Nourished

One of the things I love about the daily reading plan is that it encourages us to read the Bible, the Word of God, every day.]

Throughout this week’s readings, Paul constantly urges Timothy to stay grounded in the Word.

In 1 Timothy 3:9, we read that we must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.  In 1 Timothy 4:6 that we are to be nourished on the truths of faith.  In 1 Timothy 4:16 that we are to watch our life and doctrine closely. 

Paul is telling Timothy in no uncertain terms that the teaching that he has heard should be given priority in his life.

How do we keep hold of the truths?  We have to learn to not let them go.  I have loved being involved with children’s ministry again and it has reminded me of how important memory verses are.  Each week we give the GoKids a memory verse to learn. Two weeks ago, Alan told me how 2 of the GoKids had very excitedly come up to him after the service to let him know that week’s memory verse.  I love that!

Why is it important to remember scripture?  Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”.  We need to write scripture on our hearts because it helps us not to sin, it helps us not to go our own way, it helps us know the truth, and it helps us to please our Heavenly Father.  

When someone is well nourished, it means they have a full complement of all that their body needs.  This comes from regular feeding.  It’s good to set time aside each day to read the Word.

As I have been in GoKids, I have been wondering how many of us as parents read the Bible with our children, delving into God’s Word together.  Do they ever see you reading your Bible, and can they tell the difference between whether you are on Instagram or on YouVersion?

This year we have been enjoying reading a plan as a household: our son is now 25 years old, but we still take time to read together.  We have had some interesting discussions as we take our time and share what each of us has seen.

Which brings me to “watch your life and doctrine closely”.  Today there are so many voices, a clamour of prophetic words – some good, some not so good.  If we are to watch our doctrine closely, then we must prioritise the Word of God in our lives.

Timothy was urged to stay in Ephesus by Paul so that he would root the new church in the Word of God.  Paul expressly told Timothy in chapter 4:13 to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” as well as preaching and teaching.  He was to read out loud the Scriptures.  By doing this he was raising the Word higher than any other false doctrines.

Scripture is always our measuring line for any prophetic words that are given and that is why it is key for us to know the Word and to prioritise it in our lives.

Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long.”  Ask God to give you a love for His Word as you read this week.

Suggestions for parents:

1. Set a time each day to read together.  Whether it’s breakfast time, dinner time or bed time, pick a time that works for you.
2. Read a small passage, or even just one verse, and take turns reading.  Think about the age of your children and what their capacity is.
3. Ask them what they think it means.  You may be surprised at how in tune with God they are.
4. S.O.A.P. Scripture, Observation, Application, Pray.  Read the scripture, observe what it says, how can they apply it to their life, then pray.
5. Let them see you reading a physical Bible at other times. Set an example for them to follow.
6. Leave an open Bible out, welcoming others to read.