Life in the Word

I have a blessed vocation. When I come to the office, I get to open God’s Word, think, pray and reflect on it. I get to think about the passage I’m preaching on for Sunday. I get to think about the passages we are discussing at weekly community group. I get to meditate on the Scripture we are covering in the hermeneutics class for parts of the year, and I get to read the chapters in my daily devotional. THEN I get to read and listen to books ABOUT the book I’ve been reading. I thank God often that I get to spend so much of my life in the Word.

However, sometimes, when I am not careful, I accidentally start treating the Scripture like a document intended for academic scrutiny. Sometimes my curiosity takes me down deep rabbit holes engaging questions that no one will probably ever think to ask me about in my life-time. Sometimes, I forget that when I come to the Scripture…I’m coming to a living, moving attestation of the God of all, whose Word is an extension of His presence and His will. Sometimes I lose sight of the fact that Life is in the Word (2 Tim 3:16) and that His word is life (John 6:63).

And then some days the Word of Life invades my soul. His Words become my words in prayer. His presence is mediated to me in power and His promises become so real I feel like I can touch them.

The Lord is my shepherd (psalm 23:1). He might be your shepherd too. He might be the shepherd of the church eternal. But he is also my shepherd. And my shepherd leads me to good things. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul and leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

And He is also your shepherd. Where are you today? Are you wandering? The shepherd is seeking you in order to lead you back to good things. Are you near, but suffering? The shepherd wants to restore your soul. Are you broken and weary by the heaviness of life…your shepherd has gentle waters and green pastures for you in His loving and faithful presence. Whether these feel like present realities or a future hope, this is where the shepherd is leading us. And that shepherd is Christ the Lord. And you can always find Christ in the Word of life.

Not everyone gets to spend as much time in the Word as I do. But that’s okay. God’s Word is living and active drawing you into the very heart of God. So come to Him, all who are weary and heavy laden, learn from Him and He will give you rest for your souls. Bring the word into your life and God’s life, love and faithfulness will be mediated to you. He is our shepherd. And he leads us to life.