But is it enough to just know Gods words are life to those who have no life? Love to those who are separated? Salvation to those who are lost? Knowing and living are two different things. When we replace God with worldly things, we then start to experience what it means to be separated, lost and lifeless. But to avoid that at all cost, we must be persistent in the words of God, as I stated earlier, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”
Its not enough to know Gods word as being the breathe of life, to cherish it, to hold it high above other books of the world. The word of God is only effective when its persistently read, believed and maintained in us. It should not be something we just get around to once a week, or every now and then. It should be something we extensively research, meditate and give all perseverance to know, read and live as Christians. For good reason, the Holy bible is the worlds most published book, and from the very beginning, mankind has been jailed and even killed for trying to distribute Gods Holy word to the people of the world. Just think of the power it has to the lost as it does to those of us who are saved.
IN closing friends, I would like for you to remember, reflect and respond to Gods words as ever breathing, always accessible, and never out of date in our lives while following these few steps.
Have a Plan. If you don’t know what you are going to read, you will either pick up your Bible and half-heartedly leaf through it or just say that you will get to it later. On the other hand, if you have a plan in place for reading your Bible, you don’t have to spend time figuring out what to read so that you can just sit down and do it.
Have a Place and Time. One of the best ways to establish a rhythm of daily Bible reading is to find a set place and time to do it. As time progresses, Bible reading becomes a natural part of what we do so that we don’t have to wonder whether or not I’m going to read my Bible that day.
Have a Pen or a Pencil. Most of us suffer from short attention spans and our minds frequently wander when we are reading the Bible. One practical way to fight against this is to read with a pen or a pencil in your hand, which moves you from passive reading to active reading. Circle significant words, underline verses that stand out to you, and write down questions or insights that you have along the way. In doing this you will find that you pay closer attention to your reading and remember more of what you have read.
Have a Practical Reward. It sounds strange to reward yourself for reading the Bible since reading the Bible should be a reward on its own. What I’m talking about is having a way to track your faithfulness in reading Scripture so you can look back and be encouraged by your progress.
Without the word of God friends, when we tune God out from our busy, daily lives, we are sabotaging our relationship with God, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
A park ranger at Yellowstone National Park was leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. As the group neared the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger.
Any time we tune out the Holy Spirit or ignore the warnings of the Bible we put ourselves and those around us in danger.
Let us ask God today, to help us be persistent on our journey in reading, studying and meditating Gods word.
God’s word says what is true, God’s word demands what is right, and God’s word provides what is good. You can never go wrong in keep to the heart, Gods word. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Amen.