God’s Word Is Like…
If I were given land with a gold producing mine on it, the first thing I would do is begin to explore the possibilities that exist. Just as God has chosen to hide gold in the rock so we must dig it out, we also need to dig out the treasure in His Word. God does not hide it from us; He hides it for us to discover. In order to help you, I have recently reworked my For the Learner and For the Teacher tabs.
Enjoy the adventure. And be blown away as you are resourced by God’s amazing Word, revealed through these powerful word-pictures below. Savor them. Personalize each one. Maybe even doodle a picture in the margin to make it memorable.
1. God’s Word is like FOOD for satisfying my hunger.
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread (Job 23:12).
How often do you eat food each week? Listening to a sermon on Sunday is good, but one meal a week will make a person anemic and weak. If we will ever mature to become all that God has for us, we must fetch our own knife and fork. Begin to feed ourselves spiritually with the same intensity that we eat physically, instead of being spoon-fed by others from the Word.
2. Gods’ Word is like HONEY for delighting my taste.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth (Psalm 119:103).
If we personally experienced the love of the Lord, we know how sweet it is. Honey in those days was sweet, thick, and was not gobbled quickly, but slid down slowly so they could savor it. Honey is designed to linger. We discover the care of the Trinity for us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) most clearly through His Word, His Love-letter to us. Jeremiah says that the Word is a delight and joy to his heart (Jeremiah 15:16). Jesus quoted the Scriptures hundreds of times. The Word of God is sweet to the Spirit-filled person because the Spirit wrote the Scriptures. Read Palm 119, like Jesus must have, and be captivated by the emotional love the psalmist had for Scripture.
3. God’s Word is like SEED for bearing ripe fruit.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:23, cp also Luke 8:11).
As we input the Word, we are planting spiritual seed deep within. Seed has life in itself, and reaches out beyond itself into its environment for what it needs to thrive. Seed takes time to mature and bear fruit in its season, so keep patiently sowing that seed, and tilling the garden of your heart. “Feed & Weed.” That is how we grow. Feed our lives through the Word of God.
4. God’s Word is like a SWORD for protecting from the enemy.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
Satan is the father of lies. We are at his whim when we don’t know Reality through this Word. A well-known adage goes like this: “If you don’t know what you stand for, you’ll fall for anything.”
5. God’s Word is like a LAMP & LIGHT for guiding my pathway.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).
In those days, a small lamp was fastened to their feet as they walked at night. It only illuminated the next step. God’s Word lights up our next step of obedience, no more. After responding in faith, God flashes one step more of illumination. The Bible is also a light that guides my path, like a beacon in the far-off window of my destination. We receive thousands of messages a day. For instance, most advertising sells us with “discover real life here.” How do we discern what is true and what is deceitful? The Word of God acts like a guide so we can learn a way of life that is God’s way, in contrast to society’s way.
6. God’s Word is like FIRE for burning useless chaff and a hammer for shattering resistance.
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29).
The prophetic side of this double picture speaks to those things that need to be purged from our lives. It’s a fire for burning up what is useless or a hammer for shattering barriers or hard places in our lives that hinder growth and intimacy.
I wonder if you could take a few moments now and summarize a few of the powerful benefits the Father, Son and Spirit offer to you and me through His Word. Take a listening posture towards God. Which one, specific benefit is most appropriate for today?
You may also find “Mining God’s Word” helpful under the tab: Resources/Jim Fredericks Books.
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