One of the characteristics of every living thing is nutrition; plants, animals, insects, and humans all need food and nourishment to both survive and grow. This is also true for the believer, and for us, that nourishment is God’s Word. It is spiritual food that sustains, strengthens, and transforms us.

The Bible often speaks of the believer bearing and yielding fruit, but you must remember that for every fruit-bearing tree you see externally, there is a root system holding it up and providing nourishment for that tree. So, to be a fruit-bearing believer, you must be rooted in God, and you cannot be rooted in God without being rooted in His Word. It is the consistent feeding on Scripture that separates shallow believers from deeply rooted ones. The depth of your root system in God is directly proportional to how consistently you feed on His Word.

When Jesus was being tempted by the devil, He said in Matthew 4:4
New King James Version
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

He was quoting the words Moses said to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:3 
New King James Version
3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

He was explaining to them that the sustenance they had was not from the manna that fell from the sky alone, but from the Word of God. Just as physical bread sustains your body, God’s Word sustains your spirit.

Hebrews 5:12-14 
New King James Version
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

These Scriptures say that some believers are on milk, and this is because they haven’t developed the appetite or discipline to dig deeper into Scripture, to take in the solid food.  You need to be rooted in the Word, and roots aren’t surface-level; they grow deeper to hold up the tree. In the same way, as you mature in the faith, you need to move beyond the surface to a hunger for more, to a discipline to learn more of God through His Word.

Just as your physical body needs daily food to function properly, your spirit also needs daily feeding from God’s Word to thrive. When you skip meals physically, you become weak, irritable, and unable to function at your best; the same is true spiritually. Believers who neglect consistent time in the Word become spiritually weak, easily discouraged, confused about God’s will, and vulnerable to deception. They lack the strength to resist temptation, the wisdom to make good decisions, and the faith to believe God for the impossible. They are unable to truly grow spiritually.

The early church understood this, and it was recorded in Acts 2:42 that they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine; they devoted themselves to the Word. This was not something they did casually or optionally. It was, and still ought to be, a foundational commitment. This constant devotion to the Word produced a powerful, unified church. Their power flowed from their rootedness in the Word.

However, you must understand that staying daily in the Word doesn’t just mean passively reading, but meditating on the Word.

Joshua 1:8 
New King James Version
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

It says the Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth. This means you should continually speak it, ruminate on it, and meditate on it. Meditation means to ponder on the Word until it becomes part of you.

Be more intentional when studying Scripture. Have a specific time where you put away distractions and settle with the Word of God, not just to skim through it, but to study it. Set reminders or alarms if you need to. Have a plan for your Bible study. You can study it book by book, or study themes and topics in the Bible. Pray for understanding and revelation even as you read the Bible, because as much as it is a literary material, it is also a divine Book.

Have Scriptures that you continue to think about throughout the day. Even after you close your Bible, let the Word remain in you. And don’t just be readers, but also doers of the Word. Let Scripture influence your daily life; this is the result of meditation.

And so, as you go about this week, this month, and your life, give yourself to the nourishment provided in God’s Word. Delight yourself in it. Meditate on it and let it have its lasting effect on your life.

Prayer Point
Lord, I stir up a desire and hunger to seek Your Word. I meditate on it day and night, and I am not just a hearer but a doer of the Word.