“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).

The Book of Job is probably the oldest book in the Bible, written even before the Mosaic laws had been inscribed; yet Job knew at least some of God’s commandments, and regarded His divine words as more important to his life than even his daily bread. Abraham also knew and obeyed God’s word long before the writing of even the complete Book of Genesis (Genesis 26:5). The exact form of this primeval revelation is unknown to us, since it has now been replaced by the Bible. The very fact that it has been superseded means, of course, that what we now have of God’s word is far better than what they had. Yet Job (and, no doubt, Abraham also) felt that “the words of His mouth” were more to be esteemed than his “necessary food.”

How this ought to shame Christians today who spend far more time eating than they spend with the Lord in prayer and Bible study. Not even these Days of Praise devotionals suffice to meet this need! They are intended to encourage more study of God’s word, not to replace it.

The very first psalm assures us that “blessed is the man” (that is, he is truly happy) whose “delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1,2). Likewise the very last book of the Bible is introduced with these words: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein” (Revelation 1:3). Many are the believers who miss blessings in their lives because of neglecting even this last book of the Bible, which Job and Abraham and David never had opportunity to read. Don’t forget that Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). HMM