APRIL 2017
The Indispensable Word Of God
Andrew Murray
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God” (Matt 4:4). The illustration that our Lord
uses, in which the Word of God is compared to
our daily bread, is most instructive. Bread is
indispensable to life. We all understand this.
However strong a person may be, if he takes no
nourishment, he will grow weaker, and life will
become extinct. Even so with the Word of God.
It contains a heavenly principle, and works
powerfully in them that believe.
Bread must be eaten
I may know all about bread. I may have
bread, and may give it to others. I may have
bread in my house and on my table in great
abundance, but that will not help me; if
through illness I am unable to eat it, I shall die.
And so a mere knowledge of God's Word and
even the preaching of it to others will not avail
me. It is not enough to think about it, I must
feed on God's Word, and take it into my heart
and life.
In love and obedience I must
appropriate the words of God, and let them take
full possession of my heart. Then they will
indeed be words of life.
Bread must be eaten daily
And the same is true of God's Word. The
Psalmist says that blessed is the man whose
“delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law
doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
“O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the
day” (Psalm 119:97). To secure a strong and
powerful spiritual life, God's Word every day is
indispensable.
When on earth the Lord Jesus learned,
loved, and obeyed the word of the Father. And
if you seek fellowship with Him, you will find
Him in His Word. Christ will teach you to
commune with the Father through the Word,
even as was His custom. You will learn, like
Him, to live solely for the glory of God and the
fulfillment of His Word.
How to Read God's Word?
Here are some simple rules for Bible
reading.
Read God's Word with great reverence
Meditate for a moment in silence on the
thought that the words come from God Himself.
Bow in deep reverence. Be silent unto God. Let
Him reveal His Word in your heart.
Read with careful attention
If you read the words carelessly, thinking
that you can grasp their meaning with your
human understanding, you will use the words
superficially, and not enter into their depths.
When someone tries to explain anything
wonderful or beautiful to us, we give our entire
attention to try to understand what is said.
How much higher and deeper are God's
thoughts than our thoughts! “As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are…My thoughts
than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). We need to
give our undivided attention to understand
even the superficial meaning of the words.
How much harder to grasp the spiritual
meaning!
Read with the expectation of the guidance
of God's Spirit
It is God's Spirit alone that can make the
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