According to Jesus, "man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." The psalmist told us that God's Word is a "lamp for our feet and a light for our path." There is a misconception in modern American Christianity that believers in Jesus can grow and mature by going to church, particpating in worship, or paying tithes. The reality is that the Bible does not state that any of those things will help us to mature as disciples of Jesus. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God and DOING the Word of God. There is no substitute, no shortcut, no other way to maturity in Christ.
When Jesus was confronted by the devil in the wildrerness, it was the Word of God that he quoted. When he hung on the cross, the scriptures were in his mouth. He was the Word of God, manifested in a physical body.
Sadly, most Christians no longer take the time to study the Bible, learn about the Bible, or actually apply the scriptures in their daily lives. Just like God told Joshua so many years ago:
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Like Joshua and Jesus, let's live by the Word of God.