Director of 10:31 Life Ministries
I was talking to a friend of mine recently who is going through the Old Testament, one of the things she is continually noticing was the peoples devotion to the word of God, she also pointed out that life needed to revolve around God. This observation is true, the Temple mount was the center of the Israelite society, even back to the time of Moses, when the Tabernacle was built God gave specific instructions as to where each tribe was to camp around it. (See the book of Numbers)
Later in the story of God's chosen people we constantly see them fall away (don't believe me read the book of Judges) and return. In 1 Samuel we see this as King Josiah cleanses the temple and the nation repented and gave sacrifices to God, they turned back to Him. During the intertestamental period the Pharisee's demanded such strict adherence to the law that they had begun to add things based on their traditions. The same traditions that Jesus is constantly cutting down (See Matthew 15 for example).
When Jesus was on the Earth he was often the center of attention; every time he enters a town or is staying in a house he was swamped by people. In fact at one point Jesus eventually stopped being able to go into towns and had to stay outside. Remember the Paralytic who's friends lowered him through the roof of the house in Mark 2:1-12, it literally says that people were pressing in on all sides.
This God focus throughout the Old Testament and the Gospels continues into the Epistles as Paul continually brings the focus back to Christ as he encourages and exhorts the churches to live rightly. It is from Paul that we get the theme verse for 10:31 Life Ministries, 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether you eat, drink or whatsoever you do, do it all for the glory of Christ."
So Why Love The Word?
If everything in Scripture is pointing to Christ, if the law and the old Testaments point to God, if Jesus and his teachings were the center of attention as he tried to put the focus on the kingdom. If Paul worked to point everyone to Christ as he taught the early church through writing then why shouldn't we?
But there's something more that goes on through scripture, what I've proposed is something we do because everyone else is doing it, a way of "Conformity" to scripture and the people of scripture, but as we've discussed scripture has an effect on us, it permeates our being, it moves us.
Last week I had a horrible week, it started out great but for some reason I began to slip from where I'd been after Denver. I began to let all the cares of all those around me drown me and I started to panic and out of panic came depression. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, what had happened, what caused the bottom to fall out of everything, this morning I realized what happened.
After Denver I have spent so much time reflecting on scripture, I finally acknowledged how much I needed it and so in it I reveled. Each day waking up to the fact that I got to spend the day with my savior, through prayer and reflection on the word of God. Call me a mystic but this was where I wanted to be, it wasn't that it was a safe place, on the contrary, scripture is dangerous, we should tremble before God's authority through it.
Loving the Word and Going Deep
I've mentioned this idea of going deep several times in the last two months, and some of you are probably wondering why I put such an emphasis on it. The reason is because when we start to fall in love with scripture we start to discover the God of scripture and when we go deep into the word of God the God of scripture comes alive in our lives and starts to transform us through those words.
Remember the passage from Hebrews 4:12? "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (ESV). This was the trouble with going deep was it not? That scripture would start to permeate and change out thinking. That as we read about the life of Jesus we start to see that our busy lifestyles and unhealthy spiritual habits aren't how Jesus wants us to live.
But why should we love scripture? If it is going to change out thinking and make us uncomfortable and be used to transform our lives in the work of sanctification, then why should we love it! The answer to this is simpler than one might think, the answer has been handed down through the scriptures themselves, the answer is because we Love God!
Think about it, scripture is God given, we have been raised to new life through Christ and we are called to act because of our love for Christ and more importantly Christ's love for us. It goes back to the idea of because we live act on this, because we live get into the Word, because we live go deep.
The psalmist had no problem expressing his love for God through scripture, take a look at the longest chapter in the entire bible, Psalms 119. The psalmist here seems to understand what it means to love God and through that love, loving the words of scripture. He also understands the benefits of loving the word of God. Don't believe me read it for yourself, don't have time then just read the examples.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! (119:1), How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.(119:9), Behold, I long for your precepts;, in your righteousness give me life! Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; (119:40-41), I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.(119:48), and the list goes on and on and on.
The psalmist understands the purpose of God's word, he understands that this is where we find God's commandments and promises, this is where we have fellowship with God. He sees that through the word of God, through the precepts and statuses set forth by our creator that we will benefit by a closer walk with the one who set forth those commandments and precepts.
So again I say to you, go deep, move further into the heart of God by discovering Him through the words that He gave us as His special Revelation. Stand before the almighty and let's learn together how to love His words and rest in His sovereignty.
Let us be a Generation that leads from the heart of the Gospel!
All Quotations taken from ESV Study Bible
Also Available from Jonathan Faulkner:
Also Available from 10:31 Life Ministries
College Commitment: Playing with a Thunderstorm By David Faulkner
A Chosen Generation: Devoured, Withered, Chocked and...Alive? By Angel Edwards
Confessions of a College Freshmen: That One A.M Feeling By Amy Faulkner
Check out 10:31 Life Ministries on Facebook at: facebook.com/1031ministries
Or Email 10:31 Life Ministries at: hi1031.ministries@yahoo.com
