Five Ways to Feed on God's Word
By Rick Warren
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” Colossians 3:16 (NIV)
Just like you need physical food for physical strength, you need spiritual food for spiritual strength. The Bible describes itself as spiritual food—the water, milk, bread, and meat of your spiritual life. It’s everything you need for sustenance.
If you were a construction contractor, you wouldn’t consider sending out a worker who hadn’t eaten anything in two weeks. If you were a commander in the Army, you wouldn’t send a person into battle who hadn’t eaten in a month.
In the same way, you’re not going to have much success in winning the spiritual battles you face if you’re starving to death. To have the strength to accomplish the tasks before you, you need to feed yourself on the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word.
Unlike eating physical food, whenever you feed on God’s Word, you’ll get even hungrier. The more you taste and see how good God is, the more you’ll want!
The Bible says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly” (NIV). Paul is telling us to let the Bible take up residence in our lives in a rich, profound, and life-giving way.
So how can you feed yourself on the Word of God and allow the Bible to dwell richly in you?
Receive the Word with your ears. Commit to going to church and listening to God’s Word being preached.
Read the Word with your eyes. Just having a Bible in your house is not going to bless your life. You have to have the Bible in your heart, and that starts with reading it.
Research the Word with your hands and mouth. When studying the Word of God, keep a pencil in your hand. Write down what God teaches. Talk with other believers in a small-group setting about what you’re discovering.
Reflect on the Word with your mind. Think about and chew on God’s Word.
Remember the Word with your heart. You’ll rarely have a Bible with you when you need it. Commit God’s Word to memory.
God doesn’t want you to just taste the goodness of his Word. He wants you to feast on it! He wants you to let it transform your life—and that starts with these five steps.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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