What are you devouring daily?

We as human beings ingest many different types of written material on a daily basis. Some people can't start the day unless they have a cup of coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other. Others have their daily fix on whatever type of magazine they prefer. Granted it can be a great thing to be able to devour the information contained in these for our consumption, but how often are we devouring the information contained in God's Word, the Bible?

The Bible is and will continue to be the world's best-selling book, yet sadly it is one of the most neglected. The majority of all American households own at least one copy, yet I wonder how many of those have pages who have never or seldom been turned. What keeps people from devouring the Word in contrast to other forms of written communication.

The way I see it, the reason for a lack of daily Bible study is due to two things: lack of time commitment and lack of love. It's not that we don't have the time available in our daily schedules; it's that we devote our time to other things instead of making the time for Bible study a priority. It's not that we don't love the Bible; it's that we love other things more, and we show it by the activities and material things to which we attach ourselves rather than God's Word.

Let's make sure we're giving daily attention to God's Word by making the commitment and showing our love for the Bible. The Psalmist says in Ps. 119:97 "O how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day." We learn from the early church the importance of studying the Scriptures. The Bereans were considered more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, "for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Also, one of the things that Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:15 was that we gain God's approval by studying His Word, as we diligently digest God's message for us.

I see three things that we can take from the early church. First, we need to put an emphasis on daily Bible study. The Bereans were searching the Scriptures daily, and so should we. Second, we need to put an emphasis on personal responsibility. The Bereans weren't taking Paul's word for it; they were looking for themselves to see whether these things were so. Third, we need to put an emphasis on God's approval. Are you being diligent to present yourself approved unto God? What kind of approval rating would you give yourself? Better yet, what kind of approval rating would God give you? What are you devouring daily to further enhance your knowledge and walk with God?