The Richness of God’s Promises
Feeling spiritually dry, unsure, or just plain weary? In this episode, discover how God's Word revives the soul, brings joy to the heart, and offers wisdom for living, and why mining Scripture is a spiritual feast, not a religious chore.
Feeling spiritually dry, unsure, or just plain weary? In this episode, discover how God's Word revives the soul, brings joy to the heart, and offers wisdom for living, and why mining Scripture is a spiritual feast, not a religious chore.
Have you ever opened your Bible out of obligation, skimmed a few verses, and closed it feeling exactly the same as before?
For many of us, Bible reading has become a checkbox, something we do because we're supposed to, not because we expect to encounter anything life-changing. But what if Scripture was meant to be more than information? What if it was designed to be a feast that revives your soul, fills your heart with joy, and gives you wisdom you can't find anywhere else?
In this episode, we look at the story of John Bunyan, who sat in a cold, damp prison cell in 17th-century England for twelve years because he refused to stop preaching. He was separated from his wife, his children, and his congregation. The days were long and the walls were confining. But Bunyan had one thing no jailer could take: the Scriptures. Instead of letting prison break him, he let Scripture revive him. Out of that dark season came The Pilgrim's Progress, a book saturated with biblical language that has strengthened believers for over three centuries.
Through his story and Psalm 19:7–11, you'll see that God's Word is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. It revives the weary, makes wise the simple, brings joy to the heart, and gives insight for living. Spending intentional time mining God's promises isn't just a religious habit; it's a spiritual feast. And sometimes the richest feasts happen in the emptiest rooms, when all you have left is His Word and His presence.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:
- What Psalm 19 teaches about what Scripture actually does for your soul, revival, wisdom, joy, and insight
- Why approaching the Bible like gold to be mined and honey to be tasted changes everything
- A simple practice for reading Scripture slowly and prayerfully this week so you can experience its richness for yourself
God's Word isn't meant to be skimmed; it's meant to be savored. And when you do, you'll find it delivers exactly what it promises.
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Track 1 00:00:00
John Bunyan sits in a cold, damp prison cell in
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17th-century England, locked away for the crime of preaching
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without a license. He could have been released if he simply
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agreed to stop preaching, but he refused. So he stayed for 12
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years. He was separated from his wife and children and the
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congregation he loved. The days were long and the walls were
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confining, but Bunyan had one thing that no jailer could take,
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the scriptures. In that dark season, why would a man cling so
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tightly to a book when everything else had been
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stripped away?
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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger and
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I've been a pastor for over 40 years. And you would think I
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spend hours every day pouring over God's Word. Oh sure, there
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are days when I'm studying for my next sermon and I spend quite
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a bit of time in the Bible. But on other days, I don't spend as
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much time as I should. But when I do, God's Word has a way of
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showing me things that are exactly what I need for what I'm
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going through. You see, God's Word offers us renewal. The
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promises found in Scripture remind us that spending
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intentional time mining God's Word is a spiritual feast.
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The of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The
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commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
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The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
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Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the
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Lord are true, each one is fair. They are more desirable than
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gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even
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honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your
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servant, a great reward for those who obey them. That's one
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of the richest descriptions of Scripture in the entire Bible.
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Look at what David says God's Word does. It revives the soul.
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When you're spiritually exhausted and running on empty,
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you're drained by life's demands, Scripture breathes life back
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into you. It doesn't just inform you, it renews you. It also
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makes wise the simple. You don't have to be a scholar to gain
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wisdom from God's Word. If you come humbly, willing to learn,
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Scripture will give you insight you couldn't find anywhere else.
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And it brings joy to the heart, not just information, but joy.
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There's something about encountering God's truth that
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lifts the Spirit and fills the heart with gladness. It also
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gives insight for living. Are you confused about what to do
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next? Unsure which direction to take? Scripture provides clarity,
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not always every little detail, but it provides the principles
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and the wisdom you need to navigate life well. And then,
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David makes this comparison. God's Word is more desirable
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than gold, even the finest gold. It's sweeter than honey, and
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even honey dripping from the comb. Think about that. Gold
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represents wealth. The thing the world chases. And honey
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represents pleasure. The sweetest thing David's culture
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knew. And David says, Scripture is better than both. More
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valuable than the richest treasure, and more satisfying
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than the sweetest taste. Do we believe that? Do we approach
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God's Word like it's more desirable than gold? And do we
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taste it and find it sweeter than honey? For many of us,
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Bible reading feels more like a chore than a feast. We check it
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off the list, and we skim a few verses. We close the book, and
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we move on with our day. But that's not what Scripture is
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meant to be. God's Word is a spiritual feast. It's meant to
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be savored, not rushed through. It's meant to be mined like gold,
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not just glanced at like a headline. And when we approach
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it that way, prayerfully and expectantly, it delivers exactly
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what Psalm 19 promises. Revival, wisdom, joy, and insight.
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Instead of letting prison break him, Bunyan let Scripture revive
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him. soaked in God's Word day after day, and out of that
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relationship with the Bible came "The Pilgrim's Progress", a book
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saturated with Biblical language that has strengthened believers
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over three centuries. Bunyan discovered what the psalmist
knew:
The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the
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soul. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
knew:
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the
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comb. When he was at his lowest point, Scripture renewed him.
knew:
When he lacked wisdom, Scripture enlightened him. When joy seemed
knew:
impossible, God's promises brought light into the darkness.
knew:
Spending intentional time mining God's Word isn't just a
knew:
religious habit. It's a spiritual feast. But sometimes
knew:
the richest feasts happen in the emptiest rooms, when all you
knew:
have left is God's Word and His presence. Bunyan had nothing but
knew:
cold walls and an open Bible. And from that place of emptiness,
knew:
he was filled. He found revival and wisdom and joy, not from his
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circumstances, but from God's promises. What about you? Are
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you treating Scripture like gold and honey, or like an obligation
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to check off? Are you mining it for treasure or just skimming it
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for information? Here's today's challenge. This week, choose one
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passage of Scripture, maybe Psalm 19 itself, and read it
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slowly every day. Don't rush through it. Don't just skim over
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it. Read it like you're mining for gold, and read it like
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you're tasting honey. Each time you read, ask it three questions.
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What does this teach me about God? What does this show me
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about myself? And, how does this apply to my life today? And pray
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before you open the book. Lord, revive my soul and make me wise,
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and bring joy to my heart. Give me insight for living. Let me
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taste how sweet your Word really is. Lord, thank you for the
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richness of your Word. Forgive us for the times we've treated
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it as a chore instead of a feast. Open our eyes to see its value.
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More desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Revive our
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souls and give us wisdom. Fill our hearts with joy, and help us
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to mine your promises, and be transformed by what we find. In
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Jesus' name, Amen. If this episode encouraged you, would
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you share it with someone who needs to rediscover the richness
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of Scripture? Just send them the link from the show notes. They
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may need this reminder that God's Word is a feast waiting to
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be enjoyed. Thanks for joining me on Daily Devotions for Busy
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Lives. Remember, God's promises revive the soul, bring joy to
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the heart, and give insight for living. Spend intentional time
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mining His Word. It's more valuable than gold and sweeter
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than honey. Come back next time for more encouragement to help
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you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless, and have
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a great day. Thank you.
