Delight in His Word

The best way to deepen our roots spiritually is by immersing ourselves daily in the Word of God. There is no substitute for Bible intake.

Delight in His Word

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and in His law he meditates day and night."

(Psalm 1:2)

The best way to deepen our roots spiritually is by immersing ourselves daily in the Word of God. There is no substitute for Bible intake. It is the best way to grow in our walk with Christ. How well are you deepening your roots? We do not grow in our relationship with God by osmosis or by any passive process; it requires our effort. We are saved by God's grace in salvation, but in order for us to mature in this relationship we have with God, we must be disciplined. The primary spiritual discipline whereby we go deeper with God and bear fruit for His Kingdom is by abiding in the Word of God and prayer. As we go deeper with the LORD, we will not be prone to frustrations and desperation. These are exciting yet most trying times. To fight off anxiety, which most of the time leads to complaining and impatience, we must deepen our roots in the LORD.

How do we do that? Verse 2 of the first Psalm tells us specifically. We are to delight ourselves in the Word of God and meditate on it. Let me restate, Bible intake and prayer are the two primary ways we go deeper and stronger in our walks with God. Those who serve the Lord in vocational ministry might be tempted and even justified in your mind to skip serious Bible intake and prayer each morning because you have so much to do for the Lord and His Church today. But that is faulty thinking that will lead you to an early exit from ministry and bitterness and complaining as you go out.

How do I deepen my roots in Jesus? How do I abide in Him? Each morning, whether I feel like it or not, I read two chapters in the Bible and pray. It takes me an hour to an hour and a half to engage in these spiritual disciplines. I spend a good amount of time in intercessory prayer. You may ask why. I have much to bring before the throne of God. What a blessing it is that God invites us to come and sit a while with Him. I pray with Ashley out loud every morning and evening. There are other spiritual disciplines I regularly engage in, like evangelism, journaling, and fasting, but Bible intake and prayer are the two primary disciplines for me to grow deeper in the Lord.

How often do you read God's Word? Are you consistently spending time with Jesus in Bible reading and prayer? If you are, then you are blessed. If you are not, then you are troubled and not at peace. I encourage you to delight yourself and take pleasure in the Lord and His Word. Psalm 37:4 states, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."