For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means of bringing men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.
A.W. Tozer
If you know me at all, you probably know that I am REALLY passionate about the Word of God. I have some amazing friends that really delight in worship, prayer, fellowship, meditation and other resources that the Lord gives us to know Him more intimately. It is not that I don't love those things- its just that I experience God most when I am sitting before His throne with an open Bible in my lap.
I love the above quote by Tozer because I really think that it illustrates what the Bible can be for us if we let it- a means of bringing us into a satisfying knowledge of God so that we may experience Him, delight in His Presence, and taste the inner sweetness of His being deep within our hearts.
The Bible isn't the end all- rather it is the beginning. It is the beginning of a sweet relationship with the Creator of the World.
When I discovered Your words I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name O LORD God of Heaven's Armies.
Jeremiah 15:16
This month, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Atlanta and be a part of Passion 2012. It was absolutely amazing and such a Spirit-filled few days.
When most people think about the Passion movement, I assume they think of the worship. Being in a dome with 44,000 other believers is definitely an experience unlike any other. During one of the worship times, I felt a tug on my heart to read scripture to God as an act of praise.
I wish you could have seen my face at that moment. I'm what you call a creature of habit- during worship I like to sing the songs that I know all the words to so I can close my eyes and really focus, I like to stand up, and I like to be able to hold my hands open before me. Now, I don't think there is anything wrong with having worship habits. In those moments, I feel comfortable and am truly engaging with the Lord.
But, God has a way of shaking up your habits when He wants you to experience a new part of Him.
So, I turned in my bible to the book of Isaiah, chapter 9.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called:
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
I think the only way to describe how I felt in that moment, after reading these words to my Savior, is complete and utter joy.
I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
Isaiah 61:10a
It it really amazing how during a time of complete worship and reverence of the Lord, everything seems to make sense. I wasn't worried about scholarships or applications or dating or to-do lists or self-esteem or the world. I was only concerned with the glory of the Lord, my God. And I was FULL OF JOY.
Joy- What a sweet atmosphere to dwell in!
I am fully convinced that the atmosphere of Heaven can be defined as joyful. What a joy it will be to meet our Creator and Redeemer!
After this worship experience was over, I really felt like God spoke to my heart about experiencing that same level of joy and contentment in Him each day, each moment.
But, how?
For me, I think it goes back to the Tozer quote. Discovering more about the Lord through His word makes me fall that much more in love with His character, with who He is. Every time I learn something new about Him, I grow deeper in my walk with Him and my heart is filled with more and more joy each day.
If the Lord is the root of joy, then shouldn't more knowledge of Him and more experiences with Him lead to increased joy? I don't just think this is true, I know it is- because it has proven true in my life.
Praise the Lord for an entire book filled with Him, by Him. May my prayer be to never take it for granted and to grow more thirsty for the Word each day.
I think I'll end with another Tozer quote from The Pursuit of God, a book that has absolutely been rocking my world. It is Tozer's beautiful description of what a relationship with God might look like and the progression of time in the Word. The first time I picked up a Bible, I had absolutely no idea where to begin. Its a learning process and as you do it more, His voice becomes more and more clear as He reveals more of Himself.
... God says, "Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10) and still He says it, as if He means to tell us that our strength and safety lie not in noise, but in silence. It is important that we get still to wait on God, And it is best that we get alone, preferably with our Bible outspread before us. Then if we will, we may draw near to God and begin to hear Him speak to us in our hearts.
I think for the average person the progression will be something like this: First, a sound as of a Presence walking in the garden. Then a voice, more intelligible, but still far from clear. Then the happy moment when the Spirit begins to illuminate the Scriptures, and that which had only been a sound, or at best a voice, now becomes an intelligible word, warm and intimate and clear as the word of a dear friend. Then will come life and light, and best of all, ability to see and rest in and embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and All.
A.W. Tozer
#glittergreenforlife
