The Artificial Intelligence revolution has redefined speed reading. If in the 1950s it meant being able to skim through books and information that are relevant to what the person is trying to learn, AI offers to digest loads of information in an instant.
As followers of Jesus, our calling is the opposite when it comes to reading God’s word. We are to carefully read it, reflect and meditate on it, and rehearse it in our minds each time.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
But why should we do that? Well, time and again Scriptures tell us that God’s word will guide us through our earthly existence. And the guidance that it provides will not only lead us to a worthwhile life, it will also give us peace amid inevitable difficulties that we are bound to encounter.
“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;” Psalm 19:7-8
In training his successor Joshua into leading the Israelites to the Promised Land, Moses told his protegee that he should keep God’s word in mind and heart so that he could succeed in his goal. Joshua of course did just that and the rest was history.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
Human beings as we are, we tend to skim through passages that we deem boring or not applicable to our life season. We may also skip reading through passages that we have already read once, or those which we have heard already in church.
But God’s word is so purposeful, and the Bible is so powerful that even the exact same passages may mean different things to the same person, if read at a different point in time.
“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.” Hebrews 4:12
We are even encouraged to memorize bible verses, but not to prove that we know a lot about God’s word. We are encouraged to memorize them to protect our hearts in times of unavoidable hardships that we will encounter in our lifetime. As St. Paul the Apostle said, God’s word is the sword of the spirit, and we can use it to slay the enemy’s attempt to kill our souls with grief, depression, and cycle of sin.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
And so when you read God’s word today, read it slowly, digest it thoroughly, and reflect on its meaning in your life. Ask for God’s wisdom so that you can understand it fully, and deduce guidance from it. Let us keep in mind that these are God’s word that he shared to us because He loves us so much we can be saved through it.
“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 19:7-11 and Psalm 1 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you find time to read God’s word? How’s your attitude about reading God’s word? Do you slowly digest it or do you speed read past it to get today’s bible time, over and done with?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father I praise and thank you for giving us your word that nourishes us day after day. Thank you for your words that feed our soul in both good times and times of trouble. Give us the confidence to continue studying and meditating on it, so we can know you more and we can be anchored in your love. Amen.
