
God wrote a book. You have it at your fingertips. It is our life.
It is divine, because it is God’s Voice, literally God-breathed.
It is authentic, because God’s Voice was written as The Book and faithfully transmitted from the first century to today. We know because with 5800 Greek MSS, 25,000 other ancient MSS, and 1 million quotes in the church fathers.
It is true – God’s divine mystery is anchored in human history – which has been tested and verified in archaeology.
It is sufficient – while The Book does not answer every question, it does something MUCH BETTER – it conforms us to the image of Christ, which prepares us for every situation.
It is good - as Moses told the people, I set before you today life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose God, choose The Book, choose life.
It is a law of nature, that deepening a relationship requires communication. And God is no exception. Thankfully - He is speaking - to us in His Word, the Bible. In God’s Word - we go from second-hand to source - from hearing about God to hearing from God.
And it’s not primarily about new information - it’s about renewing a relationship, about getting face to face with the God of the universe. As the poet said, education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire. May God ignite our hearts with a passion for this book, because it is not just a book, but THE Book, the good book, the holy book, God’s book.
Question: Do you appreciate food, not only in word but also in deed? You don’t just say you enjoy it but you back it up with your life, with action to demonstrate it (no hypocrisy here!). If we were to ignore food for any length of time then no matter how much we appreciated food in our minds, or grasped the value of food, or talked about food to others – if we didn’t actually eat any, then we would soon begin to decompose, become sick and even die. Sadly, this is the way many Christians treat the soul food of the Word of God - as optional nutrients, when actually the Word of God is your life.
That’s not my idea – it’s a quote. From Dt 32:47 Moses tells Joshua and the leaders about the Scriptures, “They are not just idle words for you – they are your life. By them you will live long in the land.” (Dt 32:47)
The Word of God is your life. It wasn’t just Moses but also the Psalmist who believed this: “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” (Psalm 119:25)
And it wasn’t just Moses and the Psalmist who believed this – Jesus HimSelf confirmed it in John 6:63: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” A few verses later, when many followers turned back and Christ asked if the disciples would as well, Peter said: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of life.” And if that’s not direct enough, remember his rebuttal to Satan when being tempted to turn the stones to bread: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) So how does this work? An analogy:
Tomorrow (Jan 20, 2025) Ohio State and Notre Dame will square off for the college football national championship. Imagine that the Ohio State offensive coordinators were coaching their tight ends telling them how the Notre Dame defensive ends were excellent at stopping the run so they would have to work hard to stick them to the line. Now imagine the Ohio State players blowing it off - yeah, yeah, whatever, I know, just quit the lecture and let me play! No - those are words are life - listen! They will help you play! But too often, we treat God like we know better, we ignore the life He is speaking to us in His Word to “coach us up” to better meet and overcome life’s challenges.
Peter weighs in on this too, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Pet 1:24-5). Which is actually a quote from Isaiah. So he gets in there too. We could go on – but let’s just sum it up with Moses, Isaiah, the Psalmist, Paul, Peter, and Jesus. They all thought the word of God is our life. The Word of God created the universe in Genesis 1, and it will continue until Revelation 17:17 “all His Words are fulfilled.”
Turns out - not just pastors have noticed the power in God’s Word.
Napoleon Bonaparte said, “The Bible is no mere book, but it’s a living creature with a power that conquers all who oppose it.”
Daniel Webster said, “If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.”
Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.”
Woodrow Wilson said, “The Bible is the revelation of the meaning of life....There are a good many problems before the people of America today and before me as president. But I expect to find the solution to those problems in the proportion that I am faithful to the Word of God. Part of the destiny of America lies in the daily perusal of this great book.”
The Word of God is your life.
As we continue in 2025 - may God’s Word be our life.
Reading the Bible is not primarily about information transfer and downloading truth – the Word of God is primarily a voice, the voice of a person who is calling us into relationship with himself. Let us move away from just reading to listening. move away from acquiring information to building a relationship with a person. Move away from second-hand to Source. When I open this book, I am not just looking at letters, I am opening a door and staring into the face of a person who knows me and loves me.
Ok Adam - got it. How do I grow in God’s Word?
A few guidelines on how to approach God face to face:
Reverence: this is the voice of The Almighty, before jumping in, pause to be awed that God has spoken, to pray and ask God to speak His wisdom.
Consistency: Keep showing up! The difference between the smooth and rough rocks is time spent in the water. Stay at it - you are going for growth over a year, not inspiration for a day. The Bible is a surf shallow that any child can play there safely; it’s also an ocean so deep that no theologian will ever reach the bottom.
Honesty: See yourself in the mirror of God’s Word - celebrate the good, repent of the bad, and put your faith and hope in God, not yourself!
Team: We all train better on teams. Read with a group or a friend who can be a sounding board and encouragement.
Plan: Get a plan, as a servant not a master. There are many plans - the M’Cheyne plan is online (and is also an app). Navigators have several good plans for download.
This year - 2025 - let's meet God face to face, and move from second-hand to Source.
Let’s go!

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