Have you ever heard a story about some person or group of people who have been in a tragic accident and had to survive for an extended length of time? Maybe they were stranded in a plane crash, boat accident, or something along those lines. Those stories always seem to intrigue us because there is something in our beings that can relate to the fears, tension, longings , hopes, deferred dreams and ultimately even the requirements and sacrifices that have to be made in order for someone to survive. I think that the most tangible aspect to any story of this nature is the nutritional side. Because we all understand hunger and thirst so well we can easily relate to those needs described by the extreme survival stories.
In the book, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Donald Whitney notes that if someone were asked about the most valuable tangible objects of life they wouldn’t refer to the Mona Lisa, King Tut’s burial mask, the Hope Diamond or something of great monetary value. He supposes that truly it is the most basic of things like bread and water that become most valuable when our lives are placed in jeopardy. He concludes therefore that the Bible is the most valuable tangible object of all, because it is that which preserves the spiritual life of man.
Here is what David writes in Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Whitney says, “Without knowledge of God, no matter how long and prosperous one’s earthly existence, life is meaningless and worthless. Thus no other object on earth is as valuable as the Bible, for nothing else can provide anything as essential or eternal.” It is only through the Bible that we can have a specific understanding or revelation of God. We might be able to identify common truths about Him through general revelation, i.e. creation, beauty, longings in our hearts, etc. We could never understand specifics about Him if it wasn’t for His communicated Word found in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments.
So today, ask yourself this diagnostic question . . . how much is the Word of God my Daily Bread by which my life is sustained? Further, how much is my live being transformed into the resemblance of Jesus because of diet on the Bible? If you are struggling in answering these questions with strong conviction or positive assurance that you are doing well, begin to take tiny bites of the Word of God by reading in the New Testament. Don’t begin by devouring it, you will probably get overwhelmed by the abundance of truth. Instead, find a letter like Galatians and read a small section each day and begin to meditate on that – considering the truths, principles, and practices which reveal God and the manner of your need for relationship with Him which will honor and reflect Him at work in your life.
Stay tuned this week for more out of this chapter.