Fall 1982
Feeding on The Word
Tim Robertson
Pinecrest Graduate

How many of us would stop eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner for any length of time? Would we stop eating because of “so many things I need to do”? Yet many of God’s children are not eating their spiritual food daily. We must face this issue squarely and not let it pass by us.

The prophet Amos reveals: “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

The book of Daniel says that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4).

II Timothy 3:7 speaks of those who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

In our day, we see great increase in the knowledge of God’s Word, the Bible, and yet a great lack of true spirituality in the Body of Christ as a whole. What is the cause? And what is the remedy?

Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” The word “live” is zoe in the Greek—it speaks of the eternal, uncreated life of God: and it comes by the rhema (spoken word) of God. The Greek word rhema means a spoken word, and in relation to God it refers more specifically to a word that is spoken by the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is a word of God that becomes a revelation to us. The revelation of God’s Word to us is meat and a quenching of thirst drink for us. It brings and feeds the “zoe,” (life) which God places in the believer.

Ephesians tells us that, “Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (rhema), that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

We are sanctified and cleansed by the rhema of God washing us. We need to hear the rhema every day—the Holy Spirit revealing God’s Word to us and thereby sanctifying and cleansing us. Many believers read the Bible, but stop before allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to them through His Word. Others, knowing what the word rhema means, believe that this “spoken word” comes only in communion with the Lord in prayer. When this happens, we limit God and there comes a danger of disregarding what the Scripture says. The Bible must be the text and context from which the Holy Spirit speaks. There are too many running around speaking their “new revelation.” If you are in confusion, go to the Bible! Stop running after all the “new teachings;” find out what God says in His Word!

Take time for God’s Word. Build it into your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what God says in His written Word—it will become rhema to you. You will no longer be in famine for the word of the Lord. You will come to a knowledge of the truth, even our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Truth! You will be set free and have a feast of God’s precious rhema!