Why We Need to Be Saturated with Scripture
To be saturated with Scripture is not merely to acquire knowledge of biblical facts but to allow the Word of God to permeate our minds, imaginations, and affections so profoundly that it reshapes how we see the world. In an age dominated by distraction, noise, and competing narratives, the Scriptures provide a grounding force—a true story that defines our identity, our calling, and our hope. As Psalm 1 describes, the blessed person meditates on God’s law day and night, becoming like a tree planted by streams of water. This saturation with Scripture provides the spiritual roots necessary to withstand seasons of seeming spiritual drought, moral temptation, and cultural confusion.
Moreover, when we are saturated with Scripture, we begin to think with the patterns of God’s wisdom rather than the reactive logic of the world. The Word renews our minds (Romans 12:2), realigns our desires, and equips us to discern what is true, good, and beautiful in a disordered age. Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness, responded not with human reasoning but with words from Deuteronomy—demonstrating that Scripture was not an external tool for Jesus but his instinctual source of help in times of temptation.
Finally, being steeped in Scripture forms us communally as the people of God. The Bible is not just a private devotional text; it is the script for the Church’s worship, mission, and shared life. When our conversations, decisions, and prayers are shaped by Scripture, we speak with the language of heaven, reminding one another of what is eternally true. Without saturation, we default to spiritual shallowness—guided by opinions and emotions rather than revelation. But with saturation, the Word of Christ dwells richly in us (Colossians 3:16), and we become a people who bear fruit in season and out, rooted in God’s living and active Word.
Let me give you an example of how this works over time. Recently, I received a fascinating video from a friend about a pastor’s visit to a site south of Israel, where an incredibly huge rock is split in two – just as described in Exodus 17, as Moses leads the people out of Egypt and into Canaan. The pastor is awed—and I would be too! I’ve been to Israel and walked in the same longitudes and latitudes where Abraham, David, and Jesus traversed the promised land. It’s an amazing sense you get.
Click HERE to see the video
At about the 4:40 mark, the pastor begins relating how awed he feels, even apparently affirming that this very rock is the one that God split due to the marks left on it, its size, and other factors. And if I were in his position, there would be some worship going on!
But here’s the thing: The rock that Moses struck in the wilderness (Exodus 17, Numbers 20) is not just a geological relic to be unearthed; it’s a narrative symbol that extends beyond itself. While archaeologists may search for the literal stone, the true power of the biblical story lies in its capacity to transform every rock into a theological witness. The miracle was not confined to a single historical moment. Still, it opened up the imagination to see how God’s provision can break forth from what seems dry, lifeless, or inert—even today. When we are saturated with Scripture, we begin to live in a world where even the most mundane objects echo divine meaning. Every rock becomes a possible altar, a reminder of thirst met, of judgment withheld, or of Christ himself—the rock from whom living water flows (1 Corinthians 10:4). In this way, the biblical story does not reduce the world to artifacts of the past, but re-enchants it as a living theater for God’s continuing work today.
So go to Israel! Hunt down the lost ark of the covenant! Find Noah’s ark! But remember that in the meantime, you have constant access to the biblical record of what these historical places, artifacts, and times meant – and that they are just as alive today in your experience of what God is doing in the world as they were back then. That’s a gift someone who has immersed themselves in Scripture can pass on to others—a life preoccupied with God’s mighty acts (Psalm 145:6).
Christ Tribe 