SHINY4UJESUS
Member
We are told in Hebrews 4:12(a)" For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into the innermost thoughts and desires." This living power is able to sustain us even when we think we have no more fuel in the tank; even when we think we cannot possibly take even one more step. Greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world; and the same "He," in us is the same Spirit that lives in scripture.
We are also told " Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed buy the washing and renewing of our minds." It is through the process of "absorbing," the Word of God that our minds and hearts are washed and renewed. Simply by consuming the Word, the scriptures by their very nature begin to break down the emotions and mentalities that are dragging us down; they cut through the thoughts, fears, and doubts that lead us to feel as though we cannot continue on. The only way to fight back against spiritual attack is to use a spiritual weapon!
+ Light When its Dark +
" Your Word is a lamp for my feet, and a light to my path," +PSALM 119:105+
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths."+Proverbs 3:5+
While we may have times when the proper course is apparent, this is not always the case. There are times even, when we see multiple paths that all seem correct, or all seem incorrect. It is a very confusing and disturbing situation to find onesself in; fearing to take the wrong path, to say or do the wrong things. Sometimes we even have difficulty discerning the appropriate mentalities, perspectives and approaches before even considering a direction. We have instances where we are receiving confusing or conflicting " road signs," and have issue simply reading the signs themselves.
It is in these dark times when we must use the Word of God as a kind of spiritual roadmap, so we can ensure we are embarking on the correct course. I thank God for who He is, for truly He remains consistent and steady in His will and direction. When the world confronts us with shades of gray, our heavenly Father puts things in clear black and white. He does not waver, but offers clear and concise teaching that allows us to see the one true path.
It is stated inIsaiah 55:11, " It is the same with my Word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it to." We can be confident that God has ensured us His Word will be something we can trust. It always has the power to do what is necessary, it will always result in benefit, and it will have dominion over anything we encounter. So when we are confused, lost, or simply unsure which route is right; we can be certain His Word will direct us clearly.
+ Prevents the Tendency Towards Pride +
" This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way."+DEUT. 17:20+
Nothing can be more humbling than the type of conviction that the scriptures can bring in our lives. On the other hand, nothing compromises the movement of God in our lives more than a proud and superior nature. When we become proud it's very easy to forget that all we have in life is an unmerited gift from God. It is very easy to get into the habit of applauding ourselves for successes and periods of abundance. It is tragically ironic how quick we are to blame God when things go awry, yet pat ourselves on the back when things go well with us. This is especially common when we experience seasons of abundance and blessing, because we slowly become comfortable in our position in Christ, and forget how desperately we need God to be the captain of our ship.
The Word of God is such a great tool to prevent and remove pride for a couple primary reasons. First, due to its divine and spiritual nature it has the inherent ability to offer conviction via the Holy Spirit. Since God is God, we cannot commune with Him without naturally being reminded of our weakness, and frailty in general. This means where God is, pride simply cannot be; it is contrary to our nature-in the face of the nature of God. Second, it perpetually reminds us of what happens when we as believers stray away from His will and Word. This is a humbling experience as we find a consistent pattern of human failing and God's intercession on our behalf.
+ Chain Breaking Ability +
" In the beinning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...So the Word became human and lived here among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father." +JOHN 1:1&14+
Jesus himself is and was the Word made flesh, and it is through He alone we are set free of the spiritual chains of enslavement that were otherwise going to cause our eternal destruction. When He shed His blood upon that cross, it dripped down from it into the lives of all men and women; removing the penalty, power and stain of sin once and for all. We do well at this point to also read the Bread of Life discourse in JOHN 6:22-59, as it gives incredible insight to this particular item. Even though Jesus was the Word made flesh, the very same Spirit and power is contained within the written Word of God. This means that scripture has the same power and dominion over the chains that beset us.
Due to the sins of Adam and Eve in the garden we were cursed with the disease of sin and that shackled us all with the chains of spiritual slavery. We had no way of being restored by our own power, and were at that point completely imprisoned to the curse of evil. However, God in His infinite wisdom and boundless grace had already begun His plan to restore us by sacrificing His only Son in order to free us from this curse. Then when the time was right, Jesus came down, " the Word made flesh," and gave His life to restore us to grace.
Because of the perfect quality of this sacrifice, the purity of His blood; we were set free. Well that blood also runs through every letter and line in scripture; that living water is contained in the well of the bible; and as such, is beyond capable of destroying any effort on satan's part to enslave us.
Simply put: the Word of God is our first resource, our most powerful weapon, and sturdiest defense for all aspects of our earthly lives, the spiritual battle and fruitful witness. It is referred to as a Sword of the Spirit, when used as a weapon against the evil in our lives and the lives of others. However, it does us little good and even has the potential for great harm if we do not have it at the ready, or if we do not know how to properly wield it.
How many times has a believer said, " I wish I had my bible, I just know it says something that can help in this situation,"? While there is wisdom in always carrying a physical copy of scriptures, there are times when it simply isn't feasible to have it close at hand. This is one major reason we should be dilligent, consistent and thorough in our studies. That way we already have power verses and life giving principles committed to memory; and don't need to lament the lack of a bible handy. The more we study the scriptures, the easier it is to bring those verses to mind in times of great need.
Furthermore, when we have put in the time and effort to fully understand what we learn and commit them to memory; God will grant us opportunities to apply those principles in our daily lives. For instance, perhaps one studies the concept of enduring periods of intense suffering on a given morning. It is possible that this person will encounter someone who just had a close family member pass away and desperately needs a word of encouragement. Since the first person studied so dilligently and committed those verses to memory; they can then shine the light of love and peace into the second person's life by sharing the Word.
That being said, there are many misconceptions regarding God and what His Word says on multiple matters. There are some misapplications and misinterpretations that have sadly become almost commonplace. This is why it is critical we have a more complete understanding of what scripture says, what it means and how to apply it in our lives and that of others. When we dedicate the time and effort to fully absorbing the Word of God, we will be able to "Rightly divide the Word of truth," rather than contribute to misinformation.
In the end it is up to us to invest ourselves in learning the truth and developing a complete understanding of who God is and what He has to say. It is up to us to prepare properly so that we get maximum benefit from our study time. It is up to us to retain a proper posture so that God does not have to fight against the grain to gift us with His truth. It is up to us to consider, contemplate and meditate upon scripture for depth of comprehension. So let us not simply pick up a bible and read a passage now and then. Let us not merely do our daily duty and move on with our day. Let us instead put ourselves in a position to grow exponentially and bear the fruit we were created to bear.
May God grant us the wisdom, strength, and dedication to study and show ourselves approved when the tests come. In Jesus name we pray...AMEN!!
We are also told " Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed buy the washing and renewing of our minds." It is through the process of "absorbing," the Word of God that our minds and hearts are washed and renewed. Simply by consuming the Word, the scriptures by their very nature begin to break down the emotions and mentalities that are dragging us down; they cut through the thoughts, fears, and doubts that lead us to feel as though we cannot continue on. The only way to fight back against spiritual attack is to use a spiritual weapon!
+ Light When its Dark +
" Your Word is a lamp for my feet, and a light to my path," +PSALM 119:105+
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths."+Proverbs 3:5+
While we may have times when the proper course is apparent, this is not always the case. There are times even, when we see multiple paths that all seem correct, or all seem incorrect. It is a very confusing and disturbing situation to find onesself in; fearing to take the wrong path, to say or do the wrong things. Sometimes we even have difficulty discerning the appropriate mentalities, perspectives and approaches before even considering a direction. We have instances where we are receiving confusing or conflicting " road signs," and have issue simply reading the signs themselves.
It is in these dark times when we must use the Word of God as a kind of spiritual roadmap, so we can ensure we are embarking on the correct course. I thank God for who He is, for truly He remains consistent and steady in His will and direction. When the world confronts us with shades of gray, our heavenly Father puts things in clear black and white. He does not waver, but offers clear and concise teaching that allows us to see the one true path.
It is stated inIsaiah 55:11, " It is the same with my Word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it to." We can be confident that God has ensured us His Word will be something we can trust. It always has the power to do what is necessary, it will always result in benefit, and it will have dominion over anything we encounter. So when we are confused, lost, or simply unsure which route is right; we can be certain His Word will direct us clearly.
+ Prevents the Tendency Towards Pride +
" This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way."+DEUT. 17:20+
Nothing can be more humbling than the type of conviction that the scriptures can bring in our lives. On the other hand, nothing compromises the movement of God in our lives more than a proud and superior nature. When we become proud it's very easy to forget that all we have in life is an unmerited gift from God. It is very easy to get into the habit of applauding ourselves for successes and periods of abundance. It is tragically ironic how quick we are to blame God when things go awry, yet pat ourselves on the back when things go well with us. This is especially common when we experience seasons of abundance and blessing, because we slowly become comfortable in our position in Christ, and forget how desperately we need God to be the captain of our ship.
The Word of God is such a great tool to prevent and remove pride for a couple primary reasons. First, due to its divine and spiritual nature it has the inherent ability to offer conviction via the Holy Spirit. Since God is God, we cannot commune with Him without naturally being reminded of our weakness, and frailty in general. This means where God is, pride simply cannot be; it is contrary to our nature-in the face of the nature of God. Second, it perpetually reminds us of what happens when we as believers stray away from His will and Word. This is a humbling experience as we find a consistent pattern of human failing and God's intercession on our behalf.
+ Chain Breaking Ability +
" In the beinning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...So the Word became human and lived here among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father." +JOHN 1:1&14+
Jesus himself is and was the Word made flesh, and it is through He alone we are set free of the spiritual chains of enslavement that were otherwise going to cause our eternal destruction. When He shed His blood upon that cross, it dripped down from it into the lives of all men and women; removing the penalty, power and stain of sin once and for all. We do well at this point to also read the Bread of Life discourse in JOHN 6:22-59, as it gives incredible insight to this particular item. Even though Jesus was the Word made flesh, the very same Spirit and power is contained within the written Word of God. This means that scripture has the same power and dominion over the chains that beset us.
Due to the sins of Adam and Eve in the garden we were cursed with the disease of sin and that shackled us all with the chains of spiritual slavery. We had no way of being restored by our own power, and were at that point completely imprisoned to the curse of evil. However, God in His infinite wisdom and boundless grace had already begun His plan to restore us by sacrificing His only Son in order to free us from this curse. Then when the time was right, Jesus came down, " the Word made flesh," and gave His life to restore us to grace.
Because of the perfect quality of this sacrifice, the purity of His blood; we were set free. Well that blood also runs through every letter and line in scripture; that living water is contained in the well of the bible; and as such, is beyond capable of destroying any effort on satan's part to enslave us.
+ Why be so Dedicated in Study? +
Simply put: the Word of God is our first resource, our most powerful weapon, and sturdiest defense for all aspects of our earthly lives, the spiritual battle and fruitful witness. It is referred to as a Sword of the Spirit, when used as a weapon against the evil in our lives and the lives of others. However, it does us little good and even has the potential for great harm if we do not have it at the ready, or if we do not know how to properly wield it.
How many times has a believer said, " I wish I had my bible, I just know it says something that can help in this situation,"? While there is wisdom in always carrying a physical copy of scriptures, there are times when it simply isn't feasible to have it close at hand. This is one major reason we should be dilligent, consistent and thorough in our studies. That way we already have power verses and life giving principles committed to memory; and don't need to lament the lack of a bible handy. The more we study the scriptures, the easier it is to bring those verses to mind in times of great need.
Furthermore, when we have put in the time and effort to fully understand what we learn and commit them to memory; God will grant us opportunities to apply those principles in our daily lives. For instance, perhaps one studies the concept of enduring periods of intense suffering on a given morning. It is possible that this person will encounter someone who just had a close family member pass away and desperately needs a word of encouragement. Since the first person studied so dilligently and committed those verses to memory; they can then shine the light of love and peace into the second person's life by sharing the Word.
That being said, there are many misconceptions regarding God and what His Word says on multiple matters. There are some misapplications and misinterpretations that have sadly become almost commonplace. This is why it is critical we have a more complete understanding of what scripture says, what it means and how to apply it in our lives and that of others. When we dedicate the time and effort to fully absorbing the Word of God, we will be able to "Rightly divide the Word of truth," rather than contribute to misinformation.
In the end it is up to us to invest ourselves in learning the truth and developing a complete understanding of who God is and what He has to say. It is up to us to prepare properly so that we get maximum benefit from our study time. It is up to us to retain a proper posture so that God does not have to fight against the grain to gift us with His truth. It is up to us to consider, contemplate and meditate upon scripture for depth of comprehension. So let us not simply pick up a bible and read a passage now and then. Let us not merely do our daily duty and move on with our day. Let us instead put ourselves in a position to grow exponentially and bear the fruit we were created to bear.
May God grant us the wisdom, strength, and dedication to study and show ourselves approved when the tests come. In Jesus name we pray...AMEN!!