Focus On God’s Word

“Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” – John 4:10.

You know you need water to survive, and you feel better when you drink it regularly. The body needs lots of water to carry out many essential functions, such as balancing the internal temperature and keeping cells alive. As a general rule of thumb, a person can survive without water for about 3 days. The bottom line is we need water and we also need Living Water. Jesus speaks of Living Water not just as water, but also as a symbol for the Holy Spirit and what is to come after Jesus’ death and resurrection for His followers who believe in Him. God provides us with everything we need and is the “Living Water” that continues to always give to us.

Reading the Bible should be a regular activity in the life of a Christian. But sometimes we put it off for a few days. We get busy and the challenges of everything getting done each day can erode even the best of intentions. There are so many ways we can spend our free time that we can become paralyzed by choice. But then I remember Jesus and that I need Him like I need water. From the womb to the tomb and on into eternity, I need Jesus. When I open the Bible I hear His voice. The Good Shepherd calls His sheep to himself; gathering and feeding us by His word: “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)  And then it hits you: Reading the Bible is not what I should do; it’s what I need to do. I need time in God’s word like I need that tall glass of water. Matthew 4:4 says, “But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“

Matthew 7:24-25 adds, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

We need to hear God speak to us; to be reminded that His grip on us is stronger than our grip on Him. We need to hear that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and that, because of His death in our place on the cross, we have complete forgiveness. Our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. The same Spirit who speaks by His word lives in us enabling us to receive God’s word and to trust in His Son. He assures us that we are God’s children now; that we belong to Christ and we will share eternity with Him.

Over the course of a lifetime, the living word transforms us and enables us to persevere in our lives lived daily for Him. Just like drinking that glass of water, the immediate effects may be imperceptible, but every day, over a lifetime, you know that water is doing you good: you know that you need it.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your studying/reading style? Is it effective in reading the Bible?
2. What does it mean to read the Bible with expectation?  What in your mind is a critical reading of the Bible?