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Click here to watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LcEDPRfHMY
As an American believer watching these people treasure God's word made me realize how much I take for granted. I'll be honest and transparent, some days I do not even pick up the Bible. Somedays I feel indifferent to Scripture. Somedays I approach reading Scripture as a chore rather than a delight. I guess it is because I easily can take Jesus for granted. I can view my relationship with Him through the lenses of legalism or some other warped indifferent view of Him.
But that is not how Christ wants me to think or approach His word. He desires that we crave and feed on His word for living real life and the full life He intends for us.
As I thought about these Chinese believers I put myself in their shoes for a moment and thought of the false ideas they have been taught all their lives about who they are. Its not easy to be a Christian in China. I thought about the feeling that their lives had had no meaning or purpose until they had met the Author of Scripture! They learned about the Author and obviously had His words spoken to them before they had ever even got to read His book! Why did they treasure His words so? Because they knew the Author and could not wait to get to know Him better!
There are many verses of Scripture on treasuring God's word. Psalm 119 is solely devoted to understanding the role of God's word in our lives. We are told in Colossians 3:16:
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Jesus said: "But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father." John 15:7-8
In other words, to be His disciple and to produce a life that brings God glory, I need to treasure and feast on His word the way I do food on a daily basis (and I do that well).
One of my favorite verses on our need of Scripture is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
"Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us."
God's word is the source of salvation because it leads me to Jesus. When I come to Jesus His words teach me how do life according to His design.
The Chinese have had a famine for the word of God. The prophet Amos gives a sobering warning about taking God's words for granted:
"Oh yes, Judgment Day is coming!' These are the words of my Master God. “I’ll send a famine through the whole country. It won’t be food or water that’s lacking, but my Word." Amos 8:11
My prayer for us is that we would be hungry and thirsty for God's word the way these Chinese believers were when they received their first Bible.
