life in the word
"Act on this word. If all you do is listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves." —James 1:22
Many of you who read this are in love with God. Therefore, His word is the joy and the happiness of your hearts (Jer 15:16). You want the word of God to be everything He wants it to be in your lives. God wants His word to be:
- heard (Jas 1:22),
- devoured (Jer 15:16),
- rooted (Jas 1:21; see also Mk 4:6),
- humbly welcomed (Jas 1:21),
- acted on (Jas 1:22),
- sown (Mk 4:14),
- preached (Mk 16:15), and
- taught (Acts 5:42).
God wants His word to be your daily bread (see Mt 4:4). He wants your major responsibility to be the living and sharing of His word. He wants you to live and die with His word on your lips. Finally, you will be judged by God's word (Jn 12:48). What a joyful and glorious Judgment Day it will be if you have lived and loved God's word! Therefore, "humbly welcome the word that has taken root in you, with its power to save you" (Jas 1:21).
Prayer: Father, may I value Your word more than many thousands of dollars (see Ps 119:72).
Promise: "What great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?" —Dt 4:8
Praise: Praise Jesus, eternal, incarnate, risen Word of God! (Jn 1:1)
Reference: (For encouragement in reading the Bible daily, order any or all of these audio or video tapes: Ignorance of Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ, AV 82-1, V-82, How to Pray the Bible on audio AV 82-3 or on video V-82, How to Read the Bible on audio AV 46-3 or on video V-46, Principles of Bible Interpretation, audio AV 79-1, video V-79.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Richard L. Klug, February 27, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 3, 2003