Do You Lean on God's Written Word?

As practicing Christians, we acknowledge that the Holy Bible is one of God's great gifts to us.  We believe that it contains powerful and eternal words of Truth inspired by a loving God and that the words give us insight into His nature and His will.  We also believe that the Bible gives us instruction on how we should live our mortal lives on earth in preparation for eternal life.  The Apostle Paul tells us that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Words of Wisdom!  Reading the Bible, accordingly, is one of the important disciplines that is available to help guide us on our spiritual journey.

Reading and/or reciting God's powerful words can take us into His presence and be a source of comfort, strength, and guidance for the many challenges we face in life.  When Jesus is tempted by Satan three times in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), He refuses to deny the Word of God or His identity (Son of God).  He resists the temptation and rebukes Satan, rendering him powerless by citing words of Holy Scripture in each of His responses and thereby revealing the power of the Word of God.  When Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, for example, Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 8:3 when He responds by saying "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' " (Matthew 4:4).  After a failed third attempt, the defeated Satan withdraws.  When Martin Luther wrote his great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," perhaps he was thinking of Jesus' temptation when he wrote these words in the third verse: "The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him."  Luther's timeless words are as relevant and empowering today as they were when he wrote them in 1529.

As in all things, Christians should live by Jesus' example and tap into the power of God's written word in our daily lives to help us resist temptation and stay on "straight paths."  We believe that the words in the Bible are sacred (of God) and that they can place us in God's presence, allowing us to hear Him and to be open to receive the merciful blessings that He wisely tailors to each person's individual needs.  When we read the Bible (or pray), however, we should do so with an attitude of humble reverence, remembering that we are in the presence of Almighty God (Proverbs 1:7).  He is always present with us, but we need to be fully aware of His presence in order to optimize our relationship with Him.  Being aware requires a conscious effort on our part and active listening.

The Bible is our source for the sacred Word of God.  We must remember that Holy Scripture is one of God's chosen ways of speaking to us, and we can take great comfort just in knowing that His presence is in the words that we read.  Do you seek God's input in your life by setting aside time to read the Bible?  Do you acknowledge the supreme authority of Holy Scripture?  Do you follow Jesus' example and proclaim the authority of Holy Scripture to others unapologetically?  Do you consider the Bible to be your handbook for righteous living and your final authority on things right and wrong?  We should not overlook, take for granted, or ignore this precious resource that is so readily available to us. Rather, we should take Paul's words to heart and lean on God's Word in our daily lives. The Disciple Group suggests that you adopt the discipline of reading the Bible by dedicating sufficient time daily to read God’s Word.  And we should listen to and try to live by these inspired words of Scripture:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).