Rightly Dividing the Word (3)

The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments. Psalm 119.130, 131

The pause that refreshes
Before we leave the facet of our approach to Scripture which finds us seeking God and His will, we need to insert the next facet in our process. That’s the time we spend, submissive to God’s Word and seeking Him diligently, when we savor the Word of God, delighting in it.

In the book of Job, Elihu declared, “For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food” (Job 34.3). You know what it’s like to savor a particularly excellent meal. You let the food linger on your taste buds, chewing small bites slowly, letting the aftertaste swirl in your mouth as you swallow, thinking with anticipation about the next bite, taking your time, and so forth. Well Elihu says this is the way we should “test” the words we hear or read, especially those which are intended to reveal God and His will to us.

Savoring the Word of God is the pause that refreshes in the midst of our reading, meditation, and study of God’s Word. You must be willing to do this, and you need to know what this involves. If you’ll savor the Word you’ve submitted to, and through which you’re seeking the Lord and His will for your life, your experience of finding what God intends will be vastly more enjoyable and rewarding.

What’s involved in savoring the Word of God?

Savor each word
First, linger over the individual words of a text. Don’t speed past them just because they’re familiar: “Go and do likewise.” What does “go” mean for you today? Where? To whom? With what opportunities for showing the love of Christ? How can you prepare for this “going”? What will you need to have at the ready to make the most of whatever opportunities the Lord presents before you? What did “go” look like for Jesus each day?

Then “do likewise”: What will “do” mean, so that you show the Samaritan’s love to the people around you? Can you “do” with words, or will you need to take some action? What did the Samaritan “do,” and what does “likewise” look like for you?

Imagine scenarios of you “going” and “doing likewise” with the people you’re likely to encounter that day. Imagine Jesus watching over you as you “go” and “do.” Imagine His angels standing ready to help you, His Spirit ready to empower you, the surprise and gratitude of those who experience your loving word or deed, your own feeling of satisfaction at having lived out the neighbor love of Jesus. Savor each word of the text like this, and you’ll be more likely to discover yourself in the presence of God, being transformed by His glory.

Savor the forms of revelation
Your savoring God’s Word will be enriched if you learn to savor the various forms in which His revelation comes to us. Jesus tells a story, then punctuates it with a command. Paul writes letters. Luke gives us history. David pours out songs and poems. Solomon waxes eloquent in aphorisms and philosophical speculation. How do these forms of revelation work? What makes each unique and important for God’s purpose in giving us His Word? What keys do you need to keep in mind when you’re reading one form as opposed to another? How can you delight in each of the forms of Scripture, and not just in those to which you readily gravitate?

Savor each truth
As you’re reading and meditating in Scripture, make a note, if only a mental note, about any truths that spring out at you. For example, “Showing neighbor love pleases Jesus.” Say it over and over to yourself. Put your name in that sentence somewhere: “It pleases Jesus when I show neighbor love.”

Turn that truth over and over on your interpretive palate, and let its sweet flavor settle into your soul. Do the same for any other truths that might emerge, such as, “Jesus expects His commands to be obeyed.”

Savor each wound
You’ll find as you savor your encounter with God in Scripture that it won’t always be pleasant. You’ll hear the Spirit of God saying, “Look, you are nothing like that Samaritan! What’s your problem?” Savor that wound. Let the pain of it sink in and go deep. Hold it out to the Balm of Gilead until, by His grace and healing power, He begins to turn that wound into a place of restoration, and you begin to find your outlook, attitudes, and priorities changing for the better.

Go ahead, let the Scriptures hurt you; they’ll only make you stronger as a result.

Savoring the Word of God will lead us to slow down, reflect deeply, and think broadly about the text we’re considering, as we seek the Lord and His will for our lives. You’ll get much more out of your time in the Word if you learn to savor its words, forms, truths, and, yes, even its wounds.

For reflection
1.  In order to savor the Word we need to be willing to slow down in our reading and study. What does this mean? 


2.  What are some differences between the way poetry communicates God’s truth, as in the psalms, and the way Paul does in his epistles? Why is it important that we try to understand how the various forms of Scripture work? 


3.  What does it mean to “savor the wounds” of Scripture? Should we really do this, really “enjoy” being wounded by the Word? Why or why not? 


Next steps – Transformation: Today, take the time to savor your reading of Scripture, following the guidelines provided in this article. Share the results of doing this with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.