RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

The psalmist revealed the secret of successful Christian living when he wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (119:11). Jesus expressed the same conviction when He told His disciples, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). There’s an internal hunger within every one of us that cries out for the Bread of Life (John 6:35). That hunger and thirst can be filled only when we take in God’s provision for the deepest hungers of our hearts. Otherwise, we become spiritually weak and eventually fall into despair and defeat. If we are to experience victory in our daily walk with Christ, we must take the Word of God into our lives.
But on a practical level, how do we do that?  In my years of walking with Christ, I’ve learned five ways we can take God’s Word into our lives. First, we need to read the Word of God. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). The Word of God has a cleansing effect on our lives as we read it. It’s important that we read the Scriptures systematically, regularly, and devotionally. As we read the Bible methodically, we will begin to see the nature of God. We’ll discover what’s on His heart. We’ll learn who He is and how He works.
We also need to read it regularly. We couldn’t survive physically if we didn’t eat  regular meals. Then what makes us think we can survive spiritually if we don’t eat God’s spiritual food on a regular basis?
Additionally we need to read the Bible devotionally. That means we take the Word of God into our lives through meditating on it. As we read the Scriptures, we need to think on them. The Bible can’t be read like it’s just any book. The Bible is the Word of God. It’s how God speaks to our hearts. So we need time to assimilate what we’ve read into our minds, emotions, and actions. We need to think about what we’ve read, then apply it to our lives. It helps if we begin our day by reading the Scriptures. Then as we drive, walk, work, or study throughout the day, we can meditate on what God has said to us.
A third way we can take the Word of God into our lives is by hearing. Paul wrote, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). That’s an amazing statement. Have you ever wondered how you could develop more faith or grow in your faith? Paul clearly states that such growth comes by hearing the Word of Christ.
Several years ago I was preaching in two cities in Peru. In the first city, the sports arena was about two-thirds full. I preached a clear and simple message about God’s plan of salvation. In the second city there were about the same number of people in attendance, but there was one major difference. Many more people responded to the message to give their hearts to Christ. I wondered why that had happened. In both places, people had prayed. In both cities, about the same number of non-Christians attended. Then I remembered that in the first city, we had problems with the sound system. The people in the first city couldn’t hear the Word of God proclaimed as clearly. But in the second city, there was very distinct sound. At that moment a great truth occurred to me. Faith comes only when we hear the Word of God clearly and distinctly. How well we hear the Word of God determines how able we are to respond in faith.
There’s a fourth way we can take the Scriptures into our lives: by memorizing the Word of God. This enables us to grow in several ways. First, when we learn the Scriptures by heart, this enables us to apply the Word of God to our lives in a moment of need. We’ve tucked it into the inner recesses of our soul. Just at the moment when we need a promise, a command, or a testimony, God’s provision through His word comes to our mind. Thus we are enabled to renew our minds. We can bring every thought “captive unto the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Second, we are enabled to give an answer in every occasion to the questions about our faith. So we become more courageous in sharing our faith.
Finally, we need to study the Word of God. The apostle Paul told young Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). There are several ways we can study the Bible. But no matter which way we study the Scriptures, we must always have a heart to encounter God in them. Study not just to get intellectual understanding, but to get to know God better. One of my greatest times of personal growth came from doing a character study on the life of Moses. I met with God during that study, and He changed the direction of my life.
There are other types of studies to which you can give yourself. You can do an expository study — a verse by verse or book by book study of the Bible. Or you can have a topical study of the Bible, considering the grace of God, prayer, or some other subject. Another way you can study the Bible is through word studies. Dig into the original meanings of the words used in the Bible. No matter which way you approach the study of the Scriptures, make sure you do it with a heart that’s hungry to know God.
The Bible says that God spoke to Moses “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). God wants to speak to you just as personally. The way He does that is through His word. If you want God to share with you what’s on His heart, then you must take the Word of God into your life. When God speaks, you will be made clean, and you’ll begin to walk in victory.