Derek Prince - Don't Let The Bread Of God's Word Get Dry
This is a clip from: God's Word Your Inexhaustible Resource
Then the next kind of food that people need or the general food of humanity at least in the Middle East, is bread. And the Bible also provides bread. Now I say at least in the Middle East because in some cultures it might not be bread but it's whatever equivalent to bread. And you remember that when Jesus began His ministry Satan tempted Him to perform a miracle and to turn stones into bread. And Jesus wouldn't do it. And this is the answer that He gave in Matthew 4:4. He said: It is written and it's written in the book of Deuteronomy man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So what He's implying is what bread is in the natural the word of God is in the spiritual. It corresponds to bread; it's the great basic item of people's diet.
In many parts of the world people can't afford very much other things but normally where bread is the staple diet that will be the first item that they will seek. Jesus says every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. It's a kind of living relationship. You see, it's not just reading a book but it's hearing God speak to you through that book. And many of us could testify that God knows what we need to hear. My wife Ruth and I, we normally read the Bible every morning before we get involved in anything else. We like to hear from God before we get busy with people. And we usually close the day by reading the Bible together. We could not count the number of times when the particular portion that we read in one day happens to tell us what we need to know for that day. It's like fresh bread. You know, if you keep bread too long it gets dry and stale. So don't let the word of God get dry and stale. Live on fresh bread, bread that proceeds every day out of the mouth of God.
And then there's one further stage of spiritual nourishment which is what the Bible calls solid food. In the epistle to the Hebrews the writer speaks about that. In Hebrews chapter 5:12 -14 Now, you need to understand that the Hebrews were Jewish believers in Jesus. They had an advantage at that time over all other people because they had known the Scriptures of the Old Testament for many, many generations. They had a knowledge of God at that time no other nation had. And the writer of Hebrews is rebuking these Jewish believers because he's saying to them you have this priceless advantage of having learned the Scriptures from childhood. You should be in a position to teach other nations and other people. But the truth of the matter is you've been so lazy with the word of God that you can't do that. You're just like newborn babies. You need milk yourself. You've never come to the stage even where you can eat bread. Let me read these words and then comment on them a little further.
Hebrews 5:12: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the word of God and you've come to need milk and not solid food. I'm afraid that's a description of millions of Christians at least in the western world in countries like Britain or the United States or Scandinavia where we've had the Bible for centuries. We are in the position today of the Jewish believers in the first century. Now, this is not necessarily true of everybody here this evening but we have this responsibility not just to go on living on milk or even on bread but to grow up and mature to the point where we can take full nourishment. So the writer goes on to say in Hebrews 5:13: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled or inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. So, your level of spiritual development is not determined by how many years you've been a Christian. It's determined by the kind of food you can take. You may have been a Christian ten years but if all you can take is still milk, spiritually you're a baby. Your problem is arrested development, you've never grown up.
And then the writer of Hebrews explains how we can grow up. He says in the 14th verse: But solid food belongs to those who are full age or mature or fully grown up. That is, those who by reason of use or practice have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil. So how do you grow up, how do you mature? It's a matter of practice, of regular reading of the Bible and applying it to the situations that confront you day by day. Because, the Bible casts light on every situation. So if you are really living in the Bible when a new situation or a new problem develops you've got understanding, you understand what it is. You know how to deal with it. And the more you know how to deal with it the more experienced you become. Again, I have to say - and I'm talking about Christians in what we call the west - I could weep many times when I see how easily they are fooled. We've seen some very well publicized examples of ministries that have exploited God's people, deceived God's people. God's people should not be able to be deceived like that but the problem is they haven't had their senses exercised to discern between good and evil. They just swallow everything.
If the preacher shouts loud enough and makes enough noise they think that must be God. I've discoverd The Holy Spirit... And I'm not against shouting. The Bible says to shout in many cases. I've discovered the Holy Spirit doesn't beat people. If you are being pressured, stop and check. It probably isn't the Holy Spirit. I don't know what your attitude toward rock music is but to me it's painful. I just don't want my senses impounded like that continually. I don't believe the Holy Spirit deals with us like that. You see what I'm saying? You have to be sensitive. Cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The more you move and live in the word of God the more discerning you will be. And then people will not be able to fool you and exploit you. It's absolutely essential for Christians to grow up. And the way to grow up is to develop to the point where you can take solid food.