I am caught in my spirit with the fact that some Christians love the Lord Jesus, are dedicated to Him and also love His written Word. Then there are other dear ones who also love Him and are dedicated to Him but find it a difficult task to spend much time at all learning His Word. Why is that? What is going on in the heart that would make one person devour the Word and another touch it ever so lightly, if at all?
As a Bible teacher, I simply cannot separate the written Word from the very personal living Word. He is the same. I do not consider the actual printed book the same as His person, but what He has instructed in His book through the ages is the revelation of Himself and very important in my heart and life. I cannot imagine living in the United States with an ability to read and write, and not actively using those skills to enrich my heart, mind and soul with His words.
So I am seeking God’s heart (long term) about what I can do in presenting the Word that would make others love it too. I know most of this work must be done by the anointing, provided in and through the Holy Spirit, but I am so longing to see some progressive change in my skills as a teacher. My students all have such a hunger and I am bless constantly, each season, by their love for the Lord and their study of the Word. However, there are those who come and go, who really do not get a “word emphasis” in their church and are satisfied with what they can hear on TV or the pulpit.
There is no condemnation in my heart here. All who are His are equal in His treatment of them. The one special reward for those who consistently seek the truth of His word is more understanding and release into Him, but those who love the Word do not study it primarily for reward, but simply because they love Him. Why does the church as a whole seem interested only in “feeling” Him when He moves in a tangible way? Why are we not, as a whole, folk who simply cannot get enough of what He has said and therefore know more of what He is saying?
Just some questions on my heart this morning. Comments are welcome if you have any ideas about the answer to some of the questions posed here. Please keep them positive and uplifting. Putting others down is simply not the way of the Word. I guess I should say that shaming folk or condemning them for not doing something never works for long and really isn’t what the Lord does. Hunger and thirsting is like eating potato chips or peanuts – you can’t just eat one. Why are we not hungry for more Word?
Mannaword 
These are some difficult questions and I’m sure you would agree the reasons are many for people who “seem” to be satisfied with a bit of nourishment from the Lord by relying on anothers interpretation of what He is saying in his Word. I will tell you what I think if you are really interested.
Your question:
“What is going on in the heart that would make one person devour the Word and another touch it ever so lightly, if at all?”
I love this question. The way you worded it is wonderful.:) I will share my candid view.
Maybe my view comes partially from being a Special Education teacher, but also in realizing that no two minds think exactly the same way. I feel some of the reasons for the differences in the way people go after the Word of God are very much related to personality type also. The mind is so wonderfully complex and interesting to me. You are speaking of a heart issue though. Knowing that before we fell in love with Jesus we first had to know of him, makes it pretty clear that we do need to learn and understand some things first.
You speak of dimensions and degrees of this knowing and understand of who God is. People being as diverse as our numbers here on earth bring a very wide range of ability, interests, values, points of view, social experiences etc. I know that you already know all of this, but to me these are reasons that are directly related to the differing degree that a person chases after more of the Lord through his Word.
The question is to me is…Where does the hunger for God come from and why do some people have more of it than others? In answering that question I would have to say it really begins with the Lord. Again, something you already know. But seriously, the desire the Lord placed deep within my heart before I was ever born is the key here. We can’t make people want more of him. Or at the very least we can’t make them want more of him enough to go after him on a deeper level. This is at the very core of every relationship between God and man. God has to do it.
“So I am seeking God’s heart (long term) about what I can do in presenting the Word that would make others love it too.”
Another very sweet question Iris. What can you do in presenting the Word…? I am feeling you are likely already doing what you can do. My guess is that you present the word in such a way that your heart toward God and his toward you and others in the room are very evident. You are genuine. I imagine your face lights up with delight in each heart felt teaching session as the essence of his word unfolds one word or principle at a time.
The Lord has given you an amazing ability to see, even touch his heart in tangible ways. In many ways you are there as not only an example, but in a way a kind of connection between those that you teach and Him. I don’t want to use the word maturity here in regards to fellow believers, but I will say that depending on the degree of understanding a person has in relationship to the Lord through his Word and time with him, a person grows in desire to know him more. At the same time I must state that it is wonderful to find someone such as yourself or another authentic teacher of the Word who can lead people in the right direction. The term putting people’s hands in the hand of Jesus rings in my mind. My only caution would be that people could fall into a trap of relying too heavily on a teacher and not seek, for themselves the richness of all the Lord has to offer them.
“Why does the church as a whole seem interested only in “feeling” Him when He moves in a tangible way? Why are we not, as a whole, folk who simply cannot get enough of what He has said and therefore know more of what He is saying?”
This question I really can’t even give my opinion because I would probably be three to four pages in length. LOL> Anyway…that is what I think, take it with a grain of salt.
I love you!
You write well, my friend, and you have a lot of truth in this comment. However, I just wonder if we are prone to lose ourselves in “styles” to fit this person or that and somehow miss Him in it all. I have been exposed to much in this area, but am coming to the conclusion it is a matter of relationship – not so much what really might speak to me or to someone else. My Lord does not always custom make His word for me, yet there is the expectation in the Word that I will learn and receive. I think it has to do with the power of God and with a person’s will (choice). But then there is much not explainable at all.