Whitney opens this section of his book with a sad and challenging story. He tells of a time when he and some friends were traveling on mission in East Africa. They soon realized that the church they were ministering to looked as though it was "started by Corinthian missionaries" (23). Very soon, they noticed that the reason for the immorality of this church was that they had no Bible. No one! Not even the pastor had a copy of God's word!
"Most of us shake our heads in pity at such sad conditions. It's hard to imagine that many of us have more Bibles in our homes than entire churches have in some Third-World situations. But it's one thing to be unfamiliar with Scripture when you don't own a Bible; it's another thing when you have a bookshelf full" (24).
Whitney rightly argues that...
"No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God's word".
It is common for us to become so busy in our lives that we neglect the nourishment needed to make it through this life! Our culture rewards busyness. The more we do the more we feel like we have it all together. But honestly, if we are neglecting our souls of God's Word... I doubt we are doing anything remotely worthwhile. We must cherish and practice the intake of Scripture!!!
Whitney communicates that there are 3 ways that we can do this. They are...
- Hearing God's Word
- Reading God's Word
- Studying God's Word
"The purpose of all methods of Bible intake is obedience to what God says and the development of Christlikeness" (25). Hearing is the easiest. Even so, we must discipline ourselves to hear God's Word. If not, we will only hear it occasionally or never at all. Jesus implied that we would hear Scripture (Luke 11:28). We must remember that merely hearing it is not the point. Obedience to it is!
The way most of us listen to God's word is by attending a New Testament church. This is good for many reasons... one being that God's word commands it (Heb. 10:24-25). Another way that we can listen to it is via technology. I often listen to God's word through sermon podcasts. Most are free for download from Itunes. I recommend pastors/teachers like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Mark Batterson, and John MacArthur. There are many more that I like. There are more out there than any one person can listen to. Whomever you choose, I encourage you to always pray that God will guard your hearts and minds from error! You should find God fearing men who spend their lives praying and teaching God's Word that you can trust... But remember that no one is perfect... we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us into understanding the Scriptures.
It is also important that we discipline ourselves to read God's Word. You know it doesn't come naturally for us to sit down and take in Scripture! We are so sinful. We have depraved minds and hearts. We must, with the help of the Spirit, discipline ourselves to read it (Rom. 8:1-11). Whitney gives three practical suggestions for consistent success in Bible reading:
- Find the time
- Find a Bible-reading plan. I use... http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/index.php/today?plan=1&version=47
- Find at least one word, phrase or verse to meditate on each time you read
In addition to hearing and reading... we must study God's Word. "If reading the Bible can be compared to cruising the width of a clear, sparkling lake in a motorboat, studying the Bible is like slowing crossing that same lake in a glass-bottomed boat" (31). I am to often guilty of neglecting the discipline of dissecting the Scriptures! I want to, but it takes time and effort.
R.C. Sproul said, "Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull or boring, but because it is work."
I have taken classes on how to study the Scriptures. It is a science called hermeneutics. Some times people feel very inadequate to study God's Word. It is not merely a discipline for the pastor or church leader alone... it is a privilege for all! There are many resources available to assist in Bible Study. We can do it! We must! Think about this...
If your growth in Godliness were measured by the quality of your Bible intake, what would be the result?
Our growth in Godliness is greatly affected by it! The process of growing in Christlikeness is called sanctification. Jesus prayed that God's people would be sanctified by His Word (John 17:17)! Whitney says, "If we settle for poor quality intake of hearing, reading, and studying God's Word, we severely restrict the main flow of God's sanctifying grace toward us" (33).
It is easy to begin feeling guilty when thinking about this. I've heard it said that the quickest way to humble a Christian is to ask about one's prayer life. But remember that our salvation is not by works of our own, but from what Christ has done for us (Eph. 2:8)! Also, join with Paul in his humble pursuit of holiness (Phil. 3:12-14).
What is one thing you can do to improve your intake of God's Word?
Whatever we do, we must do it with the understanding that our goal is Godliness. To know Him intimately!
Blessings.
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