This is a second illustration that I use to communicate the importance of our direct interaction with the Word.
We tend to put barriers or insulators between us and the Word of God. It may be a book written by a favorite author. It may be a Study on a DVD. It may be watching a favorite speaker on television. It may be loading our iPod with messages from our favorite Christian speaker. All of those are good things. Some of them are time redeemers. It is a good use of an iPod to listen to a message from a good speaker when driving to work or working out or, like I do, while mowing the yard. All of those are good.
They become not so good when they become our primary input. When we ask the question what does my favorite author say about… or what does my favorite speaker say about… We need to be engaged personally with the Word. Anything our “favorites” say is filtered through their experiences and gifts. While it may be really good, spending time studying our “favorites” is a pale reflection of our spending time with the Holy Spirit in the Word that He inspired.
It would be like settling for a picture of Everest when we could go experience the mountain ourselves.
They become not so good when they become our primary input. When we ask the question what does my favorite author say about… or what does my favorite speaker say about… We need to be engaged personally with the Word. Anything our “favorites” say is filtered through their experiences and gifts. While it may be really good, spending time studying our “favorites” is a pale reflection of our spending time with the Holy Spirit in the Word that He inspired.
It would be like settling for a picture of Everest when we could go experience the mountain ourselves.
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