Oxygen To My SoulSample

Needing the Word of God

The psalmist says that at times in his life, the trials have been so difficult and the pain so great that he would not have survived without God’s Word. He says that he would not have made it. He would have shriveled up and died spiritually, emotionally, and perhaps even physically—if it had not been for the Word of God. Let me ask you. Do you understand what he’s saying? Have you experienced what the psalmist experienced? Does this ring true in your life? It does for me. 

There have been times in my life that were so difficult, so overwhelming, or so scary that I would not have survived if it had not been for God’s Word. Certainly, this has applied to times of deep anguish due to a mental health issue: my obsessive-compulsive disorder. There have been other dark times: health crises for children and grandchildren, challenging seasons of marriage, periods in my ministry when I felt like a failure, and times of unrelenting financial pressure. In all of these times, the Bible has been a rock in my life. It has been a foundation to stand upon. It has been a source of endless comfort, peace, and rest. Where would I be without it? I don’t know that I would have survived. This is not to say that Scripture offered a simple answer to a problem or provided a spiritual jolt each day. Rather, when you meet God in the scriptures, day in and day out over a long period of time, something happens to you. You feel an increasing connection and closeness to God, a bond that will not break. You find yourself changing. There is a strength and peace within you, and you breathe the breath of God. You have a rock to stand on. There is a solid foundation for life. God gives you all of this through his Word.

Begin today. Meet God in the pages of Scripture every day. You need it.