth. "
KJV, NKJV, NIV, ASV, TLB all have this phrase… could be a difference in the original Hebrew
manuscript?
Job was not perfect but He had a perfect God Who was behind the scenes keeping His hand on the
"thermostat" of affliction and suffering so that his choice servant would be refined rather than burned.
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Some people go into the furnace of affliction, and it burns them, whereas others go in, and the
experience purifies them. What makes the difference? Their attitude toward the Word of God, the God
of the Word and His will for their life. If we are continually, daily taking in the "bread" every Word that
proceeds from the mouth of God and humbling ourselves in submission to His will which is good and
acceptable and perfect, the furnace experience, painful as it may be at the moment, will refine us and
make us better. (see 1Pe 1:6-note; 1Pe 1:7-note) But if we resist God’s will and fail to feed on His truth,
the furnace experience will only burn us and make us bitter (See Ruth 1:20 note) for a time when
Naomi had her focus more on her problems -- which in fairness were many & were severe -- than on her
Deliverer).
Lord, Be Thy Word My Rule
In it may I rejoice;
Thy glory be my aim;
Thy holy will my choice.
Thy promises my hope;
Thy providence my guard;
Thine arm my strong support;
Thyself my great Reward.
--C. Wordsworth
Would you cook a meal for yourself even if you didn’t feel like cooking? You probably would be
reasoning something like this -- “Yes, food is necessary, and I know I need to eat or I will become
anaemic, weak and tired.” How do we answer the same question when it comes to spiritual food, the
Living Word of God? Did you skip your time in His Word today or maybe even all week long? If your
answer is, “Yes, I was too tired, too busy, too down, etc, etc… to study God’s Word,” then consider Job,
remembering the exhortation of the writer of Hebrews to fellow Hebrews who in the face of their great
conflict of suffering exhorted …
"We desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope
until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. (see notes Hebrews 6:11; 12)
James adding that…
You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the
Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (James 5:11)
You may be saying "Well, at least I read Our Daily Bread (one of the best devotionals available in my
opinion) every morning before I go to work." If so you might be intrigued by the caveat written by Our
Daily Bread's founder Dr. M R DeHaan…
"Hold everything! Wait a minute! Have you read the Scripture for today? It's only eight short verses, and
it will take you only 45 seconds. No, don't lay this booklet down and mumble to me, "I'm in a hurry and
you're delaying me." I see you're eating breakfast this morning even though you're late. You take time
to feed your body, but you were going to starve your soul. Take 45 seconds and read Psalm
119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. If you don't read the rest of this devotional, that's okay--as long as you
read the Bible. These articles in Our Daily Bread are not designed to be a substitute for the Bible; they
are meant to stimulate your desire to read more of the Bible. If reading this booklet has caused you to
neglect the Word of God, please throw this booklet in the wastebasket!" Job said, "I have treasured the
words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). Jesus taught, "Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). Yes, you may have had
a rough day yesterday and you're way behind. But why should you be surprised that it was such a bad
day if you started it without God's Word? Don't make the same mistake today. Take time to read."
(DeHaan, M. R. -- founder of the ministry) (Bolding added) (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

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 DO YOU TREMBLE
AT GOD'S WORD?

Isa 66:1,2 Thus says the LORD "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a
house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these
things. Thus all these things came into being," declares the Lord. "But to this one I will look. To him
who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Spurgeon comments: God will dwell with those that tremble at His word. Now the man that is in a right
state for God to dwell in, trembles at God’s word because he believes it to be all true.
If thou doubt God’s word, between God and thee there is a disagreement, a rupture, a quarrel; and God
never will dwell in thy soul.
The trembler believes it to be all true, and therefore he trembles.
As he reads the law, he says, “Thy holy law condemns me.” He trembles at the threatenings of that law,
for he feels he deserves them to be fulfilled on him. And when the gospel comes, and he receives it
and rejoices in it he trembles at it, — trembles at the love that looked upon him from all eternity, —
trembles that he should have nailed the Saviour to the cross, — trembles lest, after all, he should not be
washed in the precious blood, and he trembles after he is washed, lest he should not walk as blood-
washed spirits should.
These things are so high and sublime, that he trembles beneath the burden of the glory that he should
receive.
He trembles at the promise. “O Lord,” saith he, “let that sweet promise be mine,” and he trembles lest
he should miss it, — trembles at a precept lest he should misunderstand it, or not carry it out in a
proper spirit. He is not like some, who say of certain precepts, “These are non-essential.” “No,” says the
man of God, “I tremble at what you call a non-essential precept.”
If there be an ordinance, ordained of God in scripture, and others slight it and say it is trivial, the man of
God, says, “No, to me it is not trivial or unimportant. Anything that is in the word of God and has the
stamp of his approval, I tremble at.”
Some one once said to an old Puritan, “Some have made such rents in their conscience, that you might
make a little nick in yours. There is no reason why you should be so precise;” but the other replied, “I
serve a precise God.”
The God of Israel is a jealous God, and His people know it. Moses was not permitted to enter Canaan,
for such a sin that you can hardly tell what it was, — it seemed such a little one; yet was he shut out
from the land of promise for it; for God is more particular with those that are near to Him than with
others.
He is jealous with those that are at Court; and He that leans his head on His bosom must expect the
great Savior to be stricter with him than with any of those that are without.
Oh, beloved, we must tremble at God’s word.
We know we shall enter heaven if we are believers in Jesus, but we tremble lest by any means we
should mar our evidence of being inheritors of that goodly land.
We know the love of God will never cast us away; we know the eternal love will never reject those it has
chosen; but we tremble lest we should abuse that grace.
The more gracious the doctrines we hear and believe, the more we tremble, lest we should sin against
such a gracious God. We go through the world trembling and rejoicing.
Now, if that is our condition, God saith He will dwell with us. Oh, there are some of you dear hearts here
that could not lay hold on this text anywhere, except on this particular point. You can say, “Oh, sir, I do

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tremble under God’s word. How often under a sermon you make me quiver from head to foot; and,
when I am reading the Bible alone, I am melted into tears with it.”
Dear brother, I am glad of that, I am glad of that; for a holy trembling is a sign of life. If you can quiver
before the eternal majesty of God’s voice, you are not altogether like the stocks and stones, — not
altogether dead in trespasses and sins. See then (for I will say no more upon it) what a blessed thing it
is to be of this character, that God will dwell with us. (Read Spurgeon's full message on this passage
- Living Temples for the Living God)
><>><>><>
If you would find God, He dwelleth on every hilltop and in every valley; God is everywhere in creation;
but if you want a special display of Him, if you would know what is the secret place of the tabernacle of
the Most High, the inner chamber of divinity, you must go where you find the church of true believers,
for it is here he makes His continual residence known—in the hearts of the humble and contrite, who
tremble at His word. Every church is to our Lord a more sublime thing than a constellation in the
heavens; as He is precious to His saints, so are they precious to Him. (Daily Help)
><>><>><>
To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and  trembleth at My word."
Stoop if you would climb to heaven. Do we not say of Jesus, "He descended that He might ascend?" So
must you. You must grow downwards, that you may grow upwards; for the sweetest fellowship with
heaven is to be had by humble souls, and by them alone. God will deny no blessing to a thoroughly
humbled spirit. Humility makes us ready to be blessed by the God of all grace, and fits us to deal
efficiently with our fellow-men. Whether it be prayer or praise, whether it be work or suffering, the
genuine salt of humility cannot be used in excess. (Daily Help)
><>><>><>
Many despise warning, and perish. Happy is he who trembles at the word of the Lord. Josiah did so,
and he was spared the sight of the evil which the Lord determined to send upon Judah because of her
great sins. Have you this tenderness? Do you practice this self-humiliation? Then you also shall be
spared in the evil day. God sets a mark upon the men that sigh and cry because of the sin of the times.
The destroying angel is commanded to keep his sword in its sheath till the elect of God are sheltered:
these are best known by their godly fear, and their trembling at the Word of the Lord. (Faith's
Checkbook)
><>><>><>
2 Kings 22:11 (Josiah was a "trembler") And it came about when the king heard the words of the book
of the law, that he tore his clothes.
He was of a tender spirit, and trembled at the word of the Lord, when he saw the evils sin had brought
upon the nation. (Spurgeon - The Interpreter)
><>><>><>
1 John 2:14 … I have written to you, young men because you are strong and the word of God abides
(present tense = continually) in you and you have overcome the evil one

The Word in the Heart

"The Word of God abideth in you." I labour under the opinion that there never was a time in which the
people of God had greater need to understand this passage than now. We have entered upon that part
of the pilgrim path which is described by Bunyan as the Enchanted Ground: the Church and the world
appear to be alike bewitched with folly. Half the people of God hardly know their head from their heels
at this time. They are gaping after wonders, running after a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, and
waiting for yet more astounding inventions. Everything seems to be in a whirligig; a tornado has set in,
and the storm is everywhere. Christians used to believe in Christ as their Leader, and the Bible as their
rule; but some of them are pleased with lords and rules such as He never knew! Believe me, there will
soon come new Messiahs. Men are already pretending to work miracles, we shall soon have false
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Christs; and "Lo! here," and "Lo! there," will be heard on all sides. Anchors are up, winds are out, and the
whole fleet is getting into confusion. Men in whose sanity and stability I once believed, are being
carried away with one fancy or another, and I am driven to cry, "What next? and what next?" We are
only at the beginning of an era of mingled unbelief and fanaticism. Now we shall know who are God's
elect and who are not; for there are spirits abroad at this hour that would, if it were possible, deceive
even the very elect; and those who are not deceived are, nevertheless, sorely put to it. Here is the
patience of the saints; let him look to himself who is not rooted and grounded in Christ, for the
hurricane is coming. The signs of the times indicate a carnival of delusions; men have ceased to be
guided by the Word, and claim to be themselves prophets. Now we shall see what we shall see.
Blessed is the sheep that knows his Shepherd, and will not listen to the voice of strangers. But here is
the way to be kept steadfast—"The Word of God abideth in you."
"The Word of God"—that is to say, we are to believe in the doctrines of God's Word, and these will make
us strong. What vigour they infuse! Get the Word well into you, and you will overcome the wicked one.
When the devil tempted Luther, the Reformer's grand grip of justification by faith made him readily
victorious. Keep you a fast hold of the doctrines of grace, and Satan will soon give over attacking you,
for they are like plate-armour, through which no dart can ever force its way.
The promises of God's Word, too, what power they give! To get a hold of a "shall" and "will" in the time
of trouble is a heavenly safeguard. "My God will hear me." "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee." These
are Divine holdfasts. Oh, how strong a man is for overcoming the wicked one when he has such a
promise to hand! Do not trust yourself out of a morning in the street till you have laid a promise under
your tongue. I see people put respirators on in foggy weather; they do not make them look very lovely,
but I daresay they are useful. I recommend the best respirator for the pestilential atmosphere of this
present evil world when I bid you fit a promise to your lips. Did not the Lord rout the tempter in the
wilderness with that promise, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God shall man live"? Get the promises of God to lodge within you, and you will be
strong.
Then mind the precepts, for a precept is often a sharp weapon against Satan. Remember how the Lord
Jesus Christ struck Satan a killing blow by quoting a precept—"It is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." If the precept had not been handy, wherewith would the
adversary have been rebuked? Nor is a threatening at all a weak weapon. The most terrible
threatenings of God's Word against sin are the best helps for Christians when they are tempted to sin:
—How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? How should I escape if I turned away from
Him who speaketh from heaven? Tell Satan the threatenings, and make him tremble. Every word of
God is life to holiness and death to sin. Use the Word as your sword and shield: there is none like it.
Now notice that John not only mentions "the Word of God," but the Word of God "in you." The inspired
Word must be received into a willing mind. How? The Book which lies there is to be pleaded here, in the
inmost heart, by the work of the Holy Ghost upon the mind. All of this letter has to be translated into
spirit and life. "The Word of God abideth in you"—that is, first to know it,—next to remember it and
treasure it up in your heart. Following upon this, we must understand it, and learn the analogy of faith
by comparing spiritual things with spiritual till we have learned the system of Divine truth, and are able
to set it forth and plead for it. It is, next, to have the Word in your affections, to love it so that it is as
honey or the droppings of the honeycomb to you. When this is the case, you must and shall overcome
the wicked one. A man instructed in the Scriptures is like an armed knight, who when he goes among
the throng inflicts many a wound, but suffers none, for he is locked up in steel.
Yes, but that is not all; it is not the Word of God in you alone, it is "the Word of God abideth in you." It is
always there, it cannot be removed from you. If a man gets the Bible right into him, he is all right then,
because he is full, and there is no room for evil. When you have filled a measure full of wheat, you have
effectually shut the chaff out. Men go after novel and false doctrines because they do not really know

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the truth; for if the truth had gotten into them and filled them, they would not have room for these day-
dreams. A man who truly knows the doctrines of grace is never removed from them: I have heard our
opponents rave at what they call obstinacy. Once get the truth really into you, it will enter into the
texture of your being, and nothing will get it out of you. It will also be your strength, by setting you
watching against every evil thing. You will be on your guard if the Word abide in you, for it is written,
"When thou goest it will keep thee." The Word of God will be to you a bulwark and a high tower (Ed:
cp Pr 30:5, 6, 18:10, Ps 20:1), a castle of defence against the foe. Oh, see to it that the Word of God is
in you, in your very soul, permeating your thoughts, and so operating upon your outward life, that all
may know you to be a true Bible-Christian, for they perceive it in your words and deeds.
This is the sort of army that we need in the Church of God—men who are strong by feeding on God's
Word. Aspire to it, and when you have reached it, then aspire unto the third degree, that you may
become fathers in Israel? Up to this measure, at any rate, let us endeavour to advance, and advance at
once. (From Spurgeon - A Good Start )
><>><>><>
Beloved, I notice that God imparts His messages to those who have a complete subordination to Him. I
will tell you what has often crossed my mind when I have talked with certain brethren, or have read
their lucubrations; I have wondered which was the Master, and which was the servant,–the man or
God. I have been sorry for the errors of these brethren, but I have been far more distressed by the spirit
shown in those errors. It is evident that they have renounced that holy reverence for Scripture which is
indicated by such an expression as this, "that trembleth at My Word."
They rather trifle than tremble. The Word is not their teacher, but they are its critics. With many, the
Word of the Lord is no longer enthroned in the place of honour, but it is treated as a football, to be
kicked about as they please; and the apostles, especially, are treated as if Paul, and James, and John,
were Jack, Tom, and Harry, with whom modern wise men are on terms of something more than
equality. They pass the Books of Scripture under their rod, and judge the Spirit of God Himself. The
Lord cannot work by a creature that is in revolt against Him. We must manifest the spirit of reverence,
or we shall not be as little children, nor enter the Kingdom of Heaven…
I have mentioned simplicity of character, singleness of eye, and subordination of mind; and next to
these, I notice, also, that, if God will speak to us, there must be a deep seriousness of heart. Let me
remind you again of that text which I mentioned a minute ago: "To this man will I look, even to him that
trembleth at My Word." When George Fox was called a Quaker, because he trembled at the Name of
God, the title was an honour to him. The man was so God-possessed that he quaked, as well he might.
Habakkuk describes the same feeling as having been his own, and this is no unusual experience with
the true child of God. In fact, God never comes to us without causing us to tremble. The old Romish
legend is that the tree that bore the Saviour was the aspen, whose leaves continually quiver; and he
that bears Christ within him, and feels the weight of the Divine glory, must be filled with awe. Our
brother Williams just now said that he feared and trembled for all the goodness that God had made to
pass before him-this is my feeling, and yours also. We are so weak, and these Divine inspirations are
so weighty, that we are subdued into awe, and there is no room for levity. (An All-Round Ministry:
Addresses to Ministers and Students)

MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES
ON THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD

The Power of the Word of God - Article by Henry Morris (annual fee - gives access to over 20
theological journals - exceptional resource for in depth study)

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  The Authority & Power of the Word upon the Heart (chapter 1) - J C Philpot
 The Authority & Power of the Word upon the Heart (chapter 2) - J C Philpot
 The Authority & Power of the Word upon the Heart (chapter 3) - J C Philpot

A Few Hymns which Exalt the Word of God

 Thy Word Is a Lamp by Fanny Crosby

 Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart by Ernest O. Sellers
 Thy Word Sheds Light upon My Path by Theodore E. Perkins
 Oh, Revive Us by Thy Word by Daniel W. Whittle
 I Love the Volumes of Thy Word by Isaac Watts
 Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord by Edwin Hodder
 Lord, Thy Word Abideth by Henry W. Baker
 Thy Word, O God, Declareth by Johann Walther
 Thy Word, O Lord, Like Gentle Dews by Carl B. Garve
 Thy Word, O Lord by Albert Midlane
 O How I Love Thy Holy Law by Isaac Watts
 How Precious, Lord, Thy Sacred Word by Isaac Watts
 How I Love Thy Law, O Lord by William B. Bradbury
 Whether the Word Be Preached or Read by Charles Wesley

John Phillips tells this story about the power of God's Word…

J. B. Phillips confesses in the introduction to his Letters to Young Churches that when he first began to
translate the New Testament he did not believe in the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. But
in the process of translating it he received so many shocks from the New Testament that he changed
his mind. The material he was handling had power. He said that translating it was like trying to rewire a
house without pulling the main switch. God's Word is powerful. (from Exploring Psalms Volume One)
Devotional from Our Daily Bread…
The first morning I heard the mockingbird practicing his bagful of imitations outside my window, I was
thrilled by the beauty of his songs. Gradually, however, I began to take this early morning songster for
granted. One day as I awoke, it dawned on me that I no longer appreciated my regular visitor. It wasn't
the mockingbird's fault. He was still there. His beautiful song hadn't changed, but I was no longer
listening for it.
As believers in Christ, we may have a similar experience hearing God speak to us in His Word. When
we are first saved, the Scriptures, with their soul-stirring instruction and vital spiritual food, are deeply
satisfying. As time goes on, however, we routinely read those same portions over and over in a manner
that no longer speaks to us. Our spiritual senses grow dull and lethargic, and God's exhilarating Word
becomes commonplace to us. But then, what joy we feel when a passage reveals an exciting truth, and
once again we "hear" the Lord!
Are you reading the Scriptures out of a tired sense of duty? Or do you still possess the fresh
expectancy you had when you first believed? Today, when you read God's Word, listen closely for His
voice. --R W De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I scanned the Scriptures thoughtlessly--
My haste had closed my ear;
Then prayerfully I read once more--
This time my heart could hear. --Gustafson
Without a heart for God, we cannot hear his word.
><>><>><>
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Matthew Henry on Genesis 1 and the "Power of the Word of God"…
That the light was made by the word of God’s power. He said, Let there be light; he willed and
appointed it, and it was done immediately: there was light, such a copy as exactly answered the
original idea in the Eternal Mind. O the power of the word of God! He spoke, and it was done, done
really, effectually, and for perpetuity, not in show only, and to serve a present turn, for he commanded,
and it stood fast: with him it was dictum, factum—a word, and a world. The world of God (that is, his
will and the good pleasure of it) is quick and powerful. Christ is the Word, the essential eternal Word,
and by him the light was produced, for in him was light, and he is the true light, the light of the
world, John 1:9; 9:5.. The divine light which shines in sanctified souls is wrought by the power of God,
the power of his word and of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, opening the understanding,
scattering the mists of ignorance and mistake, and giving the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ, as at first, God commanded the light to shine out of darkness,  2Cor. 4/6. Darkness would
have been perpetually upon the face of fallen man if the Son of God had not come, and given us an
understanding, 1Jn 5.20.

HANDOUT OF REFERENCES
FOR DISCUSSION

INSTRUCTIONS: References to be handed out to the discussants. Copy and paste these references to
your word processor and print out. Obviously you can delete or add verses as you deem appropriate.
As discussed above, if you have any degree class interaction, you will probably not be able to discuss
all of these passages. You might consider discussing this material over two or three sessions. Note
that the passages from Hebrews and Second Peter help explain the title of the page, and emphasize
the power and sufficiency of God's Word. These verses should be read out loud and a few
observations made to begin to draw the class into the discussion.
There are also quotes by Abraham Lincoln (positive) and a fascinating anecdotal story about Voltaire,
a vicious enemy of the Word.
You might amplify the comments on Voltaire which this some thoughts on the following excerpt from
the fascinating book "Last Words of Saints and Sinners", in which Herbert Lockyer writes…
VOLTAIRE, the noted French infidel and one of the most fertile and talented writers of his time, used
his pen to retard and demolish Christianity. Of Christ, Voltaire said:
"Curse the wretch!"
He once boasted,
"In twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve
apostles to rear."
Shortly ,after his death the very house in which he printed his foul literature became the depot of the
Geneva Bible Society!
The nurse who attended Voltaire said:
"For all the wealth in Europe I would not see another infidel die."
The physician, Trochim, waiting up with Voltaire at his death said that he cried out most desperately:
"I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months'
life. Then I shall go to hell; and you will go with me. O Christ! O Jesus Christ!"
THE LIVING AND ACTIVE WORD OF GOD
Provides Everything Necessary for Life & Godliness
Hebrews 4:12, 13, 2 Peter 1:3
Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the
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thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are
open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to (give an account).
2 Peter 1:3 (The) divine power (of Jesus our Lord) has granted to us everything pertaining to life and
godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Abraham Lincoln addressed a group of African-Americans who had given him a special presentation
Bible in 1864:
"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the
Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from
wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it."
Voltaire, the French philosopher and avowed atheist (1778) boasted that within 100 hundred years of
his lifetime, Christianity would be swept from earth but only 50 years after his death, his own printing
press and house were being used by the Geneva Bible Society to produce Bibles! God does have a
sense of humor!
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every
good work.
1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2
like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you
Context: 1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable,
that is, through the living and abiding word of God. 24 For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS
GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, 25 BUT
THE WORD OF THE LORD ABIDES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you.
Isaiah 42:8-9 "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to
graven images. "Behold, the former things have come to pass. Now I declare new things. Before they
spring forth I proclaim them to you."
Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the
path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law
he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields
its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word. 10 With
all my heart I have sought Thee; Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.  11 Thy word I have
treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day
and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make
your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Ezra 7:9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth
month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set
his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in
Israel.
Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the
delight of my heart; for I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Job 23:10-12 "But He knows the way I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My
foot has held fast to His path. I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from
the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
Context: Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was
blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and
shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, "Naked I came from my

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mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed
be the name of the LORD." 22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
Matthew 4:4 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.'"

QUOTES RELATED TO
THE WORD OF GOD
SEE THE MORE COMPLETE COLLECTION - The Word of God - Quotations and Illustrations
Warning: Inductive Bible study can be habit-forming. Putting the principles into practice can cause loss
of anxiety, decreased appetite for lying, cheating, stealing, hating and "symptoms" of growing
sensations of love, peace, joy, compassion.
Pictures of What the Word of God does

 (1) Sword - Ep 6:17, He 4:12

 (2) Critic, Judge - He 4:12
 (3) Lamp, light - Isa 5:20, Isa 50:10, 11, Ps 36:9, Ps 119:105, 130, Pr 6:23
 (4) Mirror - 2Cor 3:18, Jas 1:22, 23, 24, 25
 (5) Rain, Snow, Water - Isa 55:10,11, Jer 17:5, 6, 7, 8, Ep 5:26
 (6) Food, Bread - Job 23:12, Jer 15:16, Ezek 2:8, 3:1, 2, 3
 (7) Gold and Silver - Ps 19:10, Ps 119:127, Pr 8:10, 11, 8:19
 (8) Fire - Jer 23:29, 20:9
 (9) Hammer - Jer 23:29, 2Co 10:3,4,5, Acts 20:32
 (10) Seed - Mk 4:14, Mk 4:26, 27, 28, Col 1:5, 6,7
 (11) Honey, Honeycomb - Ps 19:10, Ps 119:103, Ps 81:16, Pr 24:13, Ezek 3:1, 2, 3
 (For detailed discussion of these pictures see The Word-Filled Life - Developing the Mind of
Christ by Hampton Keathley III)

Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed. Let it not only inform you but inflame
you. -- Thomas Watson
Inductive Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform. (see Romans 12:2-note)
Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them. - E. Paul
Hovey
The old covenant is revealed in the New, and the New Covenant is veiled in the Old. - Augustine
The new is in the old contained, and the Old is in the New explained. - Graham Scroggie
The family Bible is more often used to adorn coffee tables or press flowers than it is to feed souls and
discipline lives. - Charles Colson
The Old Testament altar points to the New Testament cross.
The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions. (Deut 8:3, Mt 4:4)
The Bible is the best "TV guide". (Ps 101:3) (Spurgeon on Ps 101:3)
When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart. (Ps 119:18, Luke 24:45, Eph 1:17-
note; Eph 1:18-note)
If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living.
To understand the Word of God, rely on the Spirit of God.
You can't enjoy the harmony of Scripture if you play just one note of truth. (Acts 20:27)
To hear God speak, read the Bible carefully and study it prayerfully.

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Backsliders begin with dusty Bibles and end with filthy garments. Spurgeon
We cannot bear fruit without the water of God's Word. (Luke 8:15)
The highest goal of learning is to know God. (John 17:3)
After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist Ayn Rand was asked by a reporter,
“Whats wrong with the modern world?” Without a moment’s hesitation she replied, “Never before has
the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world
been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible, the
modern attitude is, ‘Father, forgive us, for we know not what we are doing—and please don’t tell us.’”
That’s very perceptive for an acknowledged agnostic. Many of us want a word from God, but we don’t
want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible but not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay
the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it “life service.” In a world where the only absolute is that there
are no absolutes, there is little room left for the authoritative Word of God as revealed in the Bible.
When we look into the mirror of God's Word, we see ourselves more clearly. ( James 1:23, 24, 25 - see
notes James 1:23; 24; 25)
A text taken out of context becomes a pretext.
Let God's Word fill your mind, rule your heart, and guide your tongue. (see Colossians 3:16-note, Eph
5:18-note; Eph 5:19-note;Eph 5:20-note)
The Bible: The more you read it, the more you love it; the more you love it, the more you read it.
The best protection against Satan's lies is to know God's truth. (see Ephesians 6:14-note)
Like a compass, the Bible always points you in the right direction. (Deut 28:13,14, Joshua 1:7, 8, 9)
Those who only sample the Bible never acquire a taste for it. (Jer 15:16, Job 23:12, Ps 19:10)
While other books inform, and some few reform, this one book transforms. -- A. T. Pierson
Other books were given for our information—the Bible was given for our transformation.
If you're too busy to read the Bible, you're too busy.
As A W Tozer put it…
Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to me.
God feeds the birds, but He doesn't throw the food into their nests.
We lose the joy of living in the present when we worry about the future. And we lose the joy of living for
the future when we focus on the present.
Opening your Bible can be a real eye-opener.
A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul.
The Bible breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts.
A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't.
Sin will keep you from the Bible or the Bible will keep you from sin.
It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter.
The Bible: read it through, work it out, pass it on!
The jewel of the Word should not hang in our ears, but be locked up in a believing heart. -- William
Jenkyn
The Word is both a glass to show us the spots of our soul and a laver to wash them away. -- Puritan
Thomas Watson
One proof of the inspiration of the Bible is that it has withstood so much poor preaching. - A. T.
Robertson
It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent and balanced intake of the Word
of God in our lives. -- Jerry Bridges
The Bible is none other than the voice of him that sitteth upon the throne. Every book of it, every
chapter of it, every syllable of it, every letter of it, is the direct utterance of the Most High. -- John
William Burgon
Apply yourself to the Scriptures and the Scriptures to yourself.

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The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me. - Martin
Luther
Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without chewing. (Ps
119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148)
God speaks through His Word--take time to listen.
The value of the Bible is not knowing it, but obeying it.
When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have found it the
key to your own heart, your own happiness and your own duty. -- Woodrow Wilson
It is not the Word hidden in the head but in the heart that keeps us from sin. - Vance Havner
A Bible in hand is worth two on the shelf.
A Red Letter Bible is fine, but one that is Read is far better!
When the Bible becomes a part of you, you'll be less likely to come apart.
The Bible is simple enough for a child to read and too deep for a scholar to master.
A Bible that has frayed edges usually has an owner that doesn't.
The best thing to do with the Bible is to know it in the head, stow it in the heart, sow it in the world, and
show it in the life.
Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. It is more needful
for you to hear God's words than that God should hear yours, though the one will always lead to the
other. -- F. B. Meyer
The Christian is bred by the Word and he must be fed by it. --William Gurnall
The best way for Christians to grow is to eat the Bread of Life.
The Word of God is the candle without which faith cannot see to do its work.
The true Christian church is the work of the Word communicated by every available means. -- Martin
Luther
The Bible is like a compass—it always points the believer in the right direction.
The Bible is like the ocean. You can wade in it, feed from it, live on it--or drown in it. But those who take
the time to learn its truths and practice them will be changed forever.
With God's Word as your map and His Spirit as your compass, you're sure to stay on course.
When you study the Bible "hit or miss," you MISS more than you HIT.
When the Word of God dwells in you, the love of Christ shines through you.
Beware! Error often rides to its deadly work on the back of truth! --Spurgeon (2Cor 11:13, 14, 15)
Spiritual growth requires the meat of God's Word. (see Hebrews 5:14-note, 1 Peter 2:2-note)
Be diligent in your study of the Word of God. Then, instead of falling into error, you will stand firmly on
the truth.
Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe; practise it to be holy.
The Word of the Lord is a light to guide you, a counsellor to counsel you, a comforter to comfort you, a
staff to support you, a sword to defend you, and a physician to cure you. The Word is a mine to enrich
you, a robe to clothe you, and a crown to crown you. - Thomas Brooks
Your life will run smoother if you go by "The Book."
If we want our life to run well, even through stormy situations and rough circumstances, we must take
the time to study the "Owner's Manual."
Many people store the Bible on the shelf instead of in their heart.
Some people make the Bible say what they want to hear
To be a healthy Christian, don't treat the Bible as snack food.
A well-read Bible is the companion of a well-fed believer.
I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible. - D. L. Moody
We must approach God's Word as if our lives depended on it--because they do.
If your life depended on knowing the Bible, how long would you last?

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We must align ourselves with the Bible, never the Bible with ourselves.
The branches of growing trees not only reach higher, but their roots grow deeper. It's impossible for a
strong tree to have high branches without having deep roots. It would become top-heavy and topple
over in the wind." The same is true with Christians. It's impossible for us to grow in the Lord without
entwining our roots around His Word and deepening our life in His commands." - Joni Eraeckson Tada
The roots of stability come from being grounded in God's Word.
Bible study demands pondering deeply on a short passage, like a cow chewing her cud. It is better to
read a little and ponder a lot than to read a lot and ponder a little.
Unless God's Word illumine the way, the whole life of men is wrapped in darkness and mist, so that
they cannot but miserably stray. -- John Calvin
Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of our liberties; write its precepts on your hearts and practise
them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for the progress made in true
civilization, and to this we must look for our guide in the future. Ulysses S. Grant
There’s no better book with which to defend the Bible than the Bible itself. - D. L. Moody
The study of God’s Word brings peace to the heart. In it, we find a light for every darkness, life in death,
the promise of our Lord’s return, and the assurance of everlasting glory. - D. L. Moody
The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope, then he sees worlds beyond: but if
he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked
through, to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it; and so they see only the dead
letter.” Phillips Brooks
The Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity, but to make you conform to Christ’s image. Not to
make you a smarter sinner, but to make you like the Savior. Not to fill your head with a collection of
biblical facts, but to transform your life.” --Howard Hendricks in Living by the Book
It has been said that the Bible is so deep that theologians cannot touch the bottom, yet so shallow that
babes cannot drown.
J. I. Packer once said that…
If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible.
In the midst of that period of intellectual history called The Enlightenment, a philosophy known as
deism was sweeping Europe. In the midst of this development, the famous skeptic, Voltaire,
proclaimed that within 25 years, the Bible would be forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the
past. However, 40 years after Voltaire’s death in 1778, the Bible and other Christian literature were
being printed in what had once been Voltaire’s own house!
My rule for Christian living is this: anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for
Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I must, as a
Christian, turn away from it. - Dr. Wilbur Chapman
The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you
where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars. - Henry Ward Beecher
Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. - Samuel Smiles
Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed… Let it not only inform you, but inflame
you. - Thomas Watson
Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the Well, not from the streams that flow
from the Well . -- Amy Carmichael
Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had
“gone through it several times.”
“Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “then you will tell a different story!”

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C H Spurgeon in his sermon on Hosea 2:23 exults in the authority and efficacy of God's holy Word…
To my mind, it is very instructive to notice how Paul quotes from the Prophets. The revelation of the
mind of God in the Old Testament helps us to understand the gospel revealed in the New
Testament. There is no authority that is so powerful over the minds of Christian men as that of the
Word of God. Has God made known any truth in his Word? Then, it is invested with divine authority.
Paul, being himself inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore able to write fresh revelations of the mind
of God, here brings the authority of God’s Word in the olden times to back up and support what he
says: “As he saith also in Osee (Hosea).”
Beloved friend, if you are seeking salvation, or if you want comfort, never rest satisfied with the mere
word of man. Be not content unless you got the truth from the mouth of God. Say in your spirit, “I will
not be comforted, unless God himself shall comfort me. I want chapter and verse for that which I
receive as gospel.” Our Lord’s reply to Satan was, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Give me, then, but a word out of God’s mouth,
and I can live upon it; but all the words out of man’s mouth, apart from divine inspiration, must be as
unsatisfying food as if men tried to live on stones.
Notice, again, how Paul teaches that the very essence of the authority of the Scriptures lies in this, that
God speaks through his revealed Word:
“As HE saith also in Osee (Hosea).”
It is God speaking in the Bible whom we ought to hear. The mere letter of the Word alone will hill; but
when we hear God’s voice speaking in it, then it has power which it could not possess otherwise.  It is a
blessed thing to put your ear down to the promises of Scripture, till you hear God speaking through
them to your soul. It is truly profitable to read a gospel commandment, and to listen to its voice until
God himself speaks it with power to your heart. I pray you, do not regard anything that is preached
here unless it agrees with what is written there in the Bible. If it is only my word, throw it away; but if it
is God’s truth that I declare to you, if God Himself speaks it through my lips, you will disregard it at your
peril.
I will make only one other observation by way of introduction. Is it not wonderful how God’s Word is
preserved century after century? There were seven or eight hundred years between Hosea and Paul;
and it is remarkable that the promise to the Gentiles should lie asleep all that time, and yet should be
just as full of life and power when Paul was quoting it after all those centuries. God’s Word is like the
wheat in the hand of the mummy, of which you have often heard. It had lain there for thousands of
years; but men took it out of the hand, and sowed it, and there sprang up the bearded wheat which
has now become so common in our land. So you take a divine promise, spoken hundreds or
thousands of years ago, and lo, it is fulfilled to you! It becomes as true to you as if God had spoken it
for the first time this very day, and you were the person to whom it was addressed.
O blessed Word of God, how we ought to prize thee! We cannot tell yet all that lies hidden between
these covers; but there is a treasury of grace concealed here, which we ought to seek until we find it.
(See full message on Hosea 2:23 God's People, or Not God's People) (Bolding added for emphasis)
(Copyright AGES Software. Used by permission. All rights reserved. See AGES Software for their full
selection of highly recommended resources)
><>><>><>
THE TALKING BOOK
Spurgeon commenting on Proverbs 6:22:
THE WORD IS LIVING. How else could it be said: "It shall talk with thee"? A dead book cannot talk, nor
can a dumb book speak. It is clearly a living book, then, and a speaking book: "The word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever." How many of us have found this to be most certainly true! A large
proportion of human books are long ago dead, and even shrivelled like Egyptian mummies; the mere
course of years has rendered them worthless, their teaching is disproved, and they have no life for us.

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Entomb them in your public libraries if you will, but, henceforth, they will stir no man's pulse and warm
no man's heart. But this thrice blessed book of God, though it has been extant among us these many
hundreds of years, is immortal in its life, unwithering in its strength: the dew of its youth is still upon it;
its speech still drops as the rain fresh from heaven; its truths are overflowing founts of ever fresh
consolation. Never book spake like this book; its voice, like the voice of God, is powerful and full of
majesty.
THE WORD OF GOD
IS LIVING
… Whence comes it that the word of God is living? Is it not, first, because it is pure truth? Error is death,
truth is life…
… The word of God is living, because it is the utterance of an immutable, self-existing God. God doth
not speak to-day what He meant not yesterday, neither will He to-morrow blot out what He records to-
day. When I read a promise spoken three thousand years ago, it is as fresh as though it fell from the
eternal lips to-day. There are, indeed, no dates to the Divine promises; they are not of private
interpretation, nor to be monopolized by any generation. I say again, as fresh to-day the eternal word
drops from the Almighty's lips as when He uttered it to Moses, or to Elias, or spake it by the tongue of
Esaias (Isaiah) or Jeremiah. The word is always sure, steadfast, and full of power. It is never out of
date. Scripture bubbles up evermore with good matters, it is an eternal Geyser, a spiritual Niagara of
grace, for ever falling, flashing, and flowing on; it is never stagnant, never brackish or defiled, but
always clear, crystal, fresh, and refreshing; so, therefore, ever living…
… The word lives, again, because it enshrines the living heart of Christ. The heart of Christ is the most
living of all existences…
… Over and above all this, the Holy Spirit has a peculiar connection with the word of God… (Read the
entire Sermon on Proverbs 6:22 - The Talking Book)
Some more on power and Word… note that in a number of these passages the power of the Word is
made evident by the effect it produces (eg, creation, restraint from sin, healing, etc).
><>><>><>
Some more on the power of the Word of God…
The Word of God is…
Active Isa 55:11 The Hebrew for "word" can also mean "action" or "deed". This indicates that God’s
word is active.
Brings about creation Ps 33:6, Heb 11:3 See also 2Pe 3:5
Maintains the created order Heb 1:3 See also Ps 147:18
Gives life Dt 8:3, 32:47 See also Isa 55:2-3; Mt 4:4 Lk 4:4
Restrains from sin Ps 17:4; 119:11
Heals and rescues Ps 107:20
The power to save James 1:21 See also 2Ti 3:15; 1Pe 1:23
It brings about the growth of the kingdom of God Mt 13:23 pp Mk 4:20 pp Lk 8:15
It builds up the saints Acts 20:32
Matthew 22:29 -The “Scriptures” and “the power of God” are placed in apposition.
><>><>><>
More Illustrations related to the Word of God…
John Kass, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, recently wrote about a waiter named Bouch who
works at a tavern in Chicago. Bouch decided to write to the king of his homeland, Morocco. The king,
Mohammed VI, is immensely popular because he often interacts with his subjects in public. He has
freed political prisoners, and he helps the poor and disabled. When Bouch wrote to him from Chicago,
King Mohammed VI, true to nature, wrote back.
"Look at the letters," said Bouch. "These are letters from the king. if I meet him, I’ll be so happy."

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John Kass, the columnist, muses, "How many guys hauling beer and burgers in a Chicago tavern have
a correspondence going with a royal monarch?" The columnist talked to Morocco’s deputy counsel
general in Chicago and was told that it isn’t unusual for the king to write personal letters to his
subjects abroad. "It happens a lot," the official said. "He loves his subjects."
You think King Mohammed VI loves his subjects? You ought to meet Jesus, the King of kings, and read
his precious letters to you.
><>><>><>
Sometimes the airplane pilot can see nothing and must fly by instrument. The Christian must often do
the same and that instrument is the Word of God. It guarantees a safe landing! - Vance Havner
><>><>><>
In a day of tranquilizers we are likely to make an aspirin pill of religion. The Word of God is not a lullaby
to put us to sleep but a reveille to wake us up. - Vance Havner
><>><>><>
When a plane takes off, it needs a control tower. The control tower can see what the pilots cannot. The
pilots have a limited vantage point. They can’t see underneath or above them. The pilots, even with all
of their instruments, cannot see all the weather conditions that will affect their flight plan. The folks in
the control tower can provide the pilots information they wouldn’t have because of their limited
vantage point. The Word of God is the control tower for the Christian. Where we have only a limited
vantage point, God’s Word can communicate to us what is going on in the spiritual realm that we can’t
see. - Tony Evans
><>><>><>
People listen to traffic reports before heading to work so they can find out about conditions they can’t
see. These traffic reports are normally provided by a person flying around in a helicopter who has a
large vantage point. The proof that people listen to traffic reports and believe them is evident by their
decisions on which route to take. People don’t just listen to the traffic report for their listening
pleasure. They listen to get information on situations they can’t see themselves. As Christians, we
need eyes that we don’t have. God has a greater vantage point and provides that information to us in
His Word. - Tony Evans
><>><>><>
If you drive into the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport from the south side, you’ll see a big, round thing up there.
That big, round thing is the Doppler radar. It was built because pilots were not able to see wind shears.
In the past, these sudden bursts of wind had been forceful enough to slow down an approaching plane,
press it to the ground, and cause an accident. The Doppler radar detects wind shears so that planes,
pilots, and passengers can be protected from disaster, from things they can’t see. God has given you a
radar to help you because there are things you can’t see. The Word of God is a radar that will save us
from disaster if we would only believe it to be true and act accordingly. - Tony Evans
><>><>><>
First Peter 2:2 tells us to "long for the pure milk of the Word." Pure means undiluted. A lot of us want
the Word but we mix it up with other information. At most county or state fairs, you can find candied
apples—apples dipped in sugar. Now, apples by themselves are a great, healthy fruit. Once you dip
them in sugar, however, you’ve just killed the benefit of the apple although it tastes good. A candied
apple is sweet but its nutritional value is diluted because something with no value has been added to
it. Many of us will read the Word, hear the Word, and then talk to people about the Word but then dip it
in human viewpoint.

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The Word of God - Quotations and
Illustrations
Updated: Fri, 01/08/2021 - 19:54 By admin

Read the Bible. Free gift inside.

I have read many books, but the Bible reads me.
One who uses the Bible as his guide never loses his sense of direction.
The Old Testament altar points to the New Testament cross.
The old covenant is revealed in the New, and the New Covenant is veiled in the Old. - Augustine

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In the Old Testament the new lies hidden, in the New Testament the old is laid open. - Augustine
The faith will totter if the authority of the Holy Scriptures loses its hold on men. We must surrender
ourselves to the authority of Holy Scripture, for it can neither mislead nor be misled.  - Augustine
Warning: Inductive Bible study can be habit-forming. Putting the principles into practice can cause
loss of anxiety, decreased appetite for lying, cheating, stealing, hating and "symptoms" of growing
sensations of love, peace, joy, compassion.
Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed. Let it not only inform you but inflame
you. -- Thomas Watson
Inductive Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform. (see Romans 12:2-note)
If reading the Bible can be compared to cruising the width of a clear, sparkling lake in a motorboat,
studying the Bible is like slowly crossing that same lake in a glass-bottomed boat. The motorboat
crossing provides an overview of the lake and swift, passing view of its depths. The glass-bottomed
boat of study, however, takes you beneath the surface of Scripture for an unhurried look of clarity and
detail that normally missed by those who simply read the text. As author Jerry Bridges put it, "Reading
gives us breadth, but study gives us depth." (Ed comment - Sounds like they are describing Inductive
Bible Study!) - Don Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
R C Sproul addresses the question of why we don't study the Word of God - "Here then, is the real
problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult
to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a
lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy." - Knowing Scripture, 1977
Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them. - E. Paul
Hovey
The new is in the old contained, and the Old is in the New explained. - Graham Scroggie
The family Bible is more often used to adorn coffee tables or press flowers than it is to feed souls and
discipline lives. - Charles Colson
The Bible—banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in
history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have
outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it more powerful
than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless
killers into gentle saints. - Charles Colson
God's plan for sanctifying us, that is, for making us holy and godly, is accomplished by means of "the
truth"--His Word (see Jn 17:17) If we settle for a poor quality intake of hearing, reading and studying
God's Word, we severely restrict the main flow of God's sanctifying grace toward us...For those who
use their Bibles little are really not much better off than those who have no Bible at all.  - Don Whitney
in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life 
The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions. (Deut 8:3, Mt 4:4+)
The Bible is the best "TV guide". (Ps 101:3) (Spurgeon on Ps 101:3)
When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart. (Ps 119:18, Luke 24:45, Eph 1:17-
note; Eph 1:18-note)
If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living.
To understand the Word of God, rely on the Spirit of God.
You can't enjoy the harmony of Scripture if you play just one note of truth. (Acts 20:27)
To hear God speak, read the Bible carefully and study it prayerfully.
The roots of stability come from being grounded in God's Word.
Bible study is like eating peanuts. The more you eat, the more you want to eat. - Paul Little
Backsliders begin with dusty Bibles and end with filthy garments. - Spurgeon (See article
on Backsliding)
The devil is not afraid of the Bible that has dust on it.

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We cannot bear fruit without the water of God's Word. (Luke 8:15)
The highest goal of learning is to know God. (John 17:3)
When we look into the mirror of God's Word, we see ourselves more clearly. (James 1:23,24, 25 - note)
A text taken out of context becomes a pretext.
Let God's Word fill your mind, rule your heart, and guide your tongue. (see Colossians 3:16-note, Eph
5:18-note; Eph 5:19-note;Eph 5:20-note)
The Bible: The more you read it, the more you love it; the more you love it, the more you read it.
It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do
understand. - Mark Twain
The best protection against Satan's lies is to know God's truth. (see Ephesians 6:14-note)
Like a compass, the Bible always points you in the right direction. (Deut 28:13,14, Joshua 1:7-9-note)
Those who only sample the Bible never acquire a taste for it. (Jer 15:16-note, Job 23:12-note, Ps 19:10-
note)
While other books inform, and some few reform, this one book transforms. -- A. T. Pierson
Other books were given for our information—the Bible was given for our transformation.
If you're too busy to read the Bible, you're too busy.
As A W Tozer put it "Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear
to me."
God feeds the birds, but He doesn't throw the food into their nests.
We lose the joy of living in the present when we worry about the future. And we lose the joy of living for
the future when we focus on the present.
Opening your Bible can be a real eye-opener.
A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul.
The Bible breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts.
A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't.
Sin will keep you from the Bible or the Bible will keep you from sin.
It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter.
The Bible: read it through, work it out, pass it on!
Scripture has but one sense, which is the literal sense. - William Tyndale
I have observed that all the heresies and errors have arisen not from Scripture’s own plain statements,
but when that plainness of statement is ignored, and men follow the Scholastic arguments of their
own brains. - Martin Luther
The jewel of the Word should not hang in our ears, but be locked up in a believing heart. -- William
Jenkyn
When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, "It is talking to me, and about
me." - Soren Kierkegaard
The Bible is a letter from God with our personal address on it.  - Soren Kierkegaard
To read the Bible as God’s word one must read it with His heart in His mouth, on tip-toe, with eager
expectancy, in conversation with God. To read the Bible thoughtlessly or carelessly or academically or
professionally is not to read the Bible as God’s Word. As one reads it as a love letter is read, then one
reads it as the Word of God.  - Soren Kierkegaard
To me the greatest thing that has happened on this earth of ours is the rise of the human race to the
vision of God. That story of the human rise to what I call the vision of God is the story which is told in
the Bible. - Jan Christian Smuts
The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. - James Bryce
I am my neighbour’s Bible:
He reads me when we meet,
Today he reads me in my house,

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 Tomorrow in the street;
He may be relative or friend,
Or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.
Anonymous
     The Bible? That’s the Book.
     The Book indeed,
     The Book of books;
     On which who looks,
     As he should do, aright,
     Shall never need
     Wish for a better light
     To guide him in the night.
- George Herbert
More people are troubled by what is plain in Scripture than by what is obscure. - Roy L Smith
To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this
treasure house, the Bible? Queen Elizabeth II
In this one book are the two most interesting personalities in the whole world—God and yourself. The
Bible is the story of God and man, a love story in which you and I must write our own ending, our
unfinished autobiography of the creature and the Creator. - Fulton Oursler
A man who loves his wife will love her letters and her photographs because they speak to him of her.
So if we love the Lord Jesus, we shall love the Bible because it speaks to us of him. - John Stott
Once you and I are face to face with the Word of God. . . we can only accept or reject it. Jesus
becomes the two-edged sword that cuts right down the middle, dividing us into believers and
nonbelievers. - John Powell
God's Word is pure and sure, in spite of the devil, in spite of your fear, in spite of everything. -  R. A.
Torrey
Centuries of experience have tested the Bible. It has passed through critical fires no other volume has
suffered, and its spiritual truth has endured the flames and come out without so much as the smell of
burning. - W E Sangster
The Word is both a glass to show us the spots of our soul and a laver to wash them away. -- Puritan
Thomas Watson
One proof of the inspiration of the Bible is that it has withstood so much poor preaching. - A. T.
Robertson
God the Father is the giver of Holy Scripture; God the Son is the theme of Holy Scripture; and God the
Spirit is the author, authenticator, and interpreter of Holy Scripture. - J I Packer
One of the many divine qualities of the Bible is this: that it does not yield its secrets to the irreverent
and censorious. - J I Packer
The church no more created the canon than Newton created the law of gravity; recognition is not
creation. - J. I. Packer
My own experience is that the Bible is dull when I am dull. When I am really alive, and set in upon the
text with a tidal pressure of living affinities, it opens, it multiplies discoveries, and reveals depths even
faster than I can note them. The worldly spirit shuts the Bible; the Spirit of God makes it a fire, flaming
out all meanings and glorious truths. - Horace Bushnell
The Bible is my church. It is always open, and there is my High Priest ever waiting to receive me. There
I have my confessional, my thanksgiving, my psalm of praise, a field of promises, and a congregation

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of whom the world is not worthy—prophets and apostles, and martyrs and confessors—in short, all I
can want, there I find. - Charlotte Elliot
I never knew all there was in the Bible until I spent those years in jail. I was constantly finding new
treasures. - John Bunyan
Make it the first morning business of your life to understand some part of the Bible clearly, and make it
your daily business to obey it in all that you do understand. - John Ruskin
The Holy Bible is an abyss. It is impossible to explain how profound it is, impossible to explain how
simple it is. - Ernest Hello
The authority of the Bible comes not from the calibre of its human authors but from the character of its
divine Author. - John Blanchard
My deepest regret, on reaching threescore years and ten, is that I have not devoted more time to the
study of the Bible. Still in less than nineteen years I have gone through the New Testament in Chinese
fifty-five times. - Jonathan Goforth
God’s Book is packed full of overwhelming riches; they are unsearchable—the more we have the more
there is to have. - Oswald Chambers
The Bible does not thrill, the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible, and the recreating
effect is as real as that of fresh air physically. - Oswald Chambers
A partially inspired Bible is little better than no Bible at all. J. C. Ryle
I know the Bible is inspired because it finds me at a greater depth of my being than any other book. -
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The gospel is not merely a book—it is a living power—a book surpassing all others. I never omit to read
it, and every day with the same pleasure. The gospel possesses a secret virtue, a mysterious efficacy,
a warmth which penetrates and soothes the heart. One finds in meditating upon it that which one
experiences in contemplating the heavens. The gospel is not a book; it is a living being, with an action,
a power, which invades everything that opposes its extension. - Napoleon Bonaparte
Inspiration, in the full apostolic meaning of the word, ceased when the canon of Scripture was brought
to completion. Without such apostolic inspiration there can be no infallible revelation. - Geoffrey B.
Wilson
I never had any doubt about it being of divine origin. . . point out to me any similar collection of writings
that has lasted for as many thousands of years and is still a best-seller, world-wide. It had to be of
divine origin. - Ronald Reagan
A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. - Theodore Roosevelt
All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible. - Abraham Lincoln
I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day. I wonder why they deprive themselves of the
strength and the pleasure. - Woodrow Wilson
Give the Bible to the people, unadulterated, pure, unaltered, unexplained, uncheapened, and then see it
work through the whole nature. It is very difficult indeed for a man or for a boy who knows the
Scriptures ever to get away from it. It follows him like the memory of his mother. It haunts him like an
old song. It reminds him like the word of an old and revered teacher. It forms a part of the warp and
woof of his life. - Woodrow Wilson
It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent and balanced intake of the Word
of God in our lives. -- Jerry Bridges
The Bible is none other than the voice of him that sitteth upon the throne. Every book of it, every
chapter of it, every syllable of it, every letter of it, is the direct utterance of the Most High. -- John
William Burgon
Apply yourself to the Scriptures and the Scriptures to yourself.
The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me. - Martin
Luther

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Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without chewing. (Ps
119:15, 23,27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148)
God speaks through His Word--take time to listen.
The value of the Bible is not knowing it, but obeying it.
When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have found it the
key to your own heart, your own happiness and your own duty. -- Woodrow Wilson
It is not the Word hidden in the head but in the heart that keeps us from sin. - Vance Havner
God’s Word is its own best argument. - Vance Havner
The Word of God is either absolute or obsolete.  - Vance Havner
A Bible in hand is worth two on the shelf.
A Red Letter Bible is fine, but one that is Read is far better!
Those who spiritualize tell spiritual lies, because they lack spiritual eyes.
When the Bible becomes a part of you, you'll be less likely to come apart.
The Bible is simple enough for a child to read and too deep for a scholar to master.
A Bible that has frayed edges usually has an owner that doesn't.
Trying to absorb the depths of the Bible is like trying to mop up the ocean floor with a sponge.
The best thing to do with the Bible is to know it in the head, stow it in the heart, sow it in the world, and
show it in the life.
Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. It is more needful
for you to hear God's words than that God should hear yours, though the one will always lead to the
other. -- F. B. Meyer
The Christian is bred by the Word and he must be fed by it. --William Gurnall
The best way for Christians to grow is to eat the Bread of Life.
The Word of God is the candle without which faith cannot see to do its work.
The true Christian church is the work of the Word communicated by every available means. -- Martin
Luther
The Bible is like a compass—it always points the believer in the right direction.
The Bible is like the ocean. You can wade in it, feed from it, live on it--or drown in it. But those who take
the time to learn its truths and practice them will be changed forever.
With God's Word as your map and His Spirit as your compass, you're sure to stay on course.
When you study the Bible "hit or miss," you MISS more than you HIT.
When the Word of God dwells in you, the love of Christ shines through you.
The Bible is a window in this prison-world through which we may look into eternity. - Timothy Dwight
Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years. - C H Spurgeon
The Bible is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed by quartz or any earthly substance. This is a star without a
speck; a sun without a blot; a light without darkness; a moon without its paleness; a glory without a
dimness. O Bible! It cannot be said of any other book that it is perfect and pure; but of thee we can
declare all wisdom is gathered up in thee, without a particle of folly. This is the judge that ends the
strife, where wit and reason fail. This is the book untainted by any error; but is pure, unalloyed, perfect
truth. - C H Spurgeon
Beware! Error often rides to its deadly work on the back of truth! --Spurgeon (2Cor 11:13,14, 15)
Spiritual growth requires the meat of God's Word. (see Hebrews 5:14-note, 1 Peter 2:2-note)
Be diligent in your study of the Word of God. Then, instead of falling into error, you will stand firmly on
the truth.
Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe; practise it to be holy.
The Word of the Lord is a light to guide you, a counsellor to counsel you, a comforter to comfort you, a
staff to support you, a sword to defend you, and a physician to cure you. The Word is a mine to enrich
you, a robe to clothe you, and a crown to crown you. - Thomas Brooks

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Your life will run smoother if you go by "The Book."
If we want our life to run well, even through stormy situations and rough circumstances, we must take
the time to study the "Owner's Manual."
Many people store the Bible on the shelf instead of in their heart.
Some people make the Bible say what they want to hear
To be a healthy Christian, don't treat the Bible as snack food.
A well-read Bible is the companion of a well-fed believer.
We must approach God's Word as if our lives depended on it--because they do.
If your life depended on knowing the Bible, how long would you last?
We must align ourselves with the Bible, never the Bible with ourselves.
Do you know a book that you are willing to put under your head for a pillow when you are dying? Very
well; that is the book you want to study when you are living. There is only one such book in the world. -
Joseph Cook
The Bible is literally God speaking to you. It is God's instrument in salvation (Romans 10:17-note; 1
Peter 1:25-note) and God's instrument for growing mature Christians (1 Peter 2:2-note). It is the
blueprint for the Christian. - George Sweeting
Prayer is the "open sesame" to the Bible. Always begin your Bible reading with prayer for divine
guidance. All of us in reading some current book have wished the author were present to answer and
explain some things, but this is rarely possible. Amazing as it seems, this is possible when reading the
Bible. - George Sweeting
The branches of growing trees not only reach higher, but their roots grow deeper. It's impossible for a
strong tree to have high branches without having deep roots. It would become top-heavy and topple
over in the wind." The same is true with Christians. It's impossible for us to grow in the Lord without
entwining our roots around His Word and deepening our life in His commands." - Joni Eraeckson Tada
Bible study demands pondering deeply on a short passage, like a cow chewing her cud. It is better to
read a little and ponder a lot than to read a lot and ponder a little.
Unless God's Word illumine the way, the whole life of men is wrapped in darkness and mist, so that
they cannot but miserably stray. - John Calvin
Why do they put the Gideon Bibles only in the bedrooms, where its usually too late, and not in the
barroom downstairs? - Christopher Morley
Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of our liberties; write its precepts on your hearts and practise
them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for the progress made in true
civilization, and to this we must look for our guide in the future. Ulysses S. Grant
The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope, then he sees worlds beyond: but if
he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked
through, to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it; and so they see only the dead
letter.” - Phillips Brooks
The Bible shows how the world progresses. It begins with a garden, but ends with a holy city. - Phillips
Brooks
The Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity, but to make you conform to Christ’s image. Not to
make you a smarter sinner, but to make you like the Savior. Not to fill your head with a collection of
biblical facts, but to transform your life.” --Howard Hendricks in Living by the Book
No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets its Author face to face. - Everett Harris
It has been said that the Bible is so deep that theologians cannot touch the bottom, yet so shallow that
babes cannot drown.
J. I. Packer once said that "If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging
into the Bible."

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One controlling, guiding, unifying mind must have been operative through all the weary ages to
produce out of such composite elements a result so wonderfully unique, uplifting, and unfathomable
as the Bible; and that mind in the nature of things could not have been human. - William E Gladstone
In the midst of that period of intellectual history called The Enlightenment, a philosophy known as
deism was sweeping Europe. In the midst of this development, the famous skeptic, Voltaire,
proclaimed that within 25 years, the Bible would be forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the
past. However, 40 years after Voltaire’s death in 1778, the Bible and other Christian literature were
being printed in what had once been Voltaire’s own house! Here is Voltaire's actual quote "Another
century and there will not be a Bible on earth." (See another entry on Voltaire below)
In twenty-five years, the Bible will be a forgotten book. - Robert Ingersoll
My rule for Christian living is this: anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for
Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I must, as a
Christian, turn away from it. - Dr. Wilbur Chapman
Rome also persecuted the Scriptures; but chiefly in this way: that instead of being the custodian of
Scripture it became the jailor of Scripture, and for many centuries the Word of God was hidden from
the people, and legends and traditions of men became the food of the human mind. - Adolph Saphir
There is no doubt that God has often brought a certain verse to the attention of one of His children in
an unusual and almost miraculous manner, for a special need, but the Word was never intended to be
consulted in a superstitious manner. - S. Maxwell Coder, God's Will for Your Life
The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you
where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars. - Henry Ward Beecher
Every hour
I read you, kills a sin,
Or lets a virtue in
To fight against it.
- Izaak Walton
Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
- Samuel Smiles
Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed…Let it not only inform you, but inflame
you. - Thomas Watson
Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the Well, not from the streams that flow
from the Well.-- Amy Carmichael
Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had
“gone through it several times.” “Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “then you will tell a different
story!”
On the cover of your Bible and my Bible appear the words "Holy Bible." Do you know why the Bible is
called holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in
it? I can tell you why. It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and
about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchange the truth of God for the devil's lie about sex, for
example; and drugs, and alcohol, and religious hypocrisy. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth.
Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free. -
Billy Graham
The Bible is the only thing that can combat the devil. Quote the Scriptures and the devil will run . . . use
the Scriptures like a sword and you’ll drive temptation away.  - Billy Graham

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The Bible redirects my will, cleanses my emotions, enlightens my mind, and quickens my total being.
- E Stanley Jones
When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the word of God, because you will have found it the
key to your own heart, your own happiness and your own duty. - Woodrow Wilson
A readiness to believe every promise implicitly, to obey every command unhesitatingly, to stand perfect
and complete in all the will of God, is the only true spirit of Bible study. - Andrew Murray
The New Testament holds up a strong light by which a man can read even the small print of his soul. -
John Hutton
The book which closes the New Testament "shuts up all" "with a seven-fold chorus of hallelujahs and
harping symphonies" as Milton says in his stately music, and may well represent for us, in that
perpetual cloud of incense rising up fragrant to the Throne of God and of the Lamb, the unceasing love
and thanksgiving which should be man's answer to Christ's love and sacrifice. - Alexander Maclaren
The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable
way of dying. - John Flavel
The mystery of the Bible should teach us, at one and the same time, our nothingness and our
greatness, producing humility and animating hope. - Henry Melville
We glory most in the fact that Scripture so commends itself to the conscience, and experience so
bears out the Bible, that the gospel can go round the world and carry with it, in all its travel, its own
mighty credentials. - Henry Melville
There is only one real inevitability: it is necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled. - Carl F. Henry
The Bible was the only book Jesus ever quoted, and then never as a basis for discussion but to decide
the point at issue. - Leon Morris
The third chapter of Genesis is undoubtedly the most important chapter in the whole Bible. It is the
only chapter which, if we could conceive it as being withdrawn, would leave all the rest of Scripture
unintelligible. Take away this chapter and you take away the key of knowledge to all the rest of the
Bible. - Bishop Trench
There came a time in my life when I doubted the divinity of the Scriptures, and I resolved as a lawyer
and a judge I would try the book as I would try anything in the courtroom, taking evidence for and
against. It was a long, serious, and profound study; and using the same principles of evidence in this
religious matter as I always do in secular matters, I have come to the decision that the Bible is a
supernatural book, that it has come from God, and that the only safety for the human race is to follow
its teachings. - Salmon Chase
The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection.
And we must not select a few favourite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole
Bible can make a whole Christian. - A W Tozer
The Holy Scriptures tell us what we could never learn any other way: they tell us what we are, who we
are, how we got here, why we are here and what we are required to do while we remain here.- A W
Tozer
The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.- A W Tozer
We find the Bible difficult because we try to read it as we would read any other book, and it is not the
same as any other book.- A W Tozer
The sacred page is not meant to be the end, but only the means toward the end, which is knowing God
himself.- A W Tozer
Without the present illumination of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God must remain a dead letter to every
man, no matter how intelligent or well-educated he may be. . . . It is just as essential for the Holy Spirit
to reveal the truth of Scripture to the reader today as it was necessary for him to inspire the writers in
their day. - William Law

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The most learned, acute, and diligent student cannot, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of
the Bible. The more deeply he works the mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore; new light
continually beams from this source of heavenly knowledge, to direct the conduct, and illustrate the
work of God and the ways of men; and he will at last leave the world confessing, that the more he
studied the Scriptures, the fuller conviction he had of his own ignorance, and of their inestimable value.
- Sir Walter Scott
"But the word of God is not bound." That is the inscription on a pillar in the crypt of a church in Rome
where Paul is said to have been imprisoned. The heroic apostle, bound with a chain and awaiting
death, is not disheartened, discouraged, nor despairing. He has full confidence in the spread of the
gospel, and in the conquest of Christ, telling Timothy at Ephesus to be true to Christ and the gospel, for
which, he says, "I suffer . . . unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound" ( 2 Timothy 2:9-note). How
true that statement of the apostle was—and is—is demonstrated by the simple, yet tremendous, fact
that nineteen hundred years after Paul wrote from his prison in Rome, "The word of God is not bound,"
the words are taken as the text for a sermon on the invincible power of the Bible. - Clarence E
Macartney 
After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist Ayn Rand was asked by a reporter,
“What’s wrong with the modern world?” Without a moment’s hesitation she replied, “Never before has
the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world
been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible, the
modern attitude is, ‘Father, forgive us, for we know not what we are doing—and please don’t tell us.’”
That’s very perceptive for an acknowledged agnostic. (See interesting diagram of various views) Many
of us want a word from God, but we don’t want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible but
not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it “life service.” In a
world where the only absolute is that there are no absolutes, there is little room left for the
authoritative Word of God as revealed in the Bible.
Come, Holy Ghost, for moved by thee
The prophets wrote and spoke;
Unlock the truth, thyself the key,
Unseal the sacred book.
- John Calvin
     A bit of the Book in the morning,
     To order my onward way.
     A bit of the Book in the evening,
     To hallow the end of the day.
         - Margaret Sangster
      A glory gilds the sacred page,
     Majestic like the sun;
     It gives a light to every age,
     It gives, but borrows none.
- William Cowper

Robert G. Lee
Books of Old Testament-39. 
Books of New Testament-27. 
Total number of books-66. 
Chapters in Old Testament-929. 

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 Chapters in New Testament-260. 
Total number of chapters-1,189. 
Verses in Old Testament-33,214. 
Verses in New Testament-7,959. 
Total numbers of verses-41,173. 
Words in Old Testament-593,493. 
Words in New Testament-181,253. 
Total number of words-774,746. 
Letters in Old Testament-2,728,100. 
Letters in New Testament-838,380. 
Total number of letters-3,566,480.
The shortest chapter is Psalm 117.
Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except "j." 
Esther 8:9 is the longest verse.
John 11:35 is the shortest verse.
There is no word of more than six syllables in the Bible.

Writer Amos Wells reflected our need for thorough Bible study in this verse:
I supposed I knew my Bible, 
Reading peacemeal, hit or miss, 
Now a bit of John or Matthew, 
Now a snatch of Genesis, 
Certain chapters of Isaiah, 
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third), 
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs -- 
Yes, I thought I knew the Word! 
But I found that thorough reading 
Was a different thing to do, 
And the way was unfamiliar 
When I read the Bible through. 
You who like to play at Bible, 
Dip and dabble, here and there, 
Just before you kneel, aweary, 
And yawn through a hurried prayer; 
You who treat the Crown of Writings 
As you treat no other book, 
Just a paragraph, disjointed, 
Just a crude, impatient look, 
Try a worthier procedure, 
Try a broad and steady view; 
You will kneel in very rapture 
When you read the Bible through.
Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way by  Navpress, 1989, p. 139.

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D L Moody - 

 The Scriptures were not given for our information, but for our transformation
 The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.
 I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me.
 The study of God’s Word brings peace to the heart. In it, we find a light for every darkness, life in
death, the promise of our Lord’s return, and the assurance of everlasting glory.
 There’s no better book with which to defend the Bible than the Bible itself.
 I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.

The Bible will:

    • Warm you if you are cold. 
    • Wake you if you are asleep. 
    • Warn you if you are backslidden. 
    • Wash you if you are defiled. 
    • Whip you if you are disobedient. 
    • Witness to you if you are doubtful. 
    • Win you if you are unsaved. 
The Bible is:
    • Our Counselor When I'm Discouraged 
    • Our Companion When I'm Deserted 
    • Our Comfort When I'm Depressed 
    • Our Candle When It's Dark 
    • Our Compass When I Doubt 
    • Our Consultant When I Decide 

Pictures of What the Word of God does:

(1) Sword - Ep 6:17, He 4:12
(2) Critic, Judge - He 4:12
(3) Lamp, light - Isa 5:20, Isa 50:10, 11, Ps 36:9, Ps 119:105, 130, Pr 6:23
(4) Mirror - 2Cor 3:18, Jas 1:22, 23, 24, 25
(5) Rain, Snow, Water - Isa 55:10,11, Jer 17:5, 6, 7, 8, Ep 5:26
(6) Food, Bread - Job 23:12, Jer 15:16, Ezek 2:8, 3:1, 2, 3
(7) Gold and Silver - Ps 19:10, Ps 119:127, Pr 8:10, 11, 8:19
(8) Fire - Jer 23:29, 20:9
(9) Hammer - Jer 23:29, 2Co 10:3,4,5, Acts 20:32
(10) Seed - Mk 4:14, Mk 4:26, 27, 28, Col 1:5, 6,7
(11) Honey, Honeycomb - Ps 19:10, Ps 119:103, Ps 81:16, Pr 24:13, Ezek 3:1, 2, 3
(For detailed discussion of these pictures see The Word-Filled Life - Developing the Mind of
Christ by Hampton Keathley III)

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Salad Bar Christianity -  2 Timothy 3:16 - When it's time to choose a place to eat, I like to dine at a
buffet restaurant. This gives me the freedom to choose the kinds of foods that I enjoy and that are
compatible with my physician's strict diet. Buffets allow me to eat as much as I like of one particular
dish and stay away from those that are unhealthy. Buffets are also great places to take the family. Kids
can load up on macaroni and cheese, while grownups can dig into their favourite salads and
casseroles. While a buffet is a wonderful place to enjoy a meal, it is a terrible approach to faith. Yet,
some Christians approach Christianity in this way. They treat the Bible like a smorgasbord, filling up on
passages that appeal to their tastes, and staying clear of those that they don't particularly enjoy. One
conservative commentator appropriately named this condition, "Salad-bar Christianity." When the
Apostle Paul wrote his letter to young Timothy, he warned against this fickle faith. He said, "All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) Picking and choosing your spiritual diet will stunt your
growth because it makes feelings the guide to right and wrong rather than the truth of God's Word. And
we all know how fickle our feelings can be. They are as unpredictable as the changing weather
patterns. It is healthier to take in all of God's Word, even those parts that leave a bitter taste in our
mouths. The mature Christian heeds all of God's counsel. The immature Christian heeds only that
which suits his fancy. (James Scudder - Living Water)

Ongoing Meditation Read: (Psalm 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104) (Notes on Ps 119)

Your law… is my meditation all the day. --(Psalm 119:97)
Meditation on God's Word doesn't have to end when your devotional time is over. You can continue the
blessing by taking Scripture with you throughout the day. Some people memorize a passage or write it
on a card so they can have it available to read when they get a few moments. An engineer uses his
coffee breaks to continue his reflection on God's Word. Homemakers attach verses to the refrigerator
or bathroom mirror. Truckers put portions of the Bible on their dashboard. Leslie B. Flynn tells of a
brilliant college student who volunteered to work at a church camp and ended up as the designated
potato peeler. A friend who admired her intelligence said,"It's too bad you had to end up peeling
potatoes." She replied, "I don't have to think about potatoes while I'm peeling them. So I think about my
Bible verse for the day."The psalmist indicated that he didn't read God's Word and then forget it. He
meditated on it all day (Psalm 119:97). Likewise, the "blessed man" of Psalm 1:1 reflected on God's
Word "day and night" (Psalm 1:2-note). And when the Word of God is in our minds from morning to
night, we'll be more likely to obey it and far less likely to violate it. That's the value of ongoing
meditation. --D C Egner (Our Daily Bread)
We must read Scripture every day
And meditate on what God said
To fight temptation from the world
And live a life that's Spirit led.
--Sper
Reading the Bible without meditating on it
is like eating without chewing.

The French philosopher Voltaire would certainly fit Jesus' warning about spiritual "dogs and a hogs"
in Matthew 7:6-note, for he violently opposed God, His Holy Word and His precious Son. How tragic
that one of the most fertile and talented minds of his time (which parenthetically bears witness to the

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common grace and longsuffering of our great Father), was such a vicious opponent of truth, using his
pen to retard and demolish Christianity as much as humanly possible. Once speaking about our Lord
Jesus Christ, Voltaire uttered the unspeakable words "Curse the wretch!" Voltaire was so self deceived
and arrogant that he once boasted that within "twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single
hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear." God however is not mocked beloved
(see Galatians 6:7-note, Galatians 6:8-note) and so not surprisingly shortly after Voltaire's death the
very house in which he printed his vicious anti-Christian literature became the home of the Geneva
Bible Society! (However see another discussion on this topic) A nurse who attended Voltaire at the
time of his horrible death vowed "For all the wealth in Europe I would not see another infidel die."
Voltaire's' physician, Trochim, also attended the infidel up to the time of his last breath, and is quoted
as hearing Voltaire's last desperate (rightly so) cry "I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you
half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life. Then I shall go to hell; and you will go with
me. O Christ! O Jesus Christ!" Voltaire is the epitome of the type of individual that citizens of the
Kingdom of Heaven (per orders of our Master) must refrain from sharing the precious and holy truth of
God's Word. I had such an encounter with an atheist and finally ceased speaking truth to him when he
became to vile in his attacks of me and my Lord.

Family Altars - Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear
to all. 1Ti 4:15
The chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has often stressed the importance of family Bible
reading. Some years ago in a letter to the American Bible Society he said,
"Inspiration has been the keynote of America's phenomenal growth … and the backbone of its
greatness… This inspiration has been from faith in God … and in the belief that the Holy Bible is His
inspired Word. Reading the Scriptures within the family circle is more important today than ever
before. As a small boy I sat at my mother's knee while she read the Word to me and explained its
meanings with stories as we went along. It served to make the bond of faith between us much
stronger. Then there were those wonderful nights when my father would gather all the chil dren
around him and read aloud verses from the Bible. This led to family discussions which were
interesting, lively, and informative. Those wonderful sessions left me with an imprint of the power of
faith and … prayer which has sustained me in trying moments throughout my life." 
Regrettably, family altars are fast disappearing from the American scene. People are too busy. The
family is seldom together long enough to enjoy such sweet moments of fellowship — and the world is
much the poorer for it! The Word of God constantly admonishes us to meditate upon its contents, for
only as we absorb its teachings, believe its promises, and hide its precepts in our hearts can we
prosper spiritually and live the "more abundant life." Take a cue from the letter of J. Edgar Hoover; and
if you have not yet established a definite time for Bible study in your home, start now — even if you can
devote only five minutes a day to this necessary task. Man cannot live by bread alone. He must find
sustenance for his spirit by appropriating the truths of God through the avenue of prayer and careful
meditation.
How precious is the Book divine,
By inspiration given!
Bright as a lamp its precepts shine,
To guide our souls to Heaven.
— J. Fawcett
A Bible that is falling apart
usually belongs to a person who is not!

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No Fast Food In The Bible - Read: Ps 119:9-24
I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. . --Psalm 119:15
I love the sight of cows lying in the field, chewing their cud. But what is cud? And why do they spend so
much time chewing it? Cows first fill their stomachs with grass and other food. Then they settle down
for a good, long chew. They bring the food back up from their stomachs and rework what they've
already eaten, assimilating its goodness and transforming it into rich milk. Time-consuming? Yes. A
waste of time? Not if they want to give good milk. The phrase "chewing the cud" is used to describe the
process of meditation. The writer of Psalm 119 obviously did a lot of mental chewing as he read God's
Word. No fast food for him! If we follow his example of careful and prayerful Scripture reading, we will:
Be strengthened against sin (Psalm 119:11).
Find delight in learning more about God (Psalm 119:15, 16).
Discover wonderful spiritual truths (Psalm 119:18).
Find wise counsel for daily living (Psalm 119:24). (See Spurgeon's notes on Ps 119)
Meditation is more than reading the Bible and believing it. It's applying Scripture to everyday life.
God's Word is not meant to be fast food. Take time for a good long chew. --J E Yoder 
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word.
--Lathbury
To be a healthy Christian,
don't treat the Bible as snack food.

There When You Need It - I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. (Psalm
119:11-note).
One thing about students: They know how to memorize! Let's face it-you have to if you want to survive.
Whether it's the symbols of all the elements in chemistry, the names of all the bones in the human
body, or the chronological sequence of Shakespeare's 23 plays, you can learn huge amounts of
information to pass your exams. It's a good thing God gave us such large-capacity brains. We not only
store the info we study, but we also keep it all in order and can recall it when we need it. A magazine
called THINK reports that our brains can store enough information to fill several million books! Think
about that the next time you feel like complaining when your science instructor says to memorize the
distance of each of the nine planets from the sun. Classroom work, though, may not be the best use of
memory. As good as that is, a better use is to "hide" God's Word in your heart. Then the Holy Spirit can
help you recall it when you need it. Remember Chet Bitterman, the Wycliffe missionary? He was
kidnapped by Colombian terrorists and held captive 7 weeks before being killed. Before his capture,
Chet had memorized 1 Peter, a book written to first-century believers who were suffering for their faith
in Jesus Christ. During Bitterman's captivity, he wrote his wife a letter in which he quoted  1Peter
3:15, 16-notes. He said he was using those verses to strengthen and guide him in his response to his
captors. Months earlier, when he was memorizing 1 Peter, he had no way of knowing how he would be
needing it. So, in addition to memorizing the names of all the parts of speech, why not memorize some
of God's Word. Hide it in your heart. No telling when you'll need it. —D Egner (Our Daily Bread)
REFLECTION - Why is it so easy for me to remember the bad things in life and hard to remember the
good things? What Bible passages should I be memorizing? How about Psalm 1- notes, Ps 23, 100;

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Isaiah 53; John 14:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Philippians 2:5-8-notes? What methods can I use to improve
memorization? 3x5 cards? Work with a friend?
Carry your Bible in your heart.

The Book With God's Signature Read: Psalm (Psalm 119:121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128) (See

Spurgeon on Ps 119)
I love Your commandments more than gold,yes, than fine gold! . (Psalm 119:127)
London music student Richard Steel prized the old violin that had once been his grandfather's. One day
Richard tried to help a bus driver who couldn't get close to the curb because of a barrier. Putting aside
his old violin, he removed the obstacle. But then the driver, unable to see the books and the violin,
drove over them. The crushed books could be replaced. And the old violin, though valued for
sentimental reasons, could be replaced too--or could it? As Richard examined his splintered
instrument, inside he found the signature of Stradivarius, the greatest of all violin makers. The old
violin was a priceless and irreplaceable masterpiece. The Sotheby auction firm estimated that it had
been worth more than $700,000. Many families pass treasured Bibles from one generation to the next
as spiritual heirlooms. But these treasures are often treated as mere antiques while their pages go
unread and their promises remain unclaimed. The message of salvation goes unheeded. Its true value
is never realized. The Bible is more than just a record of long-ago events and ancient wisdom. It is the
Book that bears God's signature. It is His message of truth and grace to us. Let's not neglect it. Let's
read it, believe it, and obey it. --V C Grounds 
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine,
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.
--Hodder
Many people store the Bible on the shelf
instead of in their heart.

Endurance of the Bible - Century follows century—There it stands.

Empires rise and fall and are forgotten—There it stands. Dynasty succeeds dynasty—There it stands.
Kings are crowned and uncrowned—There it stands. Emperors decree its extermination—There it
stands. Despised and torn to pieces—There it stands.
Storms of hate swirl about it—There it stands.
Atheists rail against it—There it stands.
Agnostics smile cynically—There it stands.
Profane prayerless punsters caricature it—There it stands. Unbelief abandons it—There it stands.
Higher critics deny its claim to inspiration—There it stands. Thunderbolts of wrath smite it—There it
stands.
An anvil that has broken a million hammers—There it stands. The flames are kindled about it—There
it stands. The arrows of hate are discharged against it—There it stands. Radicalism rants and raves
about it—There it stands. Fogs of sophistry conceal it temporarily—There it stands. The tooth of time
gnaws but dents it not—There it stands. Infidels predict its abandonment—There it stands.
Modernism tries to explain it away—There it stands. Devotees of folly denounce it—There it stands.
It is God's highway to Paradise.

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 It is the light on the pathway in the darkest night. It leads business men to integrity and uprightness.
It is the great consoler in bereavement.
It awakens men and women opiated by sin.
It answers every great question of the soul.
It solves every great problem of life.
It is a fortress often attacked but never failing.
Its wisdom is commanding and its logic convincing. Salvation is its watchword. Eternal life its goal.
It punctures all pretense.
It is forward-looking, outward-looking, and upward-looking.
It outlives, outlifts, outloves, outreaches, outranks, outruns all other books. Trust it, love it, obey it,
and Eternal Life is yours.
A. Z. Conrad

The Bible is not in a class. It constitutes a class by itself. (Emile Cailliet).

What the brush is to the artist in painting a picture, what the hammer is to the carpenter in driving a
nail, what water is to the laundress in washing clothes, so the Bible is to God in saving souls. ( Donald
Grey Barnhouse).
Why will people go astray when they have this blessed Book to guide them? (Michael Faraday).
The Bible—has had more written about it—than has been written about the twenty greatest classics of
world literature combined. (Wilbur Smith).
I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time, and of these, eighty-seven were followers
of the Bible. The Bible is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and an immeasurable distance separates
it from all competitors. (W. E. Gladstone)
The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and
thoughts. I solemnly state this from the experience of 54 years. The first 3 years after conversion I
neglected the word of God. Since I began to search it diligently the blessing has been wonderful. Great
has been the blessing from consecutive, diligent, daily study. I look upon it as a lost day when I have
not had a good time over the word of God. (George Mueller)

Sorry and Glad - A man was out walking in the desert when a voice said to him, "Pick up some pebbles
and put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will be both sorry and glad." The man obeyed. He
stooped down and picked up a handful of pebbles and put them in his pocket. The next morning he
reached into his pocket and found diamonds and rubies and emeralds. And he was both glad and
sorry. Glad that he had taken some—sorry that he hadn't taken more.
And so it is with God's word.

God's Miracle Book

The Bible is referred to in many different ways. We speak of it as God's Word, the Good Book, the Holy
Scriptures, and the Sword of the Spirit. It is also known as the Book of books and the Living Word.
Some call it simply THE Book, for nothing else seems necessary. It stands alone, towering above all
other writings.
Of the many titles given to the Bible, however, the one that is the most appropriate is God's Miracle

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Book.
This is true for a number of reasons:
    1. It is miraculous in its origin—coming to us by divine inspiration. 
    2. It is miraculous in its durability—outlasting the opposition of its critics and surviving the attempts
of its enemies to exterminate it. 
    3. It is miraculous in its results—transforming the lives of those who read and believe it. 
    4. It is miraculous in its harmony—agreeing in all its parts, even though written over a period of 1600
years by about 40 different authors. 
    5. It is miraculous in its message—telling of many occasions when God supernaturally intervened in
the affairs of men to accomplish his redemptive purposes. 
    6. It is miraculous in its preservation—maintaining its accuracy and reliability down through the
centuries. 
Yes, the Bible is God's Miracle Book!

Do You Read Scripture Like Mr. Holmes or like Dr. Watson?

Holmes: “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently
seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”
Watson: “Frequently.”
Holmes: “How often?”
Watson: “Well, some hundreds of times.”
Holmes: “Then how many are there?”
Watson: “How many? I don’t know.”
Holmes: “Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know
that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed” (“A Scandal in Bohemia” in
The Complete Sherlock Holmes. New York: Doubleday, 1927)
Beloved, let us diligently seek to be "spiritual Sherlocks" (cp 2Ti 2:15 - note) who not only read our
Scriptures daily (as part of our devotional and/or read thru the Bible in a year programs), but also make
time to truly observe the Scriptures in order that we might then be able to "do" them (proving ourselves
"doers of the Word" Jas 1:22 - note) empowered by God's Spirit and His always sufficient supply of
amazing grace.
So let me ask you again: Do you read the Scriptures like Dr Watson or like Sherlock Holmes? Do you
mechanically read a section in the morning as part of your routine devotional and walk away without
having truly observed what the Author is saying? If this is often your experience, then inductive study is
for you and will revolutionize your time in God's Word. As Howard Hendricks writes "Personal Bible
study is the Christian's lifeline. It is never optional; always essential."

John Wycliffe - You and I have an English Bible in our possession largely because of a man
named John Wycliffe. He was known not only as a builder, producing the first English text of the Bible,
but also as a fighter. What a leader! When he died, his enemies burned him at the stake and took the
ashes of his body and sprinkled them over the Thames River in London. " Forever, we're rid of Wycliffe!"
his enemies must have thought. They were wrong. The product of his labors, the English Bible, is with
us today because he did more than fight. He stayed at the task. 
Recommendation - If you are largely ignorant of this great man John Wycliffe to whom every believer
owes a great debt of gratitude, you might watch one of the videos (including full movies) that are

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available on the web. Click here for a listing. For example - The Morning Star of the Reformation (Well
done 28 minute video); John Wycliffe Morning Star; Full Movie of his life; 

The Dead Sea Scrolls - A recent archaeological report in the science magazine Discovery contained
amazing findings about the Old Testament. Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, the
oldest Hebrew manuscripts dated about A.D. 900. The Dead Sea Scrolls, in startling agreement with
the Masoretic text, dated to about 150 B.C. But now archaeologists have discovered a pair of tiny silver
scrolls that date back to about 600 B.C.! While digging at the site of a 5th-century church in Jerusalem,
researchers found a Roman legionnaires' cemetery. Exploring still deeper, they found a small burial
cave containing the scrolls. Very carefully, less than a hundredth of an inch at a time, the scrolls were
unrolled. On each of them appeared an excerpt from the book of Numbers that included the word
Jehovah. And these scrolls date back to the days before the exile to Babylon, earlier than liberal
scholars supposed that the Pentateuch had even been written

We've Lost Our Ability to Fend for Food - If you've ever been to Yellowstone National Park, you were
probably given a piece of paper by a ranger at the park entrance. On it in big letters was the warning
"Do Not Feed the Bears." You no sooner drive into the heart of the park, however, than you see people
feeding the bears. When I first saw this I asked a ranger about it. "Sir," he answered, "you have only a
small part of the picture." He described how the park service personnel in the fall and winter have to
carry away the bodies of dead bears—bears who have lost their ability to fend for food. That's what's
happening to us. 

Dr. Howard Hendricks once asked a group of businessmen, "If you didn’t know any more about your
business or profession than you know about Christianity after the same number of years of exposure,
what would happen?" One man replied “They’d ship me!” He was right. The reason God can’t use you
more than He wants to may well be that you are not prepared. Maybe you’ve attended church for years,
but you’ve never really got into the Bible so that it could get into you. You were not yet a vessel for
honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2Ti 2:21-note). You must not
just be under the Word (sound Biblical preaching and teaching) but not in the Word that you can than
be trained in righteousness.

Constant and Unchangeable - Yes, the Bible gives to man the guidance he needs because it is God's
unchanging Word—good for every age and every generation. I once read about a musician who went to
see his aged music teacher. During the visit, the elderly mentor struck a tuning fork and said. "That is
'A.'" Just then, from the floor above came the voice of a singer. "She sings sharp," said the old teacher.
He paused for a moment, then lifted the tuning fork again. The second time he struck it he said, "But
this 'A'—always has been, always will be—440 vibrations per second. It will be the same 5,000 years
from now." And that's the way it is with the Word of God: it is constant and unchangeable.

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Shake the Bible - Luther said he studied his Bible as he gathered apples. First he shook the whole tree,
that the ripest might fall; then he shook each limb, and when he had shaken each limb, he shook each
branch, and after each branch, every twig; and then he looked under every leaf. Search the Bible as a
whole, shaking the whole tree. Read it rapidly, as you would any other book. Then shake every limb—
study book after book. Then shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not
break the sense. Then shake each twig, by a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences. And you
will be rewarded if you will look under each leaf, by searching the meaning of the words.
First I shake the whole [apple] tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each
limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf - Luther

They Love the Feel of the Leather - Louis L'Amour, famed writer of novels about the American West,
wrote a short story that described a man who liked books. The man was noticed acting suspiciously as
he perused the shelves in a library. He took down a leather-bound copy of Shakespeare's King Lear and
ran his fingers gently over the cover. He opened the book and felt the pages. Suddenly he tucked it
under his coat and bolted out the door. Someone who had been watching him ran after the thief and
stopped him. The man willingly surrendered the book. Then he explained. All his life he had loved
books, but he had never learned to read. So he would come to the library just to hold books. He loved
the way they felt in his hands. That's why he had stolen Shakespeare. Some people are like that with
their Bibles. They enjoy the feel of the leather as they carry them to church. They love the smell of the
pages. But they never read them. What a shame!

Never Turn-off God's Saving Message - A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the
story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the
hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio
distracting, so he switched it off. Nearing the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout,
who asked why he hadn't responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen
stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger. Any time we tune out
the messages God has sent us, we put at peril not only ourselves, but also those around us. How
important it is that we never turn off God's saving communication! 

I Can Read the Bible Using My Tongue - A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion.
Evangelist Robert L. Summer tells about him in his book The Wonder of the Word of God. The victim's
face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian,
and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible.  Then he heard
about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books
of the Bible in braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had
been destroyed by the explosion. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue
happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, I can
read the Bible using my tongue. At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through
the entire Bible four times.

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Tender Heart - Without a heart for God, we cannot hear God's Word. Proper understanding of spiritual
truth is not dependent on a keen intellect but on a tender heart, a heart that is "humble and contrite of
spirit, and which trembles at My Word." (Isa 66:2) We don’t as much need physical eyes to read the
Bible, as we need the spiritual eyes of our heart enlightened to love the Author. The story is told of a
poor, blind French girl who obtained a Braille copy of Mark and learned to read it with her fingers. But
eventually her fingers became so calloused she could no longer distinguish letters and words. In
desperation for the Word, she cut the calluses in an attempt to restore the sense of touch, but sadly
the scarring had the opposite effect. Faced with the reality that she must give up her beloved Book,
with weeping she pressed the Braille copy of Mark to her lips, lamenting “Farewell, farewell, sweet
Word of my Heavenly Father!” To her surprise, she discovered that her lips were even more sensitive to
touch than her fingers had been! And from that moment on she "read" the Bible with her lips, and
doubtless offered praises like the psalmist who cried "Let my lips utter praise, for You teach me Your
statutes." (Ps 119:171)

Did you know—

    • That the longest verse in the Bible is Esther 8:9 (91 words)? 
    • That the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 (2 words)? 
    • That the NIV has two "shortest" verses: John 11:35 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (2 words each)? 
    • That there are 1189 chapters in the Bible? 
    • That there are 31,102 verses in the Bible? 7957 of these are in the New Testament, and 23,145 are
in the Old Testament. 
    • That the RSV has one more verse than the KJV? The extra verse is 3 John 1:15 
    • That the longest word in the Bible is Jonathelemrechokim? It occurs in the title of Psalm 56 
    • That there are 790,704 words in the Bible, but only 12,775 different words? 
    • That there are 180,392 words in the New Testament and 610,312 words in the Old Testament? 
    • That in the RSV, Exodus 22:4 is printed between Exodus 22:1 and Exodus 22:2? 
(Unless otherwise noted, all facts relate to the King James Version)

John Bunyan on Reading God's Word - John Bunyan wrote his immortal allegory Pilgrim's Progress
after mastering the Scriptures and sensing that God had spoken to him again and again through its
pages. He said, "Although you may have no commentaries at hand, continue to read the Word and
pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal received from a man. Too many are content to
listen to what comes from men's mouths, without searching and kneeling before God to know the real
truth. That which we receive directly from the Lord through the study of His Word is from the 'minting
house' itself. Even old truths are new if they come to us with the smell of heaven upon them."

Profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17) - All Scripture is profitable! Knowing this, we cheat ourselves when we
do not access every book, every truth, every verse, and every page of our Bibles for the promises and
commands God has for us. Because every verse of Scripture is inspired by God and gainful to us, we
should not pick and choose which verses we will read and study. We should not claim verses we like
and ignore those that convict us! If we are to become mature disciples of Jesus, we must allow every
Scripture to speak to us and teach us what God desires us to learn. Scripture enables us to evaluate

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the soundness of doctrines that are being taught. Scripture ought to be the basis for any reproof or
correction we bring to another. If you are not firmly grounded in God's Word, you will be bombarded
with an assortment of doctrines, lifestyles, and behaviors, and you will have no means to evaluate
whether or not they are of God. You cannot develop a righteous life apart from God's Word.
Righteousness must be cultivated. As you fill your mind with the words of God, and as you obey His
instructions, He will guide you in the ways of righteousness. Scripture will equip you for any good work
God calls you to do. If you feel inadequate for a task God has given you, search the Scriptures, for
within them you will find the wisdom you need to carry out His assignment. Allow the Word of God to
permeate, guide, and enrich your life. (Henry Blackabye - Experiencing God Day by Day)

H. P. Barker has a graphic illustration emphasizing the importance of both knowing and doing the
Bible’s truths...
As I looked out into the garden one day, I saw three things. First, I saw a butterfly. The butterfly was
beautiful, and it would alight on a flower and then it would flutter to another flower and then to
another, and only for a second or two it would sit and it would move on. It would touch as many
lovely blossoms as it could, but derived absolutely no benefit from it.
Then I watched a little longer out my window and there came a botanist. And the botanist had a big
notebook under his arm and a great big magnifying glass. The botanist would lean over a certain
flower and he would look for a long time and then he would write notes in his notebook. He was
there for hours writing notes, closed them, stuck them under his arm, tucked his magnifying glass in
his pocket and walked away.
The third thing I noticed was a bee, just a little bee. But the bee would light on a flower and it would
sink down deep into the flower and it would extract all the nectar and pollen that it could carry. It
went in empty every time and came out full (A. Naismith, 1200 Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes
[Chicago: Moody, 1962], p. 15.)
Comment: Don't be like the butterfly flitting from one Bible study [preacher, devotional,
commentary, etc] to another, but failing to personally apply what you learn. Neither are you to be
"Bible botanists" (even good inductive students), who laboriously observe the Biblical text and
derive accurate interpretation but fail to apply these truths. Instead, we need to be Bible "bees",
using inductive study to go deep into the Scriptures obtaining its divine nectar and then allowing
God's "nectar" to change us. And when we do, like the bee, we will find that we never go away from
God's Word empty.

With Compliments of the Author (2 Peter 1:21) - The story is told about a young boy named Timothy
who was planning to give his grandmother a Bible for Christmas. He wanted to write something
special on the flyleaf but wasn't sure what to say. So he decided to copy what he had seen in a book
his father had received from a friend.
Christmas morning came and Grandmother opened her gift. She was not only pleased to receive the
Bible, but she was amused by the inscription Timothy had put in it. It read: "To Grandma, with
compliments of the author."
Even though that boy was unaware of it, he had suggested a unique fact about the Bible. It came to us
from its Author -- God. The apostle Paul wrote, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Ti 3:16).
And in today's Bible reading Peter said, "Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"
(2 Pet. 1:21-note). That makes the Bible the most valuable and desirable of all books.

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Knowing who wrote a book often determines whether we'll pick it up and read it. The Bible, with its
divine origin, not only ought to be read, but it demands our respect, our trust, and our obedience. It
comes "with compliments of the Author." - R W De Haan 
Your thoughts are here, my God,
Expressed in words divine,
The utterance of heavenly lips
In every sacred line.
--Bonar
The Bible is a gift from the Author -- God.
Study the Bible to be wise. 
Believe it to be safe 
Practice it to be holy.

The Staff of Life - The Bible isn’t just another great book. It is God’s Word, given by God to tell us about
Himself. Peter declared, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables . . . for prophecy never came by
the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” ( 2 Peter 1:16, 21).
Paul stressed, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). I have known many outstanding leaders
who made the Bible their guide. Businessman Herbert J. Taylor, former president of Rotary
International, told me he began each day by reading the Sermon on the Mount aloud. Let the Bible be
your firm foundation. Let it be the staff of life that nourishes your soul. Let it be the sword of the Spirit
that cuts away sin. Many years ago I heard these words: “Sin will keep you from God’s Word—or God’s
Word will keep you from sin!” - Billy Graham

William Tyndale's First English New Testament - William Tyndale's first English New Testament,
finished in 1525, had to be printed outside of England and then smuggled back inside barrels of flour
and bolts of cloth. Catholic bishop Tunstall of London bought up most of Tyndale's first edition in order
to stamp out Tyndale's "heresy" but the proceeds financed new editions! 

God's Word Is His Love Letter to Us - A childhood accident caused poet Elizabeth Barrett to lead a life
of semi-invalidism before she married Robert Browning in 1846. There's more to the story. In her youth,
Elizabeth had been watched over by her tyrannical father. When she and Robert were married, their
wedding was held in secret because of her father's disapproval. After the wedding the Brownings
sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. But even though her parents had disowned
her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly she wrote them letters. Not once did
they reply. After 10 years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all of her letters;
not one had been opened! Today those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English
literature. Had her parents only read a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been
restored. In a very real sense, God's Word is his love letter to us. Nothing has the power to free us from
destructive behavior and revitalize our relationship with him like his Word. 

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The Quarry of the Holy Scriptures in Inexhaustible - Charles Spurgeon is well known in modern church
history for his many contributions to Christian preaching and literature. In his lifetime he produced 135
books, edited 28 others, and contributed many more shorter writings to the church. In spite of his
thorough studies, however, he once said, "The quarry of the Holy Scriptures in inexhaustible. I seem
hardly to have begun to labor in it; but the selection of the next block, and the consideration as to how
to work it into form, are matters not so easy as some think."

Only God's Word Produces Spiritual Life - F.F. Bruce noted the following about the Bible: "The word of
human beings however wise in substance or eloquent in expression cannot produce spiritual life; this
is the prerogative of the Word of God....The Bible was never intended to be a book for scholars and
specialists only. From the very beginning it was intended to be everybody’s book, and that is what it
continues to be."

The Gideons - Once upon a rainy night a couple of travelling salesmen—Sam Hill and John Nicholson—
seeking a place to sleep in Boscobel, Wisconsin learned that there was but one room available in the
only local hotel. So they agreed to share room number 19 that night. When one asked permission from
the other to keep his light on so that he could read his Bible, a discussion ensued about the dearth of
religious reading material available. Then and there was born the Gideons, the purpose of which was
to place a Bible in every hotel room in the United States. That was ninety-two years ago, and today
the Gideons supply Bibles in 60 languages to hotel rooms in 149 countries. The Boscobel Hotel is now
125 years old, been vacant for years, and it's for sale. But one thing more: In March of 1960 Senator
John Kennedy was campaigning in Wisconsin. Passing through Boscobel, he asked for a place to rest
and freshen up. Of course the town had only one hotel, so Senator Kennedy and his wife, Jacquelyn,
were assigned to historic room 19. History records that their son John was born precisely nine months
later. 

The Transforming Power of the Word of God - Though accounts of the demise of Fletcher
Christian vary, the outcome of the Bounty mutineers is well known. After nine mutineers, twelve
Tahitian women and six Tahitian men put ashore on Pitcairn Island in 1790, jealousy, treachery,
drunkenness and murder took over. Ten years later, only two white men survived, surrounded by native
women and half-breed offspring. When one of them died in 1800, he was the first man on the island to
die a natural death. When the sole remaining mutineer was discovered in 1808, it was found that he
had at one point discovered a Bible. By reading it and teaching it to others, he had instituted a simple,
pious little community with no jail, no whiskey, no crime, and no laziness. Such is the transforming
power of the Word of God.

What Does It Really Mean ? - Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. –Psalm 119:105 
A father was telling his son the Bible story about Lot. He said, "God was going to destroy the city of
Sodom, so He warned Lot to take his wife and flee. But when Lot's wife looked back, she turned into a
pillar of salt." Puzzled, the boy asked, "What happened to the flea?" This humorous misunderstanding

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points out a deeper problem some of us have with the words of the Bible. Although we believe that
every word of Scripture is inspired, this doesn't mean we should take every word literally regardless of
its context. Some people seem to do this and thereby miss the true meaning of many Bible
passages. The Bible is filled with images–word pictures we call similes and metaphors. The book of
James gives us a classic example, calling the tongue "a fire" (James 3:6). We know it doesn't mean
that we have a literal flame in our mouth. Jesus used figurative language too. He said, "If your right eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out" (Mt. 5:29-note). What He meant, of course, is that we should take strong
measures to keep ourselves from sin. We need to listen carefully to what God is saying in His Word so
we can put it into practice. His Word is a "lamp" for our feet and a "light" for our path (Ps. 119:105). –D
J De Haan 
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE 
Observation: What does the context say? 
Interpretation: What does the text mean? 
Application: What does it mean to your life?
A text taken out of context becomes a pretext.

Quote, Misquote - You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." --Mt
5:38-note  In the opening chapter of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain presents an interesting conversation
that reflects human nature. Tom tries to persuade his friend Huck to join him in his plans to form a
band of robbers and to take captives much like pirates used to do. Huck asks Tom what pirates do
with the captives they take, and Tom answers, "Ransom them." "Ransom? What's that?" asks Huck. "I
don't know. But that's what they do. I seen it in books; and so of course that's what we got to do,"
explains Tom. "Do you want to go doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled
up?"  This dialog represents a way of thinking that's not much different from what Jesus encountered.
The people were also quoting and repeating things they had found in a book--the Old Testament. But
they were merely mouthing words. The ideas had been separated from the spirit of the original
revelation. By misapplying Mosaic principles of conduct, the people were justifying their sinful
attitudes and actions (Mt. 5:27-42-see notes). This should be a reminder to us. When we quote the
Bible, let's be sure we understand its meaning and context. Then we won't get things "all muddled up."
--M R De Haan II (Ibid)
When reading God's Word, take special care 
To find the rich treasures hidden there; 
Give thought to each line, each precept hear, 
Then practice it well with godly fear. --Anon. 
A text taken out of context can be a dangerous pretext.

The Bible Is of Vital Importance in Teaching Freedom - It was the late Lowell Thomas, well-known
news commentator, who once said, "The Bible is of vital importance in teaching freedom; dictators fear
the Bible and for good reason—it inspired the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence!"  It
was John Adams, a member of the original committee that drew up our Declaration of Independence,
who wrote these words in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1813, "The general principles on which the
fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity!" It was our own Continental
Congress that voted to spend $300,000 on September 11, 1777, to buy Bibles to be distributed
throughout the 13 original colonies!

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The Bible as a Decorative Badge of Christianity - History tells us that when Crowfoot, the chief of the
Blackfoot nation in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railway permission to lay track from
Medicine Hat to Calgary, he was given in exchange a lifetime railroad pass. Reportedly, Crowfoot put
the pass in a leather pouch and wore it around his neck for the rest of his life—but he never once
availed himself of the rights and privileges it spelled out. What a tragedy it is when Christians do the
same thing with the Word of God, using it as a decorative badge of Christianity, but never availing
themselves of the wealth of access to God's thoughts it affords.

Biblical Quotations? - Many people don't know what the Bible really says. It's good to check up on our
knowledge. For example, which of the following are biblical quotations?
    1. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." 
    2. "God helps those who help themselves." 
    3. "An honest confession is good for the soul." 
    4. "We are as prone to sin as sparks fly upward." 
    5. "Money is the root of all evil." 
    6. "Honesty is the best policy." 
The answer? While some of these statements are truisms, none of them, as quoted, are found in the
Bible! So before you quote the Bible, make sure it is in the Bible.

Finding God in the Bible - Her mother was startled to find seven-year-old Karen going through a new
Bible storybook and circling the word God where ever it appeared on the page. Stifling her urge to
reprimand the child for defacing the book, the mother quietly asked, "Why are you doing that?"  Karen
answered matter-of-factly, "So that I will know where to find God when I need Him." Actually, Karen
may have the right idea. In times of need it would be helpful to know where to look in the Bible to find
the Lord's help.

The Bible: an Inexaustibel Mine - Former president John Quincy Adams once said, ""I have for many
years made it a practice to read through the Bible once a year. My custom is to read four or five
chapters every morning immediately after rising from my bed. It employs about an hour of my time,
and seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. In what light soever we regard the
Bible, whether with reference to revelation, to history, or to morality, it is an invaluable and
inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue."

Dead Sea Squirrels - I home school my children and one day we talked about how the Bible used to be
written on scrolls. When my husband came home, my 4-year-old daughter told him, "The Bible used to
be written on squirrels!" —Linda S., Jacksonville, Florida, Christian Parenting Today,
(September/October '99).

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Blow Up, Dry Up, or Grow Up - If you have the Spirit without the Word, you blow up. If you have the
Word without the Spirit, you dry up. If you have both the Word and the Spirit, you grow up. —Don Lyon,
Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 1

Statistic: Bible and Values

    • Percentage of Americans who believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God: 80  
    • Percentage who believe there is no one set of values that is right: 48 
 —U.S. News & World Report, 4/4/94. "To Verify," Leadership.

Word of God Corrects - Use the Right Standard - The best way to show a stick is crooked is not to
argue about it or spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it. 

The Word of God - The Bible is chock-full of verses attesting to its inspiration, authority, infallibility, and
usefulness. Perhaps the best New Testament texts on this subject are 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter
1:21. The latter says, in effect, that no passage in the Bible came about by a prophet’s own origination,
but the writers of Scripture spoke as they were moved (borne along) by the Holy Spirit. The former
verse tells us that all Scripture is inspired (breathed out) by God and therefore of immense usefulness
in our lives.
Notice the chapter/verse location 2 Timothy 3:16. There’s a remarkable correspondence between John
3:16 and 2 Timothy 3:16. The two verses have more in common than their “street address” of 316.
    • John 3:16 talks about the Savior, and 2 Timothy 3:16 talks about the Scriptures. These two entities
comprise the two greatest gifts ever bestowed on humanity. 
    • Both are called “The Word.” 
    • One is the living Word, and the other is the written Word. 
    • Both are utterly unique. Jesus is like no other person the world has ever seen, and the Bible is like
no other book the world has ever read. 
    • Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. He came down from heaven yet made His appearance
through the instrumentality of a human being who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. The
Scriptures are both fully human and fully divine. They came down from heaven yet were given through
the instrumentality of human beings who were borne along by the Holy Spirit. 
    • Just as the Savior was without sin, the Scriptures are without error. 
    • Just as the Savior has a dual nature, the Scriptures have a double nature. 
    • The Savior is the God-Man, and the Scriptures are from both God and man. 
    • The Savior came to save us, and the Scriptures were given to tell us how to be saved. 
    • The Bible is Jesus in print, and Jesus is the personification and fulfillment of the Scriptures. And so
these 3:16s are twin verses about the Savior and the Scriptures. 
The Great “3:16s” of the New Testament
    • Luke 3:16—The Baptism of the Holy Spirit 
    • 1 Corinthians 3:16—The Holy Spirit’s Indwelling 
    • Ephesians 3:16—The Holy Spirit’s Strengthening 

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    • Colossians 3:16—The Imbedded Word 
    • 2 Thessalonians 3:16—The All-Encompassing Peace of God 
    • 1 Timothy 3:16—The Uniqueness of Christ 
    • 1 John 3:16—The Power of Love 
    • Revelation 3:16—The Danger of Lukewarm Love 
Inspiration... is the determining influence exercised by the Holy Spirit on the writers of the Old and New
Testament in order that they might proclaim and set down in an exact and authentic way the message
as received from God. —René Pach (Rob Morgan - 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know By Heart -
Recommended)

How precious is the Book divine,

         By inspiration giv’n!
         Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
         To guide our souls to heav’n.
         Its light, descending from above,
         Our gloomy world to cheer,
         Displays a Saviour’s boundless love,
         And brings His glories near.
         It shows to man his wand’ring ways,
         And where his feet have trod;
         And brings to view the matchless grace
         Of a forgiving God.
         This lamp thro’ all the dreary night
         Of life shall guide our way,
         Till we behold the clearer light
         Of an eternal day.
                  —John Fawcett

God's Unchanging Word - Early in my life I had some doubts about whether or not the Bible was really
God’s Word. But one night in 1949, I knelt before a stump in the woods of Forest Home, California,
opened my Bible, and said, “O God, there are many things in this Book I do not understand. But by faith
I accept it—from Genesis to Revelation—as Your Word.” By God’s grace that settled the issue for me
once and for all. From that moment on, I have never had a single doubt that the Bible is God’s Word.
When I quote Scripture, I know I am quoting the very Word of God. This confidence in God’s Word not
only gives authority to one’s ministry; it provides a solid foundation for one’s life. We who trust in God’s
Word aren’t living according to what someone says about the Bible or some human philosophy. We are
basing our faith, our ministry, even our life itself on God’s unchanging truth as it is presented in His
unchanging Word. Is God’s Word the foundation of your life? - Billy Graham

What Does God Say? - I knew a man from India who got hold of a New Testament, was converted and
started to preach, but he had no background at all. That is, he started from scratch. He did not have a
Greek Orthodox or Roman Catholic or Protestant background. He just started from the beginning. He

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didn’t know anything about churches. He testified, “What I did when I had a problem in the church was
to go straight to the New Testament and settle it. I let the New Testament tell me what I was to do.”
The result was that God greatly blessed him and his work in the land of India. This is what I would like
to see in our church—the New Testament order of letting Scripture decide matters. When it comes to a
question—any question—what does the Word of God say? All belief and practices should be tested by
the Word; no copying unscriptural church methods. We should let the Word of God decide. - A W Tozer

The Importance of Studying ALL of the Scripture  - Researchers studying eye movement during
normal conversation have found that sustaining eye contact for any length of time is difficult, if not
impossible. Special cameras reveal that what appears to be a steady gaze at someone is actually a
series of rapid scans of the face. Eye movement is essential because the nerves in the eye need a
constant change of stimulation if we are to see properly. Studies show that if we look at the same spot
continuously, the rest of our visual field will go blank. We can experience a similar problem in our study
of the Word of God. If we "stare" exclusively at certain biblical truths while excluding other important
doctrines, our spiritual vision will begin to blur out. Some people, for instance, tend to look only at the
love of God, or the wrath of God, or evangelism, or church growth, or the end times, or the devil, or sin.
No matter what particular truth we are interested in, we need to be careful lest we lose our perspective.
The Bible tells us that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Ti 3:16) and is profitable for our
spiritual development. Only as we see the big picture—how the many biblical doctrines fit together—will
we avoid staring at some truths and becoming blind to others. —M R De Haan (Our Daily Bread)
God's Word was given for our good
And we are to obey;
Not choose the parts that we like best,
Then live in our own way. —Hess
You can't enjoy the harmony of Scripture
if you play just one note of truth.

Fully Equipped - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16-17
Karl Elsener, a Swiss designer of surgical equipment in the 19th century, worked for years on
perfecting a military knife. Today his Swiss Army Knife is associated with excellence in blades and a
variety of utilities. One model includes knife blades, a saw, scissors, a magnifying glass, a can opener,
a screwdriver, a ruler, a toothpick, a writing pen, and more—all in one knife! If you are out camping in
the wild, this one item can certainly make you feel equipped for survival. We need something to equip
us to survive spiritually in this sinful world. God has given us His Word, a kind of spiritual knife for the
soul. Paul writes: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The word translated equipped means to “furnish or fit
completely.” How does the Bible equip us for life’s journey? It provides spiritual truth in doctrine;
reproof in showing our imperfections; correction by revealing our sinful failures; and instruction in
living a righteous life. There’s not a more valuable tool than God’s Word to make us fully equipped for
spiritual survival and personal growth.
Lord, thank You for equipping us with Your inspired Word. You’ve given us the tools we need to live for
You. Help us to take time to read it and to follow what You tell us. Amen. - Dennis Fisher

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 The Bible contains the nutrients we need for a healthy soul.

The God-Breathed Book - All scripture is given by inspiration of God. (2 Timothy 3:16). We do not
worship the Bible for that would be bibliolatry, but it is the only authorized textbook of our faith. Jesus
said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" and those words are recorded
only in the Bible. The Book is God-breathed and when we explore that Book we feel, as Dr. J. B. Phillips
puts it, like one wiring an old house where the power has not been cut off. Some get a charge, some a
shock, for it is wired from heaven! - Vance Havner

Does the Bible Work? ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17) Dave Hunt, in his latest book, An Urgent Call to a Serious
Faith, says that Christians have stopped looking to God's Word for the answers and are instead looking
in other places. "We are plagued by 'yes, but' syndrome. Isn't the Bible God's inerrant Word? Yes, but...
I've tried it and it doesn't work. Don't we have the leading of the Holy Spirit, and Christ indwelling to
guide and empower us? Yes, but... and silence...." Hunt continues this thought, "Like Adam and Eve,
mankind still flees the voice of God, clothes itself with the makeshift garments of new theories no
better than fragile leaves, and hides behind the trees of its latest excuses for unbelief and
rebellion." Dave Hunt's assessment is right on target. It seems that today we have tossed out the
counsel of God's Word as irrelevant and are searching for solutions elsewhere. The same God that
stopped the mouths of lions for Daniel, comforted Job in distress, delivered a son to Abraham, gave
courage to Peter at Pentecost, and filled Paul with joy in prison is now being labeled as "out-dated" and
"old-fashioned." I may be in the minority, but I believe the principles in the Bible apply to the Christian
life in the 21st century. The problem is not with the Bible, but in the hearts of men and women who
refuse to follow God for answers to life.  (James Scudder - Living Water)
Those that claim the Bible doesn't work
have never actually tried to use it

Adrian Rogers - When we get this Book written over a period of 1,600 years, employing forty different
authors from all walks of life writing in three different languages, it comes together to make one
beautiful temple of God's truth. Nothing needs to be added or taken away or embellished. There it
stands—one Book! We can't say that it just happened. No thinking person would honestly say it was an
accident. No! The unity of the Bible is one of the most wonderful proofs of the inspiration of God's
Word—that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God....In addition to the frontal attack against the
Bible from those who deny it, and in addition to the rear attack by those who substitute their
experience for the Word of God, there is an attack from the flank by people who want to replace it or
prop it up with psychology, philosophy, and other things—as if the Bible is not good enough on its
own. But, friend, the Bible is true. If you're looking for truth, you can be sure to find it there. As it says
in 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible is inspired—"God-breathed"—verifying its authority in the trustworthy name
of God.

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Our Daily Bread - One spring day, Jordan began asking questions about Jesus' resurrection as his
mom was taking him to preschool. Realizing he thought Jesus was rising from the dead for the first
time this Easter, she tried to correct him. She pulled the car over and told him all about Jesus' death
and resurrection. She concluded, "Jesus rose from the dead a long time ago, and now He wants to live
in our hearts." But Jordan still didn't understand.
Unsure how she could make it any clearer, she said, "How about if we stop by the bookstore? I saw
some books about Easter when I was there last week. We'll get one and read through it together." With
a wisdom beyond his years, Jordan responded, "Can't we just read the Bible?"
Jordan's idea was right. Commentaries and books about the Bible are helpful tools. But they should
never be used as a substitute for God's revelation of Himself—His Word. No other book has been given
to us "by inspiration of God" (2Timothy 3:16). As author Eugene Peterson says, "God's voice [is]
speaking to us, inviting, promising, blessing, confronting, commanding, healing."
Let's follow Jordan's idea and go first to the ultimate source of truth—the Bible. —Anne Cetas ( Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Exhaustless store of treasured gems
Within this Book I hold;
And as I read, it comes alive,
New treasures to unfold.
—Mortenson
Go to the Bible for your
protection, correction, and direction.

Let's Read It - After 30 years as a pastor, a New Jersey minister concluded, “The Bible is the best-
selling, least-read, and least-understood book.” In his view, “Biblical illiteracy is rampant.”
George Gallup, the foremost religion pollster in the US, agrees: “We revere the Bible,” he says, “but we
don’t read it.” In a recent survey, 64 percent of those questioned said they were too busy to read the
Bible. The average household has three Bibles but less than half the people in the US can name the
first book in the Old Testament. One survey found that 12 percent of its Christian respondents
identified Noah’s wife as Joan of Arc!
The solution? Read the Bible! Join me in a commitment to read the entire Bible through in the coming
year. It will take about 15 minutes a day to follow the reading guide in this booklet. Are we too busy for
that?
The goal is not information, but transformation. Someone summarized 2 Timothy 3:16 by saying:
“God’s Word shows us which road to take (doctrine). It tells us when we get off track (reproof); how to
get back on (correction); and how to stay on (instruction in righteousness).”
God’s Word is a precious gift. So let’s read it through this coming year. - David MacCasland
If you've never read the Bible through,
There's a special joy awaiting you:
You could start the new year out just right
Walking with the Lord and in His light. 
—Hess
The Bible: The more you read it, the more you love it;
The more you love it, the more you read it.

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A Map And A Compass- Read: 2 Timothy 3:10-17)
All Scripture is . . . profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. —
2 Timothy 3:16
I was driving on the outskirts of Orlando, searching for the little town of Zellwood. I had carefully
located it on the map, but I discovered that I was on an unfamiliar road. A glance at the compass
attached to my windshield, however, assured me that I was headed in the right direction and would
eventually cross the highway leading to Zellwood.
The Bible and the work of God’s Holy Spirit are like a map and a compass. The Bible is our map. Paul
assured Timothy that Scripture lays out the route of sound doctrine and righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).
But where is the compass in this passage?
The compass is the work of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s “manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love,
perseverance” (vv.10,14). Because Timothy carefully followed Paul’s Spirit-led example, he didn’t lose
his way.
Perhaps Bible reading, prayer, and Sunday worship were once part of your childhood, but you no longer
practice them. Now you are wandering and don’t know what to believe. Look to the map and compass
again! Read the Bible and recall the life of parents, ministers, or friends who walked with Christ. Follow
their example and soon you’ll be back on the right course. - Dennis J. De Haan
With God's Word as your map and His Spirit as your compass,
you're sure to stay on course.

Eye Contact - Read: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. —2 Timothy 3:16
Researchers studying eye movement during normal conversation have found that sustaining eye
contact for any length of time is difficult, if not impossible. Special cameras reveal that what appears
to be a steady gaze at someone is actually a series of rapid scans of the face. Eye movement is
essential because the nerves in the eye need a constant change of stimulation if we are to see
properly. Studies show that if we look at the same spot continuously, the rest of our visual field will go
blank.
We can experience a similar problem in our study of the Word of God. If we “stare” exclusively at
certain biblical truths while excluding other important doctrines, our spiritual vision will begin to blur
out. Some people, for instance, tend to look only at the love of God, or the wrath of God, or evangelism,
or church growth, or the endtimes, or the devil, or sin. No matter what particular truth we are interested
in, we need to be careful lest we lose our perspective.
The Bible tells us that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” ( 2 Tim. 3:16) and is profitable for our
spiritual development. Only as we see the big picture—how the many biblical doctrines fit together—will
we avoid staring at some truths and becoming blind to others.- Mart DeHaan
God's Word was given for our good
And we are to obey;
Not choose the parts that we like best,
Then live in our own way.
—Hess
You can't enjoy the harmony of Scripture
If you play just one note of truth.

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Hearing God - Read: 2 Peter 1:16-21 
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. —2 Timothy 3:16
The first morning I heard the mockingbird practicing his bagful of imitations outside my window, I was
thrilled by the beauty of his songs. Gradually, however, I began to take this early morning songster for
granted. One day as I awoke, it dawned on me that I no longer appreciated my regular visitor. It wasn’t
the mockingbird’s fault. He was still there. His beautiful song hadn’t changed, but I was no longer
listening for it.
As believers in Christ, we may have a similar experience hearing God speak to us in His Word. When
we are first saved, the Scriptures, with their soul-stirring instruction and vital spiritual food, are deeply
satisfying. As time goes on, however, we routinely read those same portions over and over in a manner
that no longer speaks to us. Our spiritual senses grow dull and lethargic, and God’s exhilarating Word
becomes commonplace to us. But then, what joy we feel when a passage reveals an exciting truth, and
once again we “hear” the Lord!
Are you reading the Scriptures out of a tired sense of duty? Or do you still possess the fresh
expectancy you had when you first believed? Today, when you read God’s Word, listen closely for His
voice. - Richard DeHaan
I scanned the Scriptures thoughtlessly—
My haste had closed my ear;
Then prayerfully I read once more—
This time my heart could hear.
—Gustafson
Without a heart for God,
we cannot hear his word.

A Book For Every Need - Read: Psalm 119:137-144 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. —2 Timothy 3:16
When a co-worker gave me a brochure he had received by mail, I looked at it and thought,  This can’t be
true. No book can do what this promises. The pamphlet was advertising a book containing 853 letters
for “every conceivable personal and business need.”
Whether that book can deliver on its claims, I don’t know. I didn’t buy it. But the advertisement made
me stop and think about another book that makes a similar promise.
Second Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That’s quite an advertisement! The apostle Paul
was saying that God gave us the Bible to teach us about Himself, to give us practical instructions on
how to live, and to equip us completely with everything we need to know in order to live a godly life on
this earth.
The Bible delivers on its promises. I know, because I bought it, I’ve been reading it, and I’m trying to live
by it. It covers all aspects of life. Its pages contain essential truths, instructions, and teachings. It alone
is the book for every need. Have you read it lately? - Dave Branon 
The Bible gives us all we need
To live our lives for God each day;
But it won't help if we don't read
And follow what its pages say.
—Sper

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 The Bible: The more you read it, the more you love it;
The more you love it, the more you read it.

A Harmless Diversion? - Read: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. —2 Timothy 3:16
Internationally acclaimed novelist Thomas Mann wrote a whole series of books on Joseph, the person
who is the focus of Genesis 37 through 50. So we know that Mann had more than a superficial
acquaintance with the Bible.
Yet his biographer records that on Christmas in 1940, Mann read aloud from the Bible for the “general
amusement” of his family. At one point he said, “This book is a harmless diversion, exactly what I
need.”
We may wonder why the family was amused and what Mann meant by calling God’s holy Word “a
harmless diversion.” While the Bible does contain humor, its message speaks about matters that are
deeply serious and of eternal importance.
Because it is the Word of God and therefore the Word of Truth, the Bible is to be read with reverence.
Its timeless teachings should elicit a response of gratitude and obedience, but certainly not
amusement.
How do you and I read Scripture? As a harmless diversion, like a piece of pulp fiction? Or do we read it
as a priceless source of light and hope that daily demands our concentrated, prayerful attention? 
- Vernon C. Grounds
The Bible’s truth is exactly what we need. 
Read the Bible as if God were speaking to you.
He is!

God's Tool Kit - Read: 2 Timothy 3:13-17 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, . . . that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16-17
A friend of mine is a gifted handyman, but for years he was unable to develop his gifts. The reason was
simple: He lacked the right tools. So for his birthday I gave him a tool kit that opens like a large book,
containing the basic tools a handyman needs. As he examined each tool, his eyes shone with
anticipation. After completing his next job, my friend told me excitedly, “There’s nothing more
satisfying than having the right tools for the job.” Then, applying that thought to his spiritual life, he
added, “I know where I can find the right tool for every job—in the Bible!”
The apostle Paul, a tentmaker by trade and a “master builder” in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:10),
knew he needed the right spiritual tools. He understood that the most practical tool kit for meeting
spiritual needs is the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 3, he declared that all Scripture is God-inspired (v.16).
It’s indispensable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training, and equipping believers for every good
work.
Open and use God’s “tool kit” every day. Experience the deep satisfaction of finding in it the right tool
for each spiritual task you have to do. It’s the tool kit that has all you need. Just use it!  - Joanie Yoder
You cannot be successful as a worker
Unless you have the tools to fit your trade;
And you cannot be effective as God's servant
Until God's holy Word you have surveyed. —Hess

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 The Bible has all we need to know,
so we can do all God wants us to do.

Melvin Worthington gives us a wonderful lesson entitled "The Wonderful Word" based on 2 Timothy
3:14, 15, 16, 17...
Introduction:
The Bible is an amazing book, a living book. It provides information which can be found in no other
book.
1. The Nature of the Bible (2Ti 3:16; Ps 119:9, 10, 11; 1Pe 1:20, 21). The attributes which make the
Bible a unique book include its author, authority, accuracy, adequacy, appeal, and agenda.
2. The Need for the Bible (1Pe 1:23, 24, 25; Jas 1:18; Jn 5:24). The Bible addresses all the needs of the
human being. It is essential for life, likeness, liberty, light, and labor.
3. The Nourishment from the Bible (1Pe 2:2). The Bible reveals and regulates the development God
planned, the diet God provided, the disposition God prescribed, and the diadem God promised.
4. The Neglect of the Bible (1Co 3:1, 2). Neglect of the Bible leads to dullness, drifting, disobedience,
despising, denouncing, and departing from the Lord.
Conclusion:
Christians need to peruse, ponder, and pray over the Scriptures. This takes time, thought, toil, and
tenacity. We need to pray—Father help me hear, heed, hold, honor, and herald the Word of God.

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