Get a Grip on God’s Word
By Rick Warren

"The message of his grace . . . is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people." Acts 20:32 (GNT)

The Bible is your soul food. When you feed on the Word of God, you grow. You can't be physically healthy if you eat junk food all the time. In the same way, you can't be spiritually healthy unless you feed on the truth of God’s Word.

Would you like to have all the blessings that God has for you? Of course, you would! I want that for you, too. 

How do you get those blessings? They’re a direct result of spiritual maturity. The Bible says, “The message of his grace . . . is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people” (Acts 20:32 GNT).

What does it mean for the message of God’s grace to build you up and give you blessings? It means that, when you grow in spiritual maturity, God can give you all the blessings he has for you. There are some gifts you can't give young children because they aren’t mature enough for them yet. In the same way, there are some gifts God wants to give you, but he's waiting for you to grow up. 

You can actually use your hand to help you remember how to use the Bible to grow in spiritual maturity. You feed on the Word of God by doing six things: You hear God’s Word—that's your pinky finger. You read it—that's your ring finger. You study it—that's your middle finger. You memorize it—that’s your pointer finger. Then, you meditate on it—that’s your thumb. Your palm represents applying God’s Word.

It’s important to do all six of those things as you feed on God’s Word. 

Think of it this way: If the only spiritual input you get is hearing the Word of God at church, then you won’t have a very strong understanding of it—just like you can’t have a very strong grip with just your pinky finger. In fact, some studies suggest we forget as much as 95 percent of everything we hear within 72 hours! If the only exposure you have to God’s Word is hearing it at church, then Satan will be able to steal your joy pretty easily. 

But if you hear the Word of God and then you read it every day, you've got a better grip. Satan can't pull it away from you as quickly. Then if you hear it and read it and study it, then you've got an even stronger grip. 

When you do all six things—hear, read, study, memorize, meditate on, and apply it—you’ll have a firm, strong grip on God’s Word. No one will be able to take it away from you. And you’ll find yourself growing toward spiritual maturity and receiving the blessings that come with it.

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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