Knowing God through Enjoying His Word
"Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers."
Psalm 1:1-3
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"
1 Peter 2:2
Because God intended humans to be in a relationship with Him, he created us to be able to know Him through His Word. According to Psalm 1, those who read, understand, and delight in God’s word are those who truly know God and are blessed. Scripture is not just a book that Christians are called on to learn intimately. Instead, Scripture is our firsthand access to truly understand God and get to know Him in a personal way. It is through the Word that we have true access to understand, firsthand, who God is, what He is like, what He has done, and what He is planning.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Our trust in God begins with understanding and accepting the knowledge presented to us in His Word. And yet, this is not just how we first come to a knowledge of God, but how we are intended to grow in our relationship with Him. Peter says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). God has given us the ability to read, study, meditate on, and apply his word in our lives which causes us to know Him better. God desires us to know Him and His will through regularly interacting with and being fed by His word.
Therefore, we must consider whether or not screen time has an effect on our enjoyment of and time in God’s Word. Studying God’s word requires concentration, critical thinking, and a willingness to sit and focus. Excessive screen time promotes a restless addiction to external stimulation which makes this goal of deeply studying God’s word irrelevant, implausible, or undesirable. Additionally, screens offer an ease of access to information. This access diminishes the importance many people see in knowing God’s word and memorizing it. In his interesting study, Benjamin Storm says, “the internet functions as a transactive memory partner.” We can offload any unnecessary extra work if our device is close and it can do the work for us. When information is just a click away, people don’t see a need to know it on their own. Sadly, this lack of Scripture memorization and deep meditation often leads to shallow convictions and an opportunity to fall prey to Satan’s schemes for many Christians. We must be aware of how screen time can undermine the importance and value we place on spending time in God’s word, studying it deeply, and memorizing it.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you view God’s word as a way to get to know God personally? Or does it tend to feel more like a textbook you’re supposed to memorize?
- In what ways have you noticed the Word impacting your view and enjoyment of God?
- Have you noticed screen time inhibiting your time, enjoyment, or interest in reading or memorizing God’s word? How so?