So there I was. It was time for bed: my teeth were brushed, my pj’s doin there thing, my thoughts set aside, and though I always read the bible at this time, this time I did not want to. Normally I had no problem picking up the Word of God and reading but I was completely uninspired.
This is me a lot. Do you ever find yourself there: just not really wanting to do it? I do. So what do you do in this time? Should you? Should you not? Is it wrong to do what you do not want to do? Is it bad?
Hopefully the following thoughts are helpful:
1. Your salvation is not dependant upon reading the bible. The reason that sinners are saved from their due demise is because of what Jesus Christ did in his coming to earth, living among man, dying unjustly, paying for sinner’s sins, and rising from the grave. It is easy to think that we are losing salvation by not reading the bible, it simply is not true. Whether you read or not tonight, Jesus has accomplished His work fully and no man can thwart that.
2. The Bible is God’s word to man. As a reminder, this book is nor like ay other book. It is a divinely inspired book whose pages were guided by the Spirit of God, the Maker and Sustainer of all. These words and stories are not from man’s mind, but God’s. These books which we call the Bible are not whimsical, not something that time breaks down and suddenly makes irrelevant. No, the Bible is God revealing Himself to man and teaching man about God.
3. The Bible is alive. The Bible does not squirm and roll like an organism, rather it is alive in the sense that it—the immutable—changes those who come in contact with it. It leaches and latches, it unsettles and comforts, it pierces and heals, it demands and gives hope, it shakes and calms.
4. The Bible is good for all men. Music has a massive influence on me—and I think most of us. I sometimes pass over albums in my iPod simply because I do not want the feeling that I know they will produce. Ion a positive note, I pick certain songs because I know they will remind me of something good or will simply put me in a better mood. The Bible is the album that is always good for you. I cannot tell you how many times I was seconds away from going to sleep, decided to read the bible and my soul was benefited. There is no way around it, if you go to the Word of God in humility and praying for some kind of help from it, you will be helped in some way.
5. It is for our soul. There are times when being shocked it a good thing: it is a violent shake that says, ‘Hey! This is important!’ For me, when I remember that this is good for my soul, it gives that jolt. I am not big on getting pumped up to do things or giving myself a pep talk but reminding myself of the greater benefit 5 minutes of reading the Bible can bring over 5 minutes of sleeping, sometimes I get the picture.
6. We are commanded by God to read. God, all across the canvas of His Word, tells us to think about the contents of the Bible, its message, its purpose, our purpose, God’s purpose. God tells us to meditate over and over and often—day and night and between—on His word. Jesus says, ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.’ So one of the ways we display that we are followers of Jesus is by the way well know God’s word and live it out. And also remember, God is not like us, He does not command things just because He can, rather He commands things for our good; God’s wisdom sees through all the ‘buts,’ ‘what abouts,’ and all other things we think can get us off the hook. God is good and so His commands are.
7. The Word of God is a gift to us. God did not have to enter humanity at all. God could have, like many Deists believe, made all things, us, and then just stepped back and watch it go like a wind-up doll. But God chose to speak to us. Not only that but throughout the thousands of years He has, through men and occasions, preserved His words for us in 2010 to hear it and know it. Also, God could have spoken in unclear ways to us, but He chose to speak to us clearly about the major things in life--sin, atonement, salvation, justification, redeeming, discipline, wisdom, truth, beauty, holiness, loving, etc. Just because a great gift is constantly there does not mean it is to be neglected and shoved to the side as a lesser treasure.
8. Reading could lead us to help others. A benefit of knowing the word—which comes by reading—is to help others. Sometimes if I think that if I neglect reading the Bible I am, in a sense, neglecting aiding others, I am motivated to read God’s word.
Well, all of these are some simple thoughts. Habits are a good thing to have when they are promoting good things. Make a time of reading and memorizing God’s word a habit—something you do, planned and ready. God’s word never has failed nor will it ever. God does not lie—everything He says will always stand. God delights, according to Psalm 1, in those who are consumed by His words. Let’s read and study for God’s glory and our own good.
No comments:
Post a Comment