I remember one time, on our way to Orlando, reading a billboard that said “HAVE YOU READ MY BOOK? THERE WILL BE A TEST.” - God. Wow! what an awesome truth: God has spoken! and not just a few words, but "a Book"! How amazing is that? So, how should we approach the Scriptures? - With Humility. The Bible says that “…knowledge puffs up.” 1st Corinthians 8:1. Pride, which is the opposite of humility, has devastating consequences. It says in James 4:6 that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” When we come to the Scriptures, we need to realize that it is the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe who is speaking. It is a great privilege (no one deserves it) to be able to read and understand His Word. So, if we approach it with a humble heart, He will give you the grace to understand it, and to be blessed by it.
- Read it to obey it. Approach the Bible with the purpose in your heart that you will do what He says. The more you obey it, the more God will reveal it to you. If you read “do not lie” then, don’t lie; if you read “forgive one another” then forgive. Don’t jump into the big doctrines of the Bible, if you are not able to keep the simple commandments. James 1:22 puts it this way: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Doctors go to school to learn and practice medicine, to cure illnesses and save lives; the same way, Christians read the Bible, not just to get knowledge, but with the purpose of obeying it, to put it into practice.
The Bible: GOD'S WORD! Don't take it for granted! Read it! Put it into practice! It will change your life! He will bless your life!
More to come…
2 comments:
Rod,
Thank you for writing such important truths.
I love the billboard you quoted "there will be a test." I want to be prepared for that test :0)
I love the bible, because its the only book that has the power to comfort, challenge, heal and really give real everlasting answers to lifes questions. It is truth. I feel so privileged to be able to approach the throne of grace and ask God for discernment and understanding. So grateful that He is "the God who sees".
I have seen the devastating effects of pride in myself. When I forget from where I came from, how much I have been forgiven and that "I am dust". How ironic that we can read the scriptures, know them by heart, and yet be the opposite of what they teach, because they aren't at the very core of our hearts.
Obedience isn't my strongest point either. Its not because I don't want to. I do. Its not because I don't think its important. I do. It because without praying and supplicating to God to help me in my daily walk I "try to not lie, not return evil for evil, forgive..." but my flesh steps in. I fail miserably. So I've come to the conclusion that.....I can not, yet He can.
So I beg Him for mercy and deliverance from myself and that I may not give a foothold to the devil. That He may finish the work that He has started. I beg Him for a gentle and quiet spirit, a mouth that will not nag, or criticize or do all sorts of evil. I ask Him to examine my heart and take out everything that shouldn't be there. To help me forgive. In His mercy he answers me, and gives me the grace to do what I can not.
Well, I think I got a little carried away there, sorry for the long post.
Blessings,
Alexa
Alexa, thanks for your comments. You reminded me of that song that goes:
"Holiness, holiness
is what I long for,
holiness, Holiness
is what I need,
Holiness, holiness
is what you want from me"
So take my life, transform it
take my heart and form it
take my will, comform it
to your, to your, oh Lord!
Our Christian walk is a step by step forward. One day we will be like Him (Php 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.)
Blessings,
Rod
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