The Bible is complex yet beautiful. We are so blessed to have our homes filled with them, which was not the case when the church was first formed. Let's take advantage of this wonderful book and appreciate its saving nature. May we use it daily in glorifying the Lord.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
We all desire wisdom and knowledge like Solomon. I know I do. A lot of us pray for it because how else do you get it? Where else does it come from?
God uses the words in the Bible to speak to us, guide us, rebuke us, teach us about Him, and comfort us. I don't know how exactly He does it, but if you are a regular reader of Scripture, you will have stories of how, on a particular day, the Lord took you to precisely the passage you needed for that moment.
God's ways are beyond our understanding, which is hard for us. We want to make sense of the things around us. This is also what makes us different from God. He knows all; we do not.
Whether we are down in the dumps looking for security, feeling inspired and needing motivation, or want reassurance that God loves us no matter how bad we mess up—there are passages for all of life's situations.
Most of us want direction and guidance from God. He will give it to us through His Scripture and prayer. His guidance comes at His timing, not ours.
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"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
"I the Lord do not change." (Malachi 3:6)
While everything else in this world seems to be changing, the Bible stays constant because God is never changing. There aren't many things you can find that don't change. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying, "Change is the only constant in life." This is true for everything in our life, but not God.
Seasons change, our jobs evolve, leaders move on, and our kids grow up. Even if we don't like change, most of us have accepted this as a reality of life.
People, even people in the church, are trying to modernize the concepts of the Bible, but the Bible does not change. Some people are trying to change it to match the modern world. Or they have decided their reality is the correct reality, and they try to find verses to match their opinion.
While anyone can take a verse out of context, if you study the true content of the Bible, it will never change.
Scripture is to be our cornerstone, our foundation of truth that we build on. You can't build a solid house if your walls are ever moving and changing. The Bible's consistency allows us to build up our lives using the truth of the Bible as our foundation, our rock.
As we move about the different seasons of our life, we can always look to the Bible as the constant source of truth and steadiness in our lives.
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There is only one source of absolute truth in the world today: the Bible. Even well-written, thoroughly researched books are filled with the author's experiences and predispositions. Additionally, it is human-centered writing, not God-breathed.
Discerning truth is hard these days. In our upside-down world, people make up their own truths to serve their interests and expect you to agree with them. It's hard to know what the truth is sometimes. Messages are coming strong and fast at you; if you aren't careful, you will get picked up in the storm and carried away.
Thankfully, God gave us the Bible. In his infinite wisdom and purpose for our lives, He knew we would need to know the truth. As the world changes its tune on different topics, where else can we look for answers but the Bible?
Jesus tells us, "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6)
We need a source, a guidebook to turn to when the questions of life swirl around us. When truth is being re-written, and logic forgotten. Thankfully we have the Bible as the ultimate truth. When we don't know where else to turn, we can open its pages and start reading.
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"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Part of the Christian journey is discovering who God is. While most people could describe who they think God is, He doesn't leave us guessing. He reveals Himself both naturally (in creation) and divinely (in the Bible). The Bible is full of descriptions, stories, and verses that tell us about Him and His attributes.
The more we learn about God, the more we can appreciate His magnificence, His power, and His love and grace. The more we learn about God, the more we marvel at what He did for us by sending His Son as our intercessor. The greater understanding of God we gain, the better we can utilize the gifts He has given us, such as the Holy Spirit.
The Bible shows us God's many attributes. They are not hidden; in fact, it's quite helpful to study them to better understand God. It's humbling when you start looking at how grand and multifaceted our God is.
Let's look at a few of His character traits. God is eternal, filled with mercy, grace, goodness, truth, and love. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. God is righteous, holy, sovereign, transcendent, immutable, the Father of Justice, and more.
When we read the Bible, we see the stories that match these qualities. As we draw closer to Him, He exposes Himself to us. When we study Jesus' traits, we pray to be more like Him—to be more Christ-like.
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"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity." (Proverbs 3:1-2)
Imagine a home with no rules or a school with no policies. Our government tells us what age we can drive and how much money we need to pay in taxes. TSA tells you what you are allowed to bring on an airplane. Any functioning society is filled with rules and laws.
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments because He desired good for His people. He gave us boundaries/bumpers for our lives so we can live a full life. Are we able to keep His Commandments perfectly? No. Only one person, Jesus, kept the commandments perfectly. That's also why He sent Jesus down so He could fulfill the law perfectly, die for our sins as a sacrifice, rise again, and be the gateway for us to the Father.
Some people, even Christians, find the commandments daunting or restrictive. Yet, they show God's love for us. He wants the best for His people. He knows our temptations for sin and how we like to make idols of everything.
As we study the Ten Commandments, He can help us live them out in a way that glorifies Him. Whichever commandments do you struggle with? Take them to God in prayer and ask for help.
When we respect and love His law, we are in a right relationship with God. In our home, when the kids rebel and break all the rules, it puts distance and stress on the relationships. It's the same way with God. When we rebel and ignore His rules, we distance ourselves from His goodness. Luckily, there is a way back through repentance.
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As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
As we have discussed, the Bible provides us with truth, knowledge, and wisdom. It also keeps us on the straight and narrow path. It convicts, which is why some people don't want to read it.
It's not fun being told you are wrong and need to change your ways. As adults, if we aren't submitting to God, who will course correct us? We need to read the Bible with an open mind and heart.
When we have sinned and are stubborn about admitting what we've done, how else are we going to come to repentance? Look at the Old Testament. It's story after story of God's people messing up, eventually realizing their mistakes, and humbly coming back to God asking for forgiveness.
Isn't that us? I know that's me. As we read the Bible, it shows us the true way. It reminds us of God's commandments and how we are supposed to follow Him. We will sin along the way; He knows that and has provided a way back to Him through repentance.
When we read the Bible, it pricks our conscience. Ephesians 2 tells us we are God's workmanship; He will continue to mold and shape us while we are on this earth. Praise the Lord. He cares about helping us work through our rough edges. God is the only one who can change hearts, and when you look back and see your old self, you can marvel at the work He's done in your life.
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