When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.
Jeremiah 15:16, NIV
Chances are, you unwrapped a great gift this past Christmas. Maybe it was a new sweater in your favorite color, tickets or a gift certificate to do something you couldn’t justify paying for, a gadget to make your life easier, or maybe something to encourage your latest hobby. But there is a difference between opening a great gift and really receiving it. You have to take care of the sweater and wear it regularly, redeem those tickets, enjoy the benefits of that gift certificate, use the gadget and develop that hobby!
To truly relish a great gift, you have to fully use and enjoy it.
When God breathed His Word into being, He gave us an unparalleled gift. It is lavish, yet practical. God’s Word has the power to give us wisdom and a swift kick in the pants when we need it. It corrects us when we have wandered and trains us to live every ounce of the abundant life He came to give us (2 Timothy 3:16, John 10:10). God’s Word has the supernatural ability to give us comfort Psalm 119:50), endurance, encouragement and hope (Romans 15:4). God’s Word gives us much needed direction (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word is perfect; it refreshes our soul and brings us joy (Psalm 19:7-8). God’s Word is more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, and keeping it brings great reward (Psalm 19:10-11). God’s Word is timeless - it can be trusted even in this very shaky world (Isaiah 40:8).
But, to truly enjoy this great gift of God’s breathed Word, we cannot leave it closed on our nightstand, nor can we be satisfied with having mere morsels of it fed to us by others. We must daily devour and relish it as the great gift that it is.
As a church staff, we know that faithfully reading and applying God’s Word can be challenging, even when we are aware of its benefits. We too have experienced how responsibilities, distractions, spiritual laziness and/or lack of training in how to read and apply Scripture threaten to keep us from enjoying God’s generous gift. So let’s help one another out; let’s relish God’s Word together in 2025!
If you haven’t already, please sign up now to follow the BibleProject New Testament in a Year plan with us by going to www.councilroad.org/reading-plan. This plan is very doable, requiring reading only one chapter or less of each day. You can follow the plan by reading with us online or by using your personal Bible. However, if you join us online, you will experience two other great benefits:
Access to watch a highly engaging short 5-7 video at the beginning of each new book of the Bible, loaded with insight into that book’s context and overall message.
The opportunity to share and be encouraged from others by participating in the Talk It Over comments at the end of each day’s reading.
Together, let’s relish God’s Word in 2025!
Meet the Author!
Bible teacher, author, inspirational speaker, and disciple-maker, Vickey Banks is passionate about helping women connect the dots between God’s Word and their everyday lives. She loves serving as Minister of Adult Discipleship at Council Road and as a Lifeway Women’s Ministry Trainer, pursuing a Master of Biblical Studies at Moody Theological Seminary, celebrating her people, and getting lost in a good story.