I distinctly remember the day it happened… I was sitting down having my regular time of devotion when the thought occurred to me: For almost all of my life, reading Scripture was an exercise in recitation.
With good intentions, I would sit, open my Bible, and tell God what His Word said. It wasn’t until that moment, however, that I invited God to read His book to me instead of me reading it to Him.
It was then, before my very eyes, my old, burgundy-covered Bible began to change. I began to treasure the words I was reading—like pure gold. The Word of God went from burgundy to golden for me that day.
My prayer has become that people across the world will get excited—like I did—and decide to dive deep into the mist of the mysteries of God’s Word as they sit with Him daily. And as they do, they’ll discover, as did I, that the Word of God has a power no earthly words have—the power to search us and know our hearts.
This was exactly the sentiment of the psalmist as he wrote the wonderful piece of Scripture we call Psalm 139:23–24,
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
To live by the Word means to open your ears and listen to God as He speaks to you. It isn’t a holy, academic exercise. It’s just listening with your heart.