Living Like We Believe God
“School is torture,” my teenage son informed me one afternoon.
“I love school,” I replied.
“Really? You enjoyed writing 500-word essays?”
In his mind, that was true torture.
“Those were some of my favorite assignments,” I told him. Then, for greater shock value, I added I used to study the dictionary in my free time. This horrified him, of course. But those who know me know I love writing, and in high school a teacher once told me that hard work and good study habits would make me a better writer. Taking her at her word, I did everything I could to apply myself—and then some. I believed what she said, and I lived accordingly. Why? I wanted my writing to grow, not stagnate.
Later that night, as I tried to shower away the day’s anxiety and weariness, that simple conversation replayed in my mind. A question stirred:
Why don’t I take God at His word with the same seriousness?
Why don’t I treat His Word with the same discipline and devotion I had just encouraged my son to have?
The truth was obvious: my daily living was out of rhythm with what I knew about God. The evidence was undeniable: there was a deep ache of exhaustion in my soul, desperately longing to exhale.
So I asked myself, What does God say about His Word and its connection to my living? Do I live like I believe it makes a difference? I turned to Psalm 119, the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It highlights the supreme importance of God’s Word—not only in keeping our lives but in giving life. The psalmist knew how desperately he needed to be governed by and saturated in God’s Word. Life includes hard realities that wreak havoc on our hearts. And while the psalm elevates God’s Word, it also captures the lament of a soul-weary, distressed writer.
Psalm 119:25 cries out:
“My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!”
Again and again, the psalmist brings his struggles to God—desperate for His Word.
I don’t always follow this model of dependence. In difficult times, I try to just “do the next thing.” This next thing usually involves a fair amount of complaining, as well as seeking others’ advice. Even my own limited understanding seems better than God’s. My attempts at control only leave me more out of control as I resist having a humble, surrendered dependence on God. I need to just admit that I need Him—nothing else. I want God to be the one I turn to first, but He often isn’t. It’s not until my striving hits rock bottom that I finally look up.
God shouldn’t be an afterthought; He should be our first thought—always, in all things. The psalmist shows us this with simple, powerful prayers:
“Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word” (17).
“Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!” (29).
“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (37).
“Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules” (43).
Why did the psalmist pray this way?
Because God’s Word was comfort in his affliction, and God’s promises are life-giving (50).
In this season of frantic schedules and constant noise, I’m learning to turn to God first. When I wake in the morning and when I fall asleep at night, I want my thoughts anchored in the truths of His Word. I don’t want to just know them, but live them—because they truly are what matters most. His truth holds my life together and breathes life into me like nothing else can.
Friend, do you believe God’s Word? How could you live according to it today?
I know that doing so is not easy.
Living in step with God’s Word takes discipline, intentionality, prayer, and dependence upon God. Living out His Word is not a “try harder, be better, or do more” list to check off and master. It grows out of a heart fully devoted to God—a heart humbly dependent, fully submitted, and desperate for His Word like one who longs for water in the desert.
God’s Word keeps us from stagnation. It’s how we not only endure but grow and thrive until the day we see Him face-to-face.
God’s Word keeps us.
And as we obey God’s word, living it out, we display it for all the world to see.
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