DELIGHTING IN GOD’S WORD
This is the time of the year when
people make New Year’s resolutions. They mostly centered on getting into shape,
living healthy, losing weight, spending sparingly, quitting dilapidating
habits, etc. These resolutions are good, but conventional wisdom tells us that
New Year’s resolutions typically fail without a plan.
In 2024, could we all cultivate a
habit of delighting in God’s Word? Those resolutions I mentioned above would temporarily
benefit us when followed through. In contrast, the habit of delighting in God’s
Word would help our bodies, minds, and souls to eternity. Before cultivating a
habit of delighting in God’s word, we want to address two critical questions:
Is the Bible Truly God’s Word? Secondly, is it relevant to us in the 21st
Century?
Growing up in a Christian home in a
predominantly Hindu country, our family maintained specific strict Christian
disciplines. One of them was family devotions. Right after dinner, we would sit
around, and one would read the scriptures and pray for various needs. I was
always the first one to volunteer to read the Bible. For some reason, God put
such a delight in my heart towards His Word. Since then, I read the Bible
several times, yet it always amazes me.
The Bible is a fascinating book! Here
are some amazing facts of the Bible that you might not be aware of. 1. The
Bible is the best-selling book in the world. According to the Guinness Book
of World Records, the Bible is the best-selling and most widely distributed
book in the entire world. Over the last 3,000+ years, Guinness estimates around
5 trillion Bibles were sold.
The most expensive Bible
in the world is worth millions. The Gutenberg Bible was
the first edition produced with a moveable-type printer throughout the 1450s. A
copy was sold to Japanese bookseller Maruzen Co. Ltd for a whopping $5.4 million; to this day, it holds the
record for the most expensive Bible ever sold. At the same time, you can get a
Bible for free right now. If you need one, please see me after the service.
The Bible
contains 1,189 chapters. If you read 3 to 4 chapters daily, you can finish
reading the Bible in a Year. I am sure several of you may read your Bible
regularly. But if you never read the Bible and wonder whether it is God’s Word
and has any relevance, I give you two pieces of evidence to prove its divinity
and relevance.
II.
Is the Bible Truly God’s Word?
Internal evidence that
the Bible is truly God’s Word: First, It’s Unity. Even
though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in
three different languages, over approximately 1,500 years, by more than 40
authors from many walks of life, it remains as one unified book. This unity is
unique from all other books and proves it is truly God’s Word.
Second,
It’s Prophecy. The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies about the
future of various nations, certain cities, and all humanity. Other prophecies
concern the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe in Him.
Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those by men such as
Nostradamus, biblical prophecies are highly detailed. Over three hundred
prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the OT have been fulfilled.
Third,
Its authority and power to change lives. Here is Paul’s advice to Timothy,
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced
of,.. and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able
to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the
servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Tim 3:15-17
Let’s come under the instruction of God’s Word.
Some scholars attribute 1500-2000 words spoken by Jesus in
the NT. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away.” More scriptures support that the
Bible is God’s Word. God is eternal, and His words live eternally.
External
evidence that the Bible is God’s Word: The Bible details historical
events through archaeological evidence and
extrabiblical writings, and the historical accounts of the Bible have been
proven to be accurate and true. Another external evidence is the indestructibility
of the Bible. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist
dictators and on to modern-day atheists, the Bible has withstood a constant
onslaught from detractors. Yet it endures and is still the most widely
published book in the world. Let’s look at its relevance.
II. Is
the Bible Relevant in the 21st Century?
Michael
Youssef refers to the Six Days War of Israel in 1967. On June 4, Israeli
Defense Minister Moshe Dayan his senior officers and surprised them by reading
from the Bible the story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17. He encouraged
them to strike at the vulnerable spot of their enemies like David aimed at
Goliath’s weak spot. After 132 hours of fighting, Israel won the war.
Michael notes, “The Word of God is
as relevant today as it was when the ink was still wet on its parchment. The
same ancient, divinely inspired wisdom that inspired Israel to fight and win is
still ready to inspire you and me to live the victorious Christian life.”[1] Many
Christians let the Bible, the best-selling book in the world, gather dust on
their shelves rather than pick it up and read. Why do so many Christians claim
to love God while ignoring His inspired Word?
III. Delighting
in God’s Word. (Psalm 1:1-6)
If
the Bible is indeed God’s word, ignoring it is like ignoring the voice of God
that comes through His Word. Our response should be that we delight in God’s
Word. The Psalmist shows the contrast between the wicked and the righteous,
their way of living, and their final destiny. Vs.1, He begins with a warning to
a godly person, saying, do not walk in the ways of the wicked or the people of
the world and even stay away from their company.
To avoid the ungodly people doesn’t
mean running away from the world to a solitary or monastic life. It is a call
to live godly lives while surrounded by ungodly people. It is possible by delighting in God’s Word and
meditating on it day and night. The more we cherish, read, and meditate on it,
the more we will get to know and love Jesus as God’s word reveals Him to us.
Psalm 119 gives us insights into
what happens to those who cherish and abide by God’s Word. Seeking God and
obeying His laws brings Joy (1-2). Following God’s commands helps us remain
pure and keeps us from sinning against God. (9-11). We rejoice in following
God’s commands as one rejoices in great riches. (Vs. 14). God’s word
strengthens our weary souls filled with sorrow (Vs. 28). God’s word keeps us
from deceitful ways. (Vs.29) God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light
unto our path, helping us walk securely in this world (Vs. 105).
The Bible is the only food that will
spiritually nourish and sustains us. Just as our physical body needs nutritious
food to be strong, our spiritual health depends on spiritual food. In Deut 8:3, Moses said to the people of
Israel, “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,
which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not
live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Jesus used The exact words to defeat
Satan in the wilderness: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. Job, the one who was tested beyond any of us,
said, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the
words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”
Few Americans have had to miss many
meals. It is not to say we should feel guilty for living in a land of plenty.
Instead, we should feel grateful to God while keeping the mindset of Job. We
should treasure God’s word more than our daily bread. How can we go month after
month without feeding our spirits on God’s Word? Let’s read our Bibles and feed
our souls daily.
