Just a little bit, and off you go!

(Charles Spurgeon)  LISTEN to audio!  Download audio

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"His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

Do not many of you read the Bible in a very hurried way-just a little bit, and off you go! Do you not soon forget what you have read, and lose what little effect it seemed to have?

How few of you are resolved to get at its soul, its juice, its life, its essence-and to drink in its meaning. Well, if you do not do that, then your reading is miserable reading, dead reading, unprofitable reading; it is not reading at all-the name would be misapplied. May the blessed Spirit give you repentance concerning this thing.

Meditation and careful thought, exercise us and strengthen the soul for the reception of the yet more lofty truths.

We must meditate, brethren. These grapes will yield no wine until we tread upon them. These olives must be put under the wheel, and pressed again and again-that the oil may flow therefrom.

In a dish of nuts, you may know which nut has been eaten by a worm, because there is a little hole which the worm has punctured through the shell. It is just a little hole, and then inside there is the living worm eating up the kernel.

In the same way, it is a grand thing to bore through the shell of the letter of Scripture, and then to live inside feeding upon the kernel.

I would wish to be such a little worm as that-living within and upon the Word of God, having bored my way through the shell, and having reached the innermost mystery of the blessed gospel. The Word of God is always most precious to the man who most lives upon it.

Beloved, never be satisfied with a sound creed, but desire to have it engraved on the tablets of your heart.

The doctrines of grace are good, but the grace of the doctrines is better still. See that you have it, and be not content with the idea that you are well-instructed, until you so understand the doctrine that you have felt its spiritual power.

O living Christ, make this a living Word to me. Your Word is life, but not without the Holy Spirit. I may know this book of Yours from beginning to end, and repeat it all from Genesis to Revelation-and yet it may be a dead book, and I may be a dead soul!

Oh, cling to Scripture! Scripture is not Christ, but it is the silken clue which will lead you to Him. Follow its leadings faithfully.

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Joshua 1:8