How Seriously Do You Take God’s Word?

TheBibleWillChangeYourLifeI want to start off this week with a challenge to my readers to regularly and intentionally read and study God’s Word with the goal of allowing it to transform us into Jesus’ image. Consider the following verse fragment and its implications for our Bible study practice.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Colossians 3:16a

“Let” – meaningful Biblical engagement must be an INTENTIONAL activity. For God’s Word to affect our lives, we must have a plan to regularly expose ourselves to Biblical teaching. The verb tense of this sentence is an imperative, a command. To be obedient children of our heavenly Father, we will read His Word. To neglect His Word is disobedience.

“word of Christ” – ALL Scripture, Old and New Testaments, is inspired by God, but for today’s believer, I recommend a steady diet of reading in the Gospels where we find the body of Jesus’ teaching and the lessons from His earthly ministry. I see an alarming number of Old Testament passages taken out of their original context and “claimed” by people to who they were not given as “promises” they were never intended to make. The Old Testament stands as a contextual background to help us understand the New Testament, but the New Testament embodies the instructions for believers in this age.

“dwell in you” – All to often, when we do read God’s Word, we read it, close our Bible, then move on without stopping to consider its meaning and its specific application for our life. Remember, Hebrews 4:12 teaches us that the Bible is alive. To all it to “dwell” in us is to allow it to remain in our thoughts, consideration, and ultimately in intour behavior. We call this meditation. We spend thoughtful time considering what God is saying through His Word and what He is saying particularly to us. The Word then continues to dwell in us when we obey it and make what we learn from it a part of the regular practice of our lives.

So…will you make an intentional plan to feed on God’s Word on a daily basis? Will you intentionally seek the truth of God’s Word, ponder it deeply, and apply it courageously? Will you get serious about God’s Word and let it DWELL in your life?

How to Get What You Want from God…EVERY TIME

What if I told you there was a guaranteed way you could make sure God gave you everything you asked for?  What if you could know that when you prayed, God would surely answer in the way that you prayed He would answer?

You think I’m kidding?  I’m not.  There is a way.  Jesus said it Himself.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:4

There is a catch (you knew it, right), another one of those big little words “if.”  The desired result, getting what you ask for, is conditioned upon abiding in Jesus and His words abiding in us.  The last part of that verse is less a promise and more of an observation.

All to often, we view that verse as effort and reward.  If we do our duty of spending enough hours in Bible study, God will reward us by answering one of our prayers in the way we want Him to answer.  That view has two problems: first, it’s just dead wrong, and second, it totally leaves grace out of the equation.  Grace is God’s benefits extended to us without our need to earn  or deserve them.  God does not give us good things as a reward for our good behavior, He gives us good things because He is good.  Period.

Our challenge is to immerse our lives in His word, to have His word in our heart and mind all day long, to allow His word to shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.  God’s Word transforms our hearts and conforms us to the image of Christ, and as a result, we pray for the same things that God desires to give us – for our good and His glory.

It’s never too late to begin to dive into the Bible.

  • Read it every day. 
  • Believe its teachings. 
  • Meditate on its meaning.   
  • Apply its truth. 

What are you waiting on?  Change is on the way.  Change from who you are into who God wants you to be.  Let’s get serious about God’s word.

God’s Infallible Radar

The search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has captured the attention, and imagination of the world.  During the early morning hours of March 8, the flight experienced a normal take off, then about an hour later the plane turned to head in the opposite direction and vanished from radar and all other electronic contact. MH 370 has been neither seen nor heard from since.  Theories abound as to its whereabouts and the causes for its disappearance.

Thankfully, our God has charted a course for our lives and we are still on course with His plan. He is a God of purpose.  Our direction may seem a mystery to us, but God knows exactly where we are and precisely where we are going. 

Yet He knows the way I have taken;
when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.
My feet have followed in His tracks;
I have kept to His way and not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commands of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
more than my daily food.

But He is unchangeable; who can oppose Him?
He does what He desires.
He will certainly accomplish what He has decreed for me,
and He has many more things like these in mind. – Job 23:10-14

Read those last two lines again and BELIEVE them.  God WILL accomplish what He has determined for you, certainly, and He has many things in His mind for you.  

But what about our part?  Job reminds us of our responsibility: FOLLOW in His tracks, KEEP His way, TREASURE His Word.  When we live in obedience we can leave circumstances in control of the Sovereign of this creation knowing that He is working His plan for us and for all of His creation.

Read, study, and obey God’s Word and leave the rest up to Him. He never has navigation malfunctions.