Proverbs 16:20 “He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”  This verse challenges us in several ways regarding our daily devotional time in God’s word:

— First of all, it reminds us that our time in God’s word will NOT be unrewarded.  If you “give attention” to it, you WILL find “good” there!  You are never wasting your time by spending it in the Bible!

— But it also challenges us to “give attention” to God’s word when we read it.  This is the very word of God; we owe it more than just a brief perusal, or a token attention.  They are the most important words you will ever read.  Give careful attention to them!

— The parallel here is also very revealing.  Many Proverbs make their point by comparing two parallel truths, and that is so with Proverbs 16:20.  But notice what the parallel here teaches us about our devotion to God’s word:  “Giving attention to the word” is paralleled with “trusts in the Lord.”   This teaches that if you really trust in the Lord, you will give attention to His word.  

     I have said for years that one of the best indicators of trust in God is prayer.  If you really trust that HE is going to help, then you will bring everything to Him in prayer.  Your prayers demonstrate how much you really trust God. 

     Here we see that the same thing is true with His word.  If you really trust that God has the answers for you, then you will seek them out in His word.  If you really think that His word is powerful/beneficial, etc., then you will give much attention to it.  Thus your devotional time in God’s word & prayer is far more than just a “religious routine”; it demonstrates where your trust really is.

If your time in prayer and in God’s word measures how much you truly trust God, then what is your devotional time revealing about the measure of your faith?