Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Adrian Rogers
To Be Strengthened
Have you heard it said that someone whose Bible is falling apart usually has it together? I believe that’s true. Paul writes that “just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). The Bible says that “you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). By abiding in the Word of God, you will be “building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20).
To Be Fed
When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, part of His answer was that they pray “give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). I don’t think this was just about real bread but the bread that comes from the Word of God. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35), as He is “the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
To Be Watered
Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). She said, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” (John 4:15), but she didn’t understand what this “living water” really was. Later Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37b-38). This is the life-quenching water of eternal life that Jesus spoke about, which is found in His Word, the Bible. If anyone drinks of it, they shall never thirst again.
To Be Encouraged
Paul told the church at Thessalonica to “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). How could they do that? By reading Paul’s letters, which was the same as reading the Word of God. Jude admonishes the church to be “building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20). We should be speaking “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29), and reading these instructions can also build us up.
To Be Fortified
What is a stronger fortification than God Himself? Truly, “the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). The psalmist wrote that “he is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 144:2) because “whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge” (Proverbs 14:26). The fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom, and He and His Word will fortify you in your daily walk with Christ.
Conclusion
It is so true that if you have a Bible that’s falling apart, you’ll have a life that’s not, for God’s Word can strengthen you, God’s Word can feed you, God’s Word can water you, God’s Word can encourage you, and God’s Word can be a fortress against the trials and tribulations of life.
