The Necessity of God's Word

In this inaugral post on Christian living and the spiritual disciplines, I think it is fitting that I point out the absolute centrality of the Word of God!

Oh, how I long to be a strong believer, not a weak one. This is my heartfelt cry of prayer to God for the flock I shepherd. But so often in my spiritual journey and so often in my conversations with others I find that so many professing Christians struggle with so many problems but they can't get past "first base" in solving those problems for they aren't Word-saturated Christians. Our intake of the Word of God is minimalistic at best. Because of this we are anxious, unhappy, and beset with sin.

Several years ago, I put this quote on a half sheet of paper, hung it up on my wall and made copies of it available to the congregation I serve. Oh God, stir your people to see the radical importance of being Word-saturated Christians!

"If you don't read the Word and memorize the Word and meditate on the Word daily and delight in the Word and savor it and have your mind and emotions shaped by the Word, you will be a weak Christian at best. You will be fragile and easily deceived and easily paralyzed by trouble and stuck in many mediocre ruts. But if you read the Word and memorize important parts of it and meditate on it and savor it and steep your mind in it, then you will be like a strong tree planted by streams of water that brings forth fruit. Your leaf won't wither in the drought and you will be productive in your life for Christ (see Psalm 1). "--John Piper