Published 3/26/19
Read 2 Timothy 3:12-17
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Reflect
· How can you make Bible study a more meaningful experience?
· How can you lose your anxieties about exploring God's Word?
· How can God's Word help you to grow?
Some people say, "The Bible is boring. It just doesn't make sense to me. And besides, how can a book of ancient writings be relevant today?" We've heard the excuses. So, day-after-day, week-after-week, too many Bibles gather dust on shelves, instead of illuminating minds. The sad fact is, a lot of Christ-followers are satisfied with "McFaith" and make TV, movies, music, and social media their source of daily fuel. Somehow, solid spiritual food--praying and Bible engagement--is replaced with a fatty, worldly diet. And we all know what happens when we don't properly nourish our souls: Just as it is with our physical bodies, we run the risk of getting way out of shape--even sick.
Nowhere in Scripture does God tell us to read His Word because it's "exciting" to do so. Hopefully, on some days, it will be. But, remember, the Bible is God's method of revealing Himself to us. We read it to know about Him, not to be entertained. Studying the Bible is like a lot of other things in life--we do it because it's helpful. When we train for a sport, we don't exercise or lift weights because we find these activities exciting. We don't eat vegetables because they make our spines tingle. We do these things because they are helpful ways of maintaining a balanced life. We try to spend time in the Scripture every day for the same reason.
In spite of the doubts we may hear about the Bible, we can trust that God's Word is relevant and absolutely, positively accurate in everything He felt was essential for us to know. Scripture is "God-breathed" and offers solid advice for just about every situation we'll ever encounter. Through the Bible, God teaches, rebukes, corrects, and trains us in righteousness. These ancient words are amazingly timeless. Without the Bible, we wouldn't know: (a) what God is like, (b) His plan for humans like you and me, (c) how much He loves us, (d) the right way to live on this planet, or (e) anything about what will happen to us after death.
Pray
Lord, stir in me a desire to study the Word. Help me to grow closer to You. Amen.
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