What is your view the Bible? Some people think of it is a moral guidebook for living or a list of rules that are a hindrance to enjoying life. Others think it is out of date and irrelevant – a bunch of old stories and traditions. Some even think of it as a supernatural hoax. But it is my conviction that the Bible is God’s inerrant word. I fully believe 2 Tim 3:16 - that all scripture is God breathed. It truly is the Word of God. Nobody has proven it to me, I just believe it in faith and the more I read the Bible, the stronger my faith grows. As I’ve taken more and more time to study the Bible, I’ve seen that scripture doesn’t contradict itself and that much of it has been fulfilled. Man could never have created something so perfect and beautiful. The more I read, the more my hunger for the Word grows.
Psalm 119 is a wonderful celebration of the Word of God. The psalmist refers to God’s laws and precepts in the following ways:
- A delight, sweeter than honey, good, wondrous
- True, righteous, enduring,
- Worthy of hope, trust, faith
- Wonderful, Counselor, comfort
- Better than thousands of gold and silver pieces,
- A lamp to my feet, and a light to my path
- He longs for it.
What is so cool about these characteristics that describe God’s word is that many of these words are used to describe the character of God himself. John 1: 1 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Getting to know the Word of God is how we get to know God Himself. How cool is that? The Bible is not merely a list of rules, but a treasured blessing! It’s an opportunity to get to know the creator of the universe!
Digging deeper into the Word allows us to dig deeper into the character of our Lord. As you read a passage, ask questions like Who? Where? What? When? How? and Why? Look for key words & phrases that are repeated. Search for ways you can apply the lessons learned in God’s word to your own life. Try checking out some of the study tools that are readily available online. Crosswalk.com and blueletterbible.org are two great places to start. Both sites have timelines, maps, concordances, commentaries, parallel translations, dictionaries and other study tools. Build a relationship with the Word of God and you will develop an intimacy with God. It’s a journey that is truly sweeter than honey!
Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe
-Better than thousands of gold and silver pieces,
ReplyDeleteThis is my problem. I don't view God's Word the way God sees it. God has placed a great treasure before me yet I don’t see it through God's eyes. If I knew there were thousands of gold bars buried in the sands of Galveston Island, I would be there every weekend digging and looking. We would put a lot of energy into digging up the whole island looking for the buried treasure yet we don't do the same with God's Word! The Lord help me!
I like what you here
Build a relationship with the Word of God and you will develop an intimacy with God.
The Word should lead us into a deeper love affair with the One whom it testifies of - Jesus Christ. The Pharisees studied and memorized the Word yet it didn't profit them for they didn't allow the Word to lead them to Jesus. Instead they became puffed up in knowledge and rejected the Word made flesh.
If you are reading a love letter and the person suddenly walks into the room, we don’t go hug the paper, we go hug the person we love.
Even as believers we can get puffed up or reject what the Lord is trying to tell us from His Word. Hardness in our heart, unbelief, disobedience or we allow the cares and desire of other things to come into our heart and choke the Word and thus make us unfruitful in that particular area of our life. Sometimes the best way to prepare the soil for new growth is to burn all the weeds off!