Discovering the Treasure of the Word of God
By MANDY SAELER
Over 100 miles beyond the sands of Queensland, Australia, a colorful underwater kingdom sprawls for 1,200 miles: The Great Barrier Reef.
135,000 square miles of aquatic majesty. Home to tens of thousands of species of aquatic life. An underwater world so magnificent that travelers and tourists from the world over, laden in scuba gear and snorkels, delve in to explore its wonders.
It’s long been said that Captain James Cook discovered the reef in 1770 when his ship grounded upon it unexpectedly. What a day that must have been! Can you even imagine?
Try to wrap your mind around this with me … it’s pretty awe-inspiring. God created coral with the potential to flourish into a vast ecosystem, ultimately forming the Great Barrier Reef. And He fashioned the abundance of life that swarms there — the mesmerizing schools of fish and the crawly sea creatures alike. And there was the reef, ebbing and flowing with life, coral building upon coral, year upon year — glorious in its existence, and yet hidden.
Until, that is, the day the Lord decided He would share this delightful piece of creation with mankind when ship lighted upon reef.
For me, that’s where the awe sets in — these many miles of underwater rainbowed wonder existed for perhaps thousands of years completely unknown to mankind. And yet, God made this beautiful hidden place for His pleasure and His glory.
Wonders in the deep — concealed — yet delighted in by the Lord of Creation.
What treasures there are in our Father’s world! And what treasures there are in our Father’s Word!
The Ocean of His Word
”One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.” This was a sentiment regarding the Word of God from a man named Robert Murray M’Cheyne. He was a Scottish preacher in the 1800s with a deep love for the treasure of God’s Word. Although he did not live to see his 30th birthday, his spiritual devotion and passion were well beyond his years. And today, nearly 200 years after his death, the Bible reading plan he originally created for his own congregation is still used by believers. His life and legacy bear witness of a man who, “… delighted exceedingly in the Scriptures: they were better to him than thousands of gold or silver.” As an expression of his deep value for the Word of God, he once made that beautiful statement: “One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.”
What would it be like if you and I were to discover this beautiful reality for ourselves? What if we, like Great Barrier Reef tourists, immersed ourselves in the ocean of His Word, intent to venture out and discover the living treasures teeming beneath the surface?
Through this article, I hope to practically encourage you to do just that through sharing some simple ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef of the Word of God. So, together, let’s drop our anchor in the vast ocean and set to search for the treasure our Lord has given to us!
Love for the truth
About 15 years ago, I boarded a plane and was seated next to a woman named Carol. As we chatted throughout the flight, it didn’t take long for the fact that we were both Christians to surface. One thing I clearly remember about our conversation was her dedication to and love for the Word of God. (I also remember that she was a big fan of greeting cards and even sent me one in the mail after we met!)
Carol and I quickly bonded over our love for Psalm 119. While this Psalm is often known for being the longest chapter in the Bible, it is also a stunning exposition of the Psalmist’s love and desire for the Word of God. It is a simultaneously inspiring and convicting passage of Scripture!
On that flight, Carol shared with me that she read Psalm 119 every single day as a part of her Bible reading. And she had done this for years! I observed in her a woman who longed to love the Word — and for the Word of God to dwell in her richly. (See Colossians 3:16.) Naturally, Carol’s testimony impacted me. When I incorporate passages of Psalm 119 into my Bible reading, I still think of her all these years later!
Soaking in the truth
Throughout this year, Psalm 119 has been a freshly treasured passage of Scripture in my quiet times and in my daily life. This spring, I decided to put a creative spin on “redeeming the time” in my cycling classes. While some of my attention is taken with cues from the instructor and navigating the workout, there is plenty of time within those 60-minute classes to think, process, and pray for people and situations in my life. I had been entertaining the idea of bringing in an organized prayer list to be more intentional with that time (which I still may do), but one day a different idea came to mind.
I found a small coiled notebook that I could set on the handlebar tray of the bike, and wrote out Scripture to meditate on, pray through, and even work on memorizing during class.
Can you guess which portion I chose? If you guessed Psalm 119 — you guessed right! Rejoicing in the truth is a theme I am focusing on in my spiritual walk this year, and I cannot think of a better chapter in the Bible that would aid me in doing just that. I chose a stanza from the Psalm with a plan to work through other stanzas in the future.
The first time I took my notebook to class and put it to use, I knew I was on to something good.
Throughout the class, I read through the stanza several times. Then I worked through each verse, pondering and meditating on each one and its meaning. As I was working my way through the verses, I noticed the Psalmist’s heart shining through the words, revealing his deep longing for the ways of God. The way he earnestly pled with God to work in his life and transform his heart genuinely touched mine.
I marveled at the way the Word of God was unfolding before me as I began seeing these familiar verses in a new spectrum of color.
Lastly, I prayed through each verse, echoing the desire of the Psalmist’s heart, painting his words into a prayer of my own. As my legs whirled in a steady cadence and my prayers diffused, I took notice of what was happening inside of me. I wasn’t merely echoing the Psalmist, I was genuinely sharing in the prayer and desire of the Psalmist. Awe filled my heart afresh as I sensed that the Lord was shaping my heart, my desires, and my perspective in powerful ways that were deeply meaningful in the midst of my season. The Word of God really does reorient and transform us. And, oh my, how I need it!
That day, the Word of God was amazing to me afresh. And I was reminded of not only of its power, but its preciousness.
Diving in
You may remember that I mentioned rejoicing in the truth being the spiritual theme I have embraced this year. I have been challenged by this theme as I have been reminded to source my joy in the truth of God, regardless of the seen and felt. And along the way, the Lord has also challenged me to expand the horizons of my intake of the truth! I’ve been reminded to not settle in the familiar, but to get creative.
Now, before I get any further, I want to set something straight with you. Because of the theme of this article, it would be easy for you to assume that I am (or perhaps think myself to be) a spectacle of perfection in my Bible reading, study, memorization, etc. And yet, I take this aside to assure you, that I most certainly am not (and certainly do not think myself to be) a spectacle of perfection in this area of my life. I readily admit that this is an intentional focus for me because I both desire and need to continue growing in this area of my life!
With that, at the heart of this article is an invitation. I would love to invite you to grow with me in this area of our lives. Would you join me?
Together, let’s embark on this adventure of discovering treasures of truth in God’s Word.
My encouragement to you is to grow from the place where you are and to grow at your own pace! Don’t disqualify yourself from taking steps forward if you have been disappointed with or discouraged by your past “performance.” I would actually encourage you to not fixate on your “performance” — instead, focus on engaging relationally with the God who sees you, knows you, loves you, desires you, and gave you His Word to reveal Himself to you. His Word is an invitation to know His heart — and He wants us to receive that invitation!
As we slip into the waters of discovery, I’d love to share some fresh inspiration with you. The following are a few resources and practices I have personally utilized and appreciated over the years. However, there are exhaustive ways and possibilities for exploring and embracing the Word of God! These are just a few helps to get the waters churning and inspiration flowing.
Resources and Helps:
Write the Word – Cultivate What Matters produces “Write the Word Journals” which are a wonderful tool. I’ve enjoyed them myself and have loved giving them as gifts, too. Each journal is themed and on each new page spread, there is a Scripture reference related to the theme for you to look up, write out, and then meditate on, pray through, journal about, etc.
Scripture Journals – Crossway has created a wonderful resource known as Scripture Journals. They are formatted with the Word of God printed on the left-hand page and a lined page on the right-hand page. You can choose how you use the lined page, whether you journal as you read, write out observations, do an inductive Bible study, etc. Personally, I have used these to re-write the Word of God in my own handwriting to help ingrain the Word in my heart and mind. (Fun fact: There are studies that have shown handwriting — especially cursive handwriting — improves your brain’s ability to retain information for the long haul!)
Jot it Down — Notecards have been a quiet time essential for me for many years. When a specific verse strikes my heart, I’ll grab a notecard and write it out, and then keep the notecards handy to leaf through. Other times, when I’m listening to a sermon, podcast, or audiobook, I’ll grab a notecard and jot down truth-bits that jump out at me or prayers on my heart (along with the date). This simple practice helps me to capture what God is highlighting in my times in the Word and hallmarking in my life in any given season. It’s sort of like micro-journaling.
Scripture Memorization — One practice I’m working to revive in my life is Scripture memorization. Many years ago I was taught the technique of writing out the first letter of each word in the verse as a prompt to help with memorization. You start with reading the written-out verse out loud, then transition to reciting the verse using the first-letter-prompt (which engages your brain in recall). After you’ve mastered this, you can then begin to practice reciting from memory. Soon enough, with time and practice, His Word will be hidden in your heart.
Other Ideas
Ask a friend! I have learned so much from friends over the years and have often been inspired and challenged by their commitment to the Word! Ask your friends for their creative practices and ideas for engaging with God’s Word. If they don’t yet have a way of cultivating this area, maybe there will be a way you can grow in love for God’s Word together!
Get creative with your gifts! Take hold of the Word of God and ask Him to lead you in finding unique ways of hiding it in your heart. If you are an artist — how can you utilize your creativity in your quest to love the Word? If you are a writer — how can you employ the use of your words to engage with His? If you are a musician — wield your rhythms and rhymes! Use your God-given strengths, talents, and interests to embrace the Word and foster your love for it!
Just get started! Remember that while there are many amazing resources out there, a simple 97-cent notebook paired up with intentionality and follow-through is an amazing step forward! And while there are extravagant efforts that can be made — don’t shy away from simplicity that enables you to be focused and consistent.
Seasons of our lives ebb and flow, and some practices will be a natural fit in some seasons, while not in others. While the undercurrent of faithfulness in the Word should remain, remember to be flexible and realistic as you stack on additional practices and habits. Our motive in doing so should never be to “earn” favor with God or to “look” spiritual — our motive should be to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Know that I am cheering you on as you find your own ways of treasuring His Word — whatever form that takes, creatively or practically!
on with the discovery
Friend, you and I are each on our own unique Great Barrier Reef exploration with the Lord. And there is beauty in that! Our history, habits, and interactions with God’s Word will look different — but I hope that my encouragement to you has been simple and clear — let’s explore the Word. Let’s open the pages of the Bible, take in its words, and allow it to change us from the inside out.
Together, let’s grow in our love for God’s Word. Together, let’s rejoice in the truth. Together, let’s esteem His Word as treasure.
These beautiful words from Robert Murray M’Cheyne summarize this thought perfectly, “Unfathomable oceans of grace are in Christ for you. Dive and dive again, you will never come to the bottom of these depths. How many millions of dazzling pearls and gems are at this moment hid in the deep recesses of the ocean caves! But there are unsearchable riches in Christ. Seek more of them.”
This article was originally published in Issue 51.
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