Feed Yourself

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

Torrey says: “There is nothing more important for the development of the spiritual life of the Christian than regular, systematic Bible study.”

He compares it to food. Your body’s health depends on what you eat and how much. Your soul’s food is the Bible. And a sermon once a week isn’t enough, just as one meal a week wouldn’t keep you healthy.

He also says something important: “We must learn to feed ourselves.” Good teachers are a gift, but if you only ever hear the Bible from other people, you are dependent on them. If you read it for yourself, you can tell when someone is teaching something wrong.

His first and most important piece of advice is to read it every day. He says that “the best results can only be secured when one makes it a matter of principle never to let a single day go by without earnest Bible study.”

He gives his own example. He had been a Christian for more than twenty-five years, and yet, he says, “to-day he would not dare to allow even a single day to pass over his head without listening to the voice of God as it speaks to him through the pages of His Book.”

This doesn’t mean you need to read for hours. Start small. A chapter a day is a great habit. Read slowly. Ask what it shows you about God, about yourself, and what you should do. Underline things. Write down a verse that stands out.

Torrey says this is where many people fall away: they let one day pass without reading, then several, and gradually drift. So the key is consistency. A little every day is far better than a lot once in a while.

One thing to do this week: choose a book of the Bible, Mark or John is a great place to start, and read one chapter every day this week. Write down one verse from each chapter that stands out to you.