You have heard of people described as a “jack of all trades but a master of none.” It describes someone who has some knowledge of many things but is not really good at any of them. Sometimes we say a person has just enough knowledge to be dangerous. The problem is that they have never committed to fully learning a skill. Bits and pieces of knowledge and a little experience here and there is all they have. In medicine, doctors specialize for a reason. They know that by focusing on a specific area of care, they can become better at treating those problems.
I dream of the day when more Christians invest more time in knowing God’s word. David writes that the blessed man’s “delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). He dwells upon God’s word constantly, always considering how it applies to his life, always digging a little deeper. What a wonderful habit! Knowing God’s word and meditating upon it brings great blessings.
Knowing the word of God prevents contagious error.
If you spend time on Facebook you know that people often post extraordinary stories that are just not true. The sensational stories spread across the internet like a stomach virus in a kindergarten classroom because no one has stopped to check the truthfulness of the story. The error spreads rapidly. I recall a youngster who attended our Vacation Bible School. As the teacher told a Bible story the boy stopped him and declared that he was wrong, that he told the story wrong. The patient teacher suggested the class look up the story in their Bibles. As they read the story the boy began to blush. He said, “I’m sorry, but I guess my preacher told me wrong.” Later the teacher told me that the boy had no Bible of his own. When I gave him one he was stunned. “I can keep it?” he asked. You would have thought we had given him the newest tricked out bike on the market. The young man came from a very large church which does not encourage its members to study or even own a Bible.
Knowing the word of God leads to a closer walk with Jesus.
The Bible is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and its Spirit guided words (2 Peter 1:21) deliver unto us the very mind of God (Romans 8:27). When Jesus died and paid for our sins, he shattered the priestly system (clergy) that stood between God and men. The curtain of the Temple was torn open (Matthew 27:51) and no longer was the mortal separated from the divine. Our hope of salvation is now anchored behind the curtain (Hebrews 6:19) and no preacher, priest, reverend, Cardinal or Pope is needed for my salvation. It is the word of God that informs me that Jesus alone is my mediator (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15; 12:24). Let me walk close to him by knowing him through his word.
Knowing the word of God
gives me all I need for salvation. We have questions that are hard to answer. We want to know where Cain got his wife and we want to know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh really was. But the questions that we need to know are answered for us. Paul declared that our sufficiency comes from God and rests with him (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). We have all we need (2 Corinthians 9:8). Consider Peter’s inspired words:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-5)
Indeed, knowing God’s word gives all we need for ultimate joy and happiness. Yet we do not simply absorb the word. We work at it as Paul reminded us (2 Timothy 2:15). Work is a bad word for some but what sparkling diamond has ever been found above ground? Know the word of God and you will be richly blessed.
Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.
