Hungering For God’s Word

by Ling Pui Yeong

“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:3 (cf. Matthew 4:4)

When God spoke these words through Moses to the wandering Israelites, when Jesus later quoted them directly to rebuke the devil, did He actually mean what He said? Does man actually need God’s Word to live?

We all know what hunger feels like. It’s an unpleasant sensation that tells us we need to eat, so that we are sustained and go on living. But there is another kind of motivation to eat, and that is simply good food. When we enjoy and even love certain kinds of foods (think ice cream), we don’t need an empty stomach to remind us to eat. We just go, grab it, and eat because it is so delicious and enjoyable. In the same way, the Word of God is not merely “canned food” that barely keeps us alive—something that we receive only when absolutely necessary. No, the Word of God is the joy of the Christian, so sweet and wonderful that we should long for it all the time.

Does man actually need God’s Word to live?

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). But what is that righteousness? How does Jesus satisfy us? Righteousness is right standing before God, something only found and given in Christ’s own righteousness. As Lutherans, we understand that God always speaks to us through His written Word—that by it the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens our faith (cf. LSB 578:3). It is through this Word then that Jesus gives us what we need most: His righteousness and all that comes with it: repentance, faith, justification, life, sanctification, and more (see John 15:3 and Ephesians 5:26). All that Jesus promises, those who desire find in the Word.

What should we look for?

When we enjoy a good meal, we take time to carefully prepare it in order to create the perfect taste. In the same way we must take the utmost care in reading and understanding the Word of God. The purpose is not only to learn biblical truths—the acquisition of knowledge and facts—but through these stories and lessons to hear Law and Gospel. Contrary to popular understanding, the Bible is not simply about “you” and what “you” need to do for God. Instead, it’s about Jesus and what He has done and continues to do for you. The Law shows us our sins and kills the Old Adam in order to destroys our self-righteousness. The Gospel, on the other hand, proclaims the forgiveness of our sins and brings us to life with Jesus that we may walk in newness of life.

The Word of God is not merely “canned food” that barely keeps us alive—something that we receive only when absolutely necessary. No, the Word of God is the joy of the Christian, so sweet and wonderful that we should long for it all the time.

This is the baptismal life that we called to—dying daily to sin and rising again with Christ. When Martin Luther talks about the need to “drown” daily and rise anew with Christ in his explanation of Baptism in the Small Catechism, he is not talking about some abstract, mental exercise. Instead, he is pointing us back to the work of Law and Gospel in the Word of God. Whenever the Word confronts us, when we remember certain Bible passages and meditate on them, when we actively read the Bible, when we study it, when on Sundays we hear it in the liturgy, the hymns, and the sermon, God blesses us with repentance and faith.

That’s why we are encouraged to be engaged in the Word regularly, because God desires to bless us through His Word. This we can do daily at home through personal meditation and family devotions (the Lutheran Study Bible is a helpful tool with Law and Gospel application notes). We should note though that “meditating” on the Word of God does not mean “silencing” or “emptying of the mind” to allow the voice of God to enter in. That is an Eastern understanding of spirituality. Christian spirituality instead always involves the Holy Spirit as He speaks through the Word. Properly understood, then, Christian meditation is nothing other than being in the Word of God. God speaks and we listen.

Studying the Word with the Church

Because of the global pandemic, many of us were forced to isolate. But this has not stopped the Church from proclaiming God’s Word nor has it stopped Christians from hearing the voice of their Shepherd. In fact, many people have delved deeper into the Word over the past year than ever before—probably because there’s been more free time. Many have found new ways to study the Word and enrich their understanding of the Bible. There is no shortage of online resources these days. But while studying the Bible individually is to be encouraged, it lacks at least two crucial aspects of the Christian life: the community of believers and the shepherd whom God has provided.

It is through this Word then that Jesus gives us what we need most: His righteousness and all that comes with it: repentance, faith, justification, life, sanctification, and more (see John 15:3 and Ephesians 5:26).

The Christian never lives apart from the body of Christ, the Church. He is part of a larger community in which he serves and is served. Typically in a group Bible study setting, participants not only learn biblical truths but also have the opportunity to share insights and questions with one another, enhancing their meditation on the Word—not to mention the blessings that come from fellowship and companionship with other believers.

Furthermore, the Church extends beyond the local congregation and her members, since the Church of Christ is not bound by time and space. We would do well to not only learn from one another but also from those who have gone before us. This guards us against the dangers of “private interpretation” which can potentially lead us to wrong or even harmful understandings of Scripture. Studying together, therefore, helps protect and build each other up.

In addition to the body of believers, God has also given you a shepherd in your local congregation. The called minister of your congregation is your primary spiritual care provider. In fact, God has established the Preaching Office so that people are fed with God’s Word. As Jesus says in Luke 10:16, preachers speaks on behalf of Christ, so that those who hear them hear Christ. Not that pastors in and of themselves are somehow necessary for us to come to faith or understand the Bible. But God has called pastors to properly distinguish and faithfully proclaim Law and Gospel, through sermons as well as in Bible studies.

Speaking as a pastor myself, it is always a joy to study God’s Word with His people. Nothing is more encouraging to the pastor than when a person hungers for God and His Word. Go and ask your pastor questions, and let him joyfully teach the Word of God.

The Word of God is the joy of all Christians for in it we have Christ. Let us be drawn to it and be nourished daily.

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Rev. Ling Pui Yeong is pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Toronto, Ontario.

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