Digesting Scripture The Word of God | Ezekiel 3 Devotional

“So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.”  —EZEKIEL 3:2

God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me…. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. Eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat” (Ezekiel 2:3 & 7-8; 3:1-2). To put it another way, “Ezekiel, don’t just read this scroll. Don’t just preach it. Eat it. Chew it up. Swallow it. Digest it. And then go to the people.”

That should tell us there are no short cuts to the Word of God. The Bible is not simply information for the historically and intellectually inclined, but is intended for everyone as food for their souls. We are to read it, meditate on it and believe it until it becomes part of us. Believing Scripture is not a passive thing, but an active thing. It leads to obedience and every act of God in a person’s life is precipitated by an act of obedience on their part.

We cannot detach the Word of God from the Spirit of God, because it is the Spirit who ministers to us through the Word, and when the Word of God dwells in us richly, the Spirit of God fills us, dominates and directs our lives. John 1:14 says, “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Jesus came to earth not only for our salvation, but to deliver the heart and mind of God in person.    

The authority of Scripture is entirely from God, and its activity is in becoming our spiritual food. The application of Scripture is in finding its way to our mouths, and we begin to speak it with authority. It carries the genuine ring of God because all of Scripture is God breathed. If we think there are easier and better ways of knowing God, we’d be wrong. The Bible is the only revelation God gives us of Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we open our Bibles with receptive hearts and trust in the God who created us, it comes alive with new meaning and life. In the end, Ezekiel said, “So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey to my mouth” (Ezekiel 3:3). Instead of worrying about what’s happening to this world, we’ll come to know God and His story from creation until the end of this age. And we’ll be at peace, divinely guided into the role He has for us in this world.

Dear Heavenly Father, with the exception of Jesus, the Bible is the most priceless gift You have given to the human race. Help me to understand it accurately, and deliver its message to others. Thank You, Lord.

How does reading Scripture deepen my relationship with God?