People of the Word by Stephen Davey

People of the Word
Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."  How many hours in the past week did you spend: •     reading the newspaper? •     watching television; DVDs; movies? •     enjoying other forms of entertainment? •     working on a hobby? reading and studying the Bible? Now we could argue the value of hobbies, movies, play-off games, newspapers—and never really get anywhere.  I’m not suggesting that any of these things are wrong.  My argument isn’t along the lines of the inherent value in any one category; my concern has to do with the time they demand and the influence they exert in our lives. Is it any wonder that the average Christian today knows a lot more about the world but much less about the Word? We discuss events in Europe and the Middle East but aren’t conversant about  Colossians and the Minor Prophets.  We identify fads and fashion but cannot define our faith. We dabble in the philosophy of the world but ignore the theology of the Word.  We defend our political preferences but cannot defend the Gospel.  We quote stock prices but cannot quote Scripture.  We know the most popular actors and recording artists by name but don’t know the books of the Bible by heart.  We find our way through The Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine but can’t locate the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount.  Are we people of the world or are we people of the Word? Along with the Jews who returned from the Babylonian captivity, the godly priest Ezra had been allowed to lead the way in rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.  However, Ezra recognized that much more was needed in the hearts of the people than homes and secure walls around their city.  “For he set in his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).    So wise Ezra included in the building project the most important foundation of all—the Scriptures. He knew that this underpinning alone would provide the best footing for the people to take a godly stand in life. He realized that this bedrock alone would allow the people of God to truly rebuild their broken lives. This is the power and purpose of the Word of God: bread to eat (Deuteronomy 8:3); light to see (Psalm 118:105); our delight and meditation (Psalm 1:2); all profitable direction and equipping for every need (2 Timothy 3:16). This was their foundation—and yours!  The Bible remains the manual for genuine faith and godly living. I recommend that you join the commitment of the people of Israel: when returning to Jerusalem, they learned that of all the things they built, the most important was  their lives . . . built upon and infused with the Word of God. And remember, you will never have a close relationship with God if you have a distant relationship with His Word.  So begin reading—and memorizing it . . . today!
Prayer Point:Ask God to give you a fervent hunger for His Word. Ask Him to make you dissatisfied with looking elsewhere for life’s answers.
Extra Refreshment:Read Matthew 4:1-11, the account of Jesus’ wilderness temptation. Look up His responses to the devil’s offers and read them in their full context.  Could you stand against temptation if you had to rely solely upon your understanding and recall of Scripture?  Start equipping yourself today!