Honoring the God Who Has Spoken

So far in Matthew, we’ve seen a deep, continuous dependence on the Old Testament.  And in 4:1-11, Jesus says three times, “It is written.”  How can we follow his lead and honor God’s Word?

1. Schedule daily Bible reading.  Otherwise it won’t happen.
2. Follow a Bible reading plan.  Don’t just flip to a random page, and don’t just keep rehashing a handful of favorite verses.  Study it all, and see how God’s whole story comes together.
3. Take up the Scriptures with a humble heart and teach­able spirit:  “Lord, show me the log in my own eye” (Matthew 7:5).
4. Receive God’s truth corporately.  We need each other’s input to be good soil for the seed of the Word (Matthew 13:8, 23).
5. Seek out accountability.  We do much better learning and follow­ing God’s Word if we take a class, join a group, etc.
6. Go to bed on time on Saturday night so you can come to Sunday worship fully alert, ready to hear from the Lord!
7. Have your own Bible and bring it with you to worship, Sunday School, Bible study, etc. (and parents, your kids need their own Bibles).  Personalize it with underlining, cross-references, short notes—this will help you visualize pages and passages, thus assisting you in finding texts you’ve studied before.
8. And therefore, don’t settle for digital Bible access.  To be sure, online tools and apps can help us search the Scriptures.  But there are enormous benefits from using a printed Bible.
9. Hide God’s Word in your heart:  memorize! The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word, but you can’t wield it if you don’t wear it.

10.  Submit, don’t dabble.  Don’t just use the Bible to find ideas you like, or as a launching pad for your own agenda.

11.  For accuracy & readability, I recommend the ESV translation.