Next we note that Jesus says "every word" as opposed to "some words" or the general idea of the word of God. The significance of this word "every" must not be missed. The analogy of earthly food continues to serves us well. Not only is food necessary, but a diversity of nutrients and vitamins must be consumed in order to live and be healthy. A deficiency of even one essential nutrient or vitamin can have severe consequences. Many premodern sailors who did not eat fruits died from scurvy. Malnourished children with their swollen bellies starve for protein and die sorrowful, slow deaths. Fractured and deformed bones mark those suffering from rickets, caused by vitamin D deficiency. These and other diseases sadly reiterate what we already appreciate: the importance of feeding our bodies properly. Armed with this knowledge, many households feverishly stock vitamin supplements in their quest for good health. Countless hucksters and con artists deceitfully make promises in the multibillion dollar supplement industry. Young men who desire bigger biceps drop hundreds of dollars for the latest formulation of whey protein. There can be no doubt that our society passionately wants good nutrition and vitamins.

What a great contrast there is between our society's desire for bodily health and most individual's desire for spiritual life! Here Christ himself tells us that God's word is the food of our souls. Without it we die. Despite his proclamation and example in the desert, most supposed Christians scarcely read their Bible, and fewer still know it.

It is an astonishing fact that nearly everyone, even non-Christians, feel that they know the Bible fairly well. Those who attack the Scriptures blithely say things like, "The Bible is full of contradictions," but when then asked to name one, the typical response is, "I can't think of one right now, but I know that they are there." Similarly, most professing Christians feel that they know the Bible despite the fact that their knowledge of it is shallow and rudimentary. A simple test can gauge your knowledge of God's word:

1. Who prophesied that Jesus would come to Jerusalem riding a donkey?
2. What did Onesimus do that prompted Paul to write a letter?
3. What was the dominating characteristic of Israel during the time of the judges?
4. Why does the book of Numbers have that name?
5. Who were the three apostles closest to Jesus?
6. What four people led the three returns from exile back to Jerusalem?
7. Who is Jeremiah and what is his relationship to Ezekiel?
8. Name three places in the gospels where Jesus is explicitly called God.
9. What happened in Galatia that prompted Paul to write his letter there?
10. Which prophet did Hezekiah consult regarding the Babylonian invasion?

These simple questions reveal volumes about your spiritual health. While many professing Christians seek the sugar highs that can come from certain cherry-picked verses, they have no sinewy power that comes from the protein of the prophets. They are emaciated, lacking the fat of the epistles. Nor do they have the sustained energy that comes from the kernel and grain of the gospels. Their throats are dry and their mouths parched, for not knowing the liquid refreshment of the psalms. How terrible their death is, even worse than that starving child being eaten by flies.

It has been aptly said that only the person who loves God's word loves God. The two are inseparably linked. Other verses speak to the importance and centrality of the word.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." - Hosea 4:6

"Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17, NET

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." - Hebrews 5:12-14

"I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments." - Psalm 119:131

If you have been a professing Christian for more than five years and have difficulty with the above questions, I hope and pray that you will consider the possibility that you do not love God's word, which is a direct reflection of whether or not you love God. Countless millions of people are deluded in their thinking that they are Christians when in fact they are not. Repent before God, pray for his grace to fill your heart, earnestly seek to present yourself as a worker who can rightly handle the word of truth, and stand unashamed.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible ®. Scripture quoted by permission. Copyright © 2003 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

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