“Are you led by God’s word?” It’s no surprise that I am asking this as the new year begins and I usually encourage people to get into God’s word. However, it may surprise you that, for the first six to seven years of ministry, I only read the Bible to prepare for lessons, sermons, and other teaching contexts. So, I begin this post by confessing that I have not always been a man of the word. I sat in theology classes and learned how to do biblical exegesis, but the word never infiltrated my heart and life.

I read the Bible, but I did not allow it to read and examine me. The words of Scripture brought no change to my life. I thought I knew all I needed to know in order to minister and get to heaven. I was sadly mistaken. I lived as the Pharisees and teachers of the law did when Jesus spoke of them in Matt. 23:1-12 (read this passage). But around 20 years ago, I went through a humbling experience that transformed my journey of faith and how I approach God’s word. That experience is why I write these words. I write them mostly to myself, but I hope they convict you as well.

Donald Whitney, Dallas Willard, Tim Keller, and so many others say that the most valuable possession on this earth is God’s word (the Holy Bible). We can own many things, but none more important than the Bible. It is through God’s word that we are spiritually nourished and grow (Jer. 15:16; Matt. 4:4). Without it, we die spiritually.

It is through God’s word that we get to know him intimately. No matter how “successful” you are in this world, all is meaningless and worthless without knowing God. So it comes as no surprise that we desperately need the constant influence of God’s word. This desperate need cannot be overstated nor overemphasized. As Donald Whitney puts it, “little input of God’s word results in little resemblance to God’s Son.”

So again I ask you, “Are you led by God’s word?” What I am about to say may convict or confront you. I say not to offend, but to challenge us in our growth toward God. I believe that too many Christians go from day to day and year to year without being increasingly led by God’s word (in other words, they are not growing by what they read). Sure, they regularly attend church, perhaps read their Bibles throughout the week, and even participate in service to God and practice daily disciplines. Yet their faith and practices don’t change in response to new discoveries found in Scripture as the Holy Spirit reveals them (not new truths, but new discoveries as they are presented to the individual in a new a fresh way by the Spirit).

Instead, they believe exactly the way they have always believed. They carry their Bibles but couldn’t tell you the last time it altered their lives. They are not led by the word, but instead lead the word according to their set of expectations and long-held beliefs. They examine the word without allowing it to examine them. This, I believe, is the travesty that has plagued our approach to God’s word. Instead of reading it as God’s love letter, written in relationship to us for our good, we read it as a textbook and only highlight what we believe will be the required information on the test.

A true indicator of someone who is growing spiritually is how highly they regard God’s word and how it directs their every step. How would you answer these questions?

• Can I stop talking about God’s word?

• Does it come out naturally in common conversation?

• Do I easily and readily recollect it?

• Do I love it?

Someone who is content with a few contacts with Scripture here and there may not possess the deep love for God’s word described by the psalmist in Ps. 119. Spend some time reading through this psalm (pay attention to verses 47, 48, 97, 113, 119, 127, and 163). Can you describe your desire for God’s word the way the psalmist does? Does God’s word have a growing influence in your life?

Jesus was governed by his Father’s words (Matt. 4:1-11). He constantly quoted Scripture and knew the word intimately as he himself was the living Word. Those wanting to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ will, over time, live more and more “by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Instead of approaching Scripture only in church or occasionally when one thinks about it, being led by God’s word means constantly asking the question, “What does the Bible say about this?”

I encourage us all as we enter 2021 to be led by God’s word by taking these actions:

• Deepening our desire for God’s word by praying and meditating through Scripture (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3; James 1:25)

• Making time for God’s word. Read it daily and don’t close it until you know one thing that God would have you do in response to the reading.

• Reading God’s word for transformation, not just information. List five areas or issues in your life that you have not considered from a biblical perspective. Then, search the Scriptures for the next five days to discover what God’s word says concerning these five areas.

• Training ourselves to constantly ask, “What does the Bible say about this?”

My deep seeded fear is that we could find ourselves in the same predicament as the Israelites, who continued performing the “religious rites” but lost God’s word. It wasn’t until the priests found the Book and gave it to Josiah that the people began to walk in the ways of the Lord. The scary thing is, they didn’t even know what they had found. They had forgotten what God’s word even looked like. We must be diligent with God’s word! We must desire to feast on his living word daily so that we can truly find nourishment and growth. Without it, we will surely die of malnutrition. May God bless the reading of his word and may our lives reflect his words through our words, actions, and attitudes. To him be the glory!