How do you view the Word of God? As the commands and revelation of the Creator of heaven and earth or something that is merely “interesting” to you … one more opinion in a list of options for making decisions and solving life’s problems? Is the Bible full of commands and principles to live by or merely divine suggestions? Is it a standard or the standard by which you weigh everything?
Before you answer … you might ask yourself if, when talking about some Biblical command or principle, you’ve ever said:
I tried that. It just didn’t work.
Well, I just believe …
I know what the Bible says, but …
We live in a different world.
Do you want to make next year the best year ever in your Bible reading? If so, you need more than what you get on Sunday morning no matter how good the preaching is. You, also, need more than a verse or two on a smartphone app. You need to wade in.
In the last two chapters of Ezekiel, the Prophet had a vision of a river flowing out of the Millennial Temple. It represents the gospel and the fullness of Scripture. Some things are “ankle deep”—easy to understand. Others are “knee-deep” and require more study. Others are deeper still and we may not be able to understand them fully. Even so, God wants us to wade in so we can grow in our understanding of Him and His Word.
Also in today’s post, read about 4 attitudes to have in the midst of trials and persecution.
My free God’s Word Day by Day devotional can help you get more from your Bible reading whether it’s ankle deep, knee deep, or deeper still. In fact, this coming year could be your best year ever!
And if you’d rather follow along as I read through the Bible on YouTube, you can subscribe here.
Are you getting the most benefit from your hearing, reading, and study of God’s Word? What does Matthew Henry mean when he talks about “profiting from the Bible”? And what might prevent us from doing so?
Also, what did Peter have to say to suffering Christians in the first century that flies in the face of our “don’t-step-on-my-toes-I-have-rights” thinking?
Tent-making, sewing and Bible study have one thing in common. They all require the ability to “cut it straight.”
When a seamstress cuts out the pieces of a pattern, she must do so accurately or the pieces won’t fit together properly. As a tent-maker, Paul understood this principle because it also applied to his trade. And he used the same language to explain the importance of accuracy in our study of God’s Word. Today we’ll look at ten important principles that will help us “cut it straight.”
Many people today want to throw the Bible out completely. They try to discredit God’s people by saying we’re intolerant and mean-spirited when we call for a biblical standard. Attempting to destroy God’s Word is nothing new, but God will preserve it and one day judge those who try to destroy it just as He did in Jeremiah’s time.
While we can rejoice that God will deal with evil men who reject His Word, we may need to examine our own attitudes toward Scripture, as well. How do you view the Bible? As a cafeteria line where you can pick and choose what you like? Do you cut and paste it at will? Do you view it as merely a book of nice suggestions for living or do you view it as God’s Word and allow it to direct every area of your life?
James said God’s Word is like a mirror. What do we look for when we check our appearance in a mirror? Possibly to see what doesn’t look right, where we might have dirt on our faces or something else that isn’t how we want to look. What should we look for when we look into the mirror of God’s Word? Paul’s letter to the Colossians gives us some ideas. In fact, the chapter might be considered a checklist for Christian maturity. Why not take a look into the mirror of God’s Word and ask yourself, “Which of these characteristics describe me and which don’t?”
Why is believing every word of the Bible so important? Could it be that the gospel and our salvation depend on every word being true?
And as we look at the book of Job, we’ll talk about how God reveals Himself in the beauty of creation, the power of storms and volcanoes, and the intricacies of the human body. Yet, we’ll see that as Job said, all we know and see are “the mere edges of His ways.”
Job also knew some things that scientists didn’t understand until thousands of years later.
What if our churches were closed down? What if it was suddenly illegal to own or read the Bible? Are you faithfully studying God’s Word for yourself or are you content to be spoon-fed on Sunday mornings? Do you have enough of God’s Word hidden in your heart to sustain you? Could you remain faithful? Could you teach others?
Do you ever find yourself a little bored with the Bible? Or skimming over a passage because you’ve heard or read it many times before? Is it possible that our familiarity with the Word or with certain passages can keep us from benefiting from our Bible reading? Today we’ll look at one very familiar passage of Scripture, talk about why God doesn’t want us to have a ho-hum attitude, and why every verse in the Bible is important.
If you’re like most Christians, you have thought about reading through the Bible. Maybe you have tried in the past but quit somewhere along the line. Or maybe you have done it successfully … perhaps numerous times.
Why is it so important? Can’t we get everything we need by going to church, reading a verse or two each day, and listening to podcasts here and there? Isn’t it just too time-consuming? One more thing on a long to-do list? And if we make that commitment, how do we press through when it’s tempting to give up?
Please keep reading. I’d like to answer those questions and offer you one more way to help make this your year to read the Bible from start to finish.
