Every scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.
As a ministry, Wordworth International has the vision to raise people through a seven-fold thrust of which spiritual disciplines constitute one of them. Among these disciplines, which forms a part of our discipleship training program, is the relationship we have with the Word of God as followers of Jesus Christ.
We have learned that the Bible is the word of God. If you are a Christian, the Bible is not a vain thing for you. It is your life. The Bible is not just another religious book. It is, rather the manual God has given to man to be able to live life in all of its fullness.
We cannot discount the importance of having a lifestyle of personal Bible reading, study, meditation and practice in the word of God as spiritual disciplines which enhance our relationship with the Lord.
Everyone knows that food and water are essential for the health and growth of our physical bodies. Without them, we will not have the energy or strength for daily living.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of food and water for the body. Depending on one’s state of health, a person can survive for up to forty days without food and a far much less period of about three days without water.
When a person does not eat or have a consistent intake of good nutrition, his health will begin to deteriorate. His body’s defences against infection and diseases will start to breakdown, and if there is no intervention to reverse the situation, he becomes susceptible to sickness and ultimately death.
The same holds true for the word of God. When we do not have consistent spiritual nourishment in God’s word, we soon become weak spiritually and become susceptible to been defeated by every attack of the enemy.
God’s word is the bread of life. It is interesting to note that the word of God is described as food and water. As a food, it is referred to as milk, meat or bread.
Jeremiah 15:16 says, Your words were found and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by your name.
Do you feed on the word of God daily? Does it bring joy to your heart? As food and water are essential daily requirements for your physical body, so also is the word of God for your spirit and your soul. You get nourishment for your spirit and your soul through feeding on the word of God.
As a believer, you ought to take out time to feed on the word of God daily. And get it to dwell in your heart richly in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
There are some ways that you can get the word of God to dwell in you richly. These are through reading and listening, studying, speaking or confessing meditation, discussing and practising the word of God. We shall briefly discuss each of these.
Let us start with reading. Reading the word of God is simply perusing the Bible. Reading the Bible regularly, will among other things, give you a broad picture of the mind of God concerning His eternal plan and purpose for mankind.
You should take on a daily Bible reading program that helps you read the entire Bible over one year. Usually, daily reading of about 3-5 chapters daily would take 10 to 15 minutes per day. I am sure you can spare that time.
Listening is the same as perusing the Bible, but instead of taking it in through the eye-gate as in reading, you take it in through the ear-gate.
Listening to the Bible on tape or CD has been very profitable to me. You can purchase an audio Bible from several Christian bookshops. On the other hand, you can download the entire Bible in mp3 format from the internet.
Listen to your Bible in your car as you go to work or travel, or in the kitchen as you prepare meals for your family. Feed your soul and spirit regularly. As you listen to the word of faith, you will be built in your heart, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Have you been facing desperate situations or seemingly insurmountable challenges in your life? Getting acquainted with your Bible can help you begin to build faith enough to get the breakthroughs you have desired for so long.
It is time that your Bible becomes more than a talisman which you place under your pillow or on the dashboard of your car, let it become you life-book and begin to read it every day. What saves is not the book, but what is written in it.
As we look forward to continuing this subject in the second part, I have suggested some links below where you can download the Bible in audio (mp3) format.
Thank you. Do not forget to keep living, loving and learning.
References:
2 Timothy 2:16, TPT; 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14; Ephesians 5:26; Jeremiah 15:17; Romans 10:17.
Some websites you can download the Bible in audio format: www.audiotreasure.com; https://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/audio-Bible-resources/mp3-downloads; https://publicdomainaudiobibles.com
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God please help me understand that man shall not live by bread alone (nor by daily struggles to make ends meet) but by every word of God I hear and act upon.