“They Hung On Every Word”

Wednesday morning I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to read in His word and while I was thinking about it I started reading Luke chapter 19: verses 45–48 in my New Living Translation Bible.  I had read these verses at different times before and anyone reading this is probably very familiar with this story.  It tells about how Jesus showed His righteous anger over the way the people were using his Father’s house.  Jesus told them, “The Scriptures declare my Temple will be a place of prayer but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”  Because of what Jesus did, along with his other teachings, the leading Priests, the teachers of the religious law and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill Him.  When I read these words I wondered why more of God’s people don’t seem to have a righteous anger over a number of things that are going on, in and out of the church today.  I guess it’s much easier to go with the flow so we won’t offend someone.

Even thou all these things are very important the verse that seemed to jump off the page to me was verse 48, “But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every Word He said.”

Think about it, some of the people planned to kill Jesus but they couldn’t because all the people were so enthusiastic about Jesus’ teaching that they hung on every word!  This may not excite you but I was so excited because I have always wanted to teach and preach to people that were that “intent” on hearing God’s Word.  I am not saying this just for my benefit but for their benefit also.  I have taught and preached the Word over the years and I have never experienced this kind of “intent” and excitement and devotion to the Word.

Don’t think I am comparing myself to Jesus, not at all, what I am saying is that the Word of God is just as important today as it was in Jesus’ day, but where is the devotion and the zeal to hear it and read and study it.  A while back I read that only 20 percent of Christians even read their Bible.  There is a real famine in this country and it is not the lack of physical food, no, it is the lack of the Word of God, which is our spiritual food.  It is the lack of wisdom and knowledge and understanding that you can only get from God’s Word.  The reason we are in this dilemma is our fault because we chose not to take time to read it.  It has nothing to do with a shortage of Bibles, most people have one or more in their houses collecting dust.

Having a Bible and benefiting from it are two different things altogether.     

While I was thinking about these things I was reminded of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke chapter 10 verses 38–42 which says, “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.  Her sister Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He taught.  But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing.  She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?  Tell her to come and help me.’  But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha you are so upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it and I won’t take it away from her.’ ”

I don’t think Jesus was scolding Martha, I think He was trying to help her to get her priorities straight.  Jesus’ main concern at the time wasn’t physical food and neither was Mary’s, no, she also “hung on every Word” Jesus taught.  Jesus knew how important it was for Mary and Martha to hear His Words.  Was Martha doing a bad thing?  No, I don’t think so but it was far from the most important thing at the time.

If Jesus was to walk into your home, what is the first thing that you would do?  Would you start cleaning the house hiding things that you wouldn’t want Him to see?  Would you start preparing food or would you be so excited about Jesus being there that you would sit at His feet listening to his teaching?  Let me say this, if you are not spending time in God’s Word now, and if the Word of God isn’t a priority in your life already then you may have reacted like Martha did.

Maybe you don’t realize it but when you open your Bible and start reading you have just invited Jesus into your home to teach you.  The Bible was written by man but it was inspired by God, in other words the Lord was writing the truths through the people He choose to write it.  As you read the Word, Jesus is teaching you through His Holy Spirit, the greatest teacher of all.

Think of it this way, the Bible is the Lord’s love letter to us.  If He didn’t think it was very important He wouldn’t have bothered to bless us with it.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, the devil said unto him, “If thou be the Son of God command this stone that it be made bread.”  Jesus said to him, “It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God! (KJV Bible)  If Jesus used the Word in the time of temptation, or the time of testing, how much more do we need to read, study, listen and learn it so that we can resist the evil one when he comes after us?  

In the book of Revelations chapter 2 and 3 Jesus spoke to seven different churches and at the end of each discourse he made this statement, “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”  If the churches needed to hear what the Spirit had to say then we need to hear what the Spirit is telling us today.

The Bible relates the Word of God to a hammer that breaks rocks into pieces.

God’s Word is also related to a sword.  It says it is shaper than any two edged sword; it cuts to the bone and morrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.   

The Word of God is also profitable for teaching, correcting, reproof and training in righteousness.

The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

What I am trying to say is that the Word of God is so important to a believer’s life and we should be excited about it today like they were excited about it back then.

How can we overcome the world, and the evil one, without a good understanding of the Word of God!

Without a steady diet of the Word you will be spiritually weak and the flesh will become very strong and temptation will be very hard to overcome.

Please, if you are not listening to the Word or reading your Bible, start today.  Let the Lord fill you with the power that comes from studying and listening to the Word of God.  

Praise the Lord!  Have a great day, God bless You!