“I don’t really read the Bible much,” the young lady said softly to me. “I read a devotion once in a while; it has a verse I think,” said the tall man beside her.
Unfortunately, many Christians these days are not reading or applying the Bible. We are starving ourselves spiritually. We are without an anchor for our soul. We are wide open to the lies of the enemy. We won’t be able to counteract those lies with the truth unless we are using the word as a weapon. The Bible is the sword of the Spirit, which we are to wield against the enemy with the Spirit’s power (Ephesians 6:17b).
How can we grow stronger as a believer in Christ? Once we give our lives to Christ, we need to feed ourselves spiritually with God’s word, the Bible. A baby can’t grow properly if it only gets a little bit of milk once every few days. In the same way, we cannot grow stronger in God if we do not take in spiritual nourishment every day. Peter writes, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT) The Holy Spirit helps the Bible come alive to us. He will lead us into all truth, Jesus told us in John 16. “The word of God is living and powerful,” the author of Hebrews writes. It is very sharp and “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12). We can’t hide anything from Jesus. He knows us inside and out, better than we know ourselves. Applying the Bible will help us cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he transforms us bit by bit into what Jesus looks like.
The word gives us wisdom, our passage for today states. God inspired the Bible, and it is useful to teach us the truth and to “make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us…and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16). God uses the Bible to prepare us to do his good works.
If the Bible is so wonderful and helpful, why do so many Christians leave it unread? Some say it is boring. Some say they have no time. There is an unseen spiritual battle. The enemy doesn’t want us to know the truth or be transformed. He lies to us about God, and ourselves. He doesn’t want us to be disciplined to read the word or pray because he knows how powerful those things are. The devil wants us destroyed. (John 10:10)
Fortunately, God is much more powerful than the enemy. Trust our heavenly father. Ask him for help to choose to spend time in his word each day. This daily habit will help you to know God better and trust him more.
Dear Lord God, Thank you for your wonderful Word, which you have preserved for us throughout the centuries. Please forgive me for not taking in the daily spiritual food you have provided to help me grow strong in Jesus. Help me Holy Spirit, to fight the enemy with my weapon – the Bible.
Throughout this month: Take a chunk of 10-15 scripture verses per day and read it slowly twice with a pen, marking things that strike you. Ask the Lord questions and listen for his answers. Write them down. Write out a key verse that you want to think about and put into practice. The book of Mark would be a good place to start.
Photo Credit: Heiner