TODAY’S VERSE: 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
REVELATION:
Does God really communicate with us through the Bible? Is the Bible the true Word of God? I grew up as a Christian, so I heard most of the Bible stories in church on Sundays. I never really thought about who had written the Bible, or wondered about its origin. All I knew was that it was an important book that was read aloud in church, and that it was full of rules and stories that explained how we got here, and what to expect when we die. However, my views were soon to change.
Shortly after I accepted Christ into my life, my curiosity about God increased, and I actually started listening to what was read in church. I also listened to pastors who preached online, some of whom were great Bible teachers, such as Chuck Swindoll from Insight for Living, Tony Evans from Urban Alternatives, and Chip Ingram from Living On The Edge. From their teachings I began to understand that the Bible is more than just a book. They extracted the Bible's teachings and made them applicable to real life situations, and that is what changed the way I thought about God. The teachings made sense, but I started doubting them "just to be on the safe side," because I had begun to fear that I was being brainwashed. I stopped listening to online pastors, and continued going to church on Sundays, but it just wasn't the same. The church I was attending at the time was not a Bible teaching church, the Bible was just read than taught so the services left me feeling empty inside.
I knew that reading the Bible would fill that emptiness in my heart, but I had always hated reading. I preferred figuring out a math problem to sitting down and reading a book. Nevertheless, my desire to read the Bible continued to grow, though my mind was fighting with my heart? I couldn't find a reason to read the Bible. In the end, my heart won out, and I finally started reading the Old Testament. I began with Genesis, reading about two chapters each night. Then I read Exodus, and then Leviticus. When I got to the book of Numbers, I asked myself, "Why haven't you found revelation like those preachers online?" They must be no more than good researchers and public speakers, I concluded. After that, I read the Bible as if it was just another book, but I prayed to God to help me cultivate my Bible study.
To my great joy, God answered my prayer. One day I was feeling anxious because my mother's health was not good, and she was far from me. At the time she was living in Texas and I was in Connecticut, so I felt helpless to ease her. It was one of those days when nothing seemed right, so I prayed and asked God to give me comfort. I just sat still, quietly searching for comfort, and then I reached out for my Bible, and I just happened to turn to the Book of Philippians and start reading Chapter 4. When I got to verses 6 and 7, I felt as if the words were speaking to me personally, and I immediately experienced a sense of great relief. These verses say, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I read those two verses over and over again. Suddenly I stopped worrying about my mother's health, and felt reassured that she would be fine. I was very excited about those verses, which had spoken to me so deeply. I went on the internet to investigate what people had said about them, and I found that those verses are recommended for reading when you are worried about something. I believe that God led me to those verses, and it wasn't mere coincidence that I opened the Bible to that page right at that moment.
That was a turning point for me, and I was drawn ever more strongly to this Book of Life. Every night I would pray and ask God to show me what the Bible's words meant in the context of my life. I was surprised at the way the verses I read seemed pertinent to the situations I was struggling with at any given moment. The Bible became alive to me, and the verses seemed to lift off the page. My life started changing; God's Word started teaching me personally about the things that were wrong in my life, and how to correct them. Some of my bad habits were hard to let go, but I was in too deep to disobey God's Word, Which gave me strength to rebuke the destructive influences in my life. God's Word was and is still training me to live a righteous life.
Dear Reader, the Bible is a powerful book, because it is the living Word of God. I encourage you to read it regularly with an open heart, and to live according to its teachings. The Bible is also a book that reads you as you read it, and Christ, who awaits your invitation into your life, can truly guide you in this process. I encourage you to accept Him as your Savior by confessing that He is Lord, and to believe in your heart that he died on the cross and was raised from the dead so that you would be saved.
PRAYER:
My Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gift of Your Word. I pray that You will reveal more and more of Yourself as I read the Bible. Help me to obey your teachings, and to live my life in accordance with Your Word. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
APPLICATION:
There are many tools available online that can help you cultivate your Bible study. When I first began seeking to transform my "Intellectual Faith" to real faith, I didn't want to use any Bible study tools; I wanted God Himself to lead me. I didn't want to give myself any reason to doubt his Word, so when I was reading, it was just me, God, the Bible and a notebook. However, there are two general approaches that I can highly recommend:
The Bible is given to you from God, so when you read it, take it personally.
Read your bible daily. On the days that you feel tired, read at least a few verses from book of Proverbs.
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