A Little Help from Your Friend

Yesterday I wrote about "God's Word in Your Life--Why You Need It." (http://tosdachurch.blogspot.com/) Today, I am beginning a new blog site for this series. But here's a summary of what I wrote yesterday: 

God guided in the writing of the Bible so that all the elements for a relationship with Him are available to us. Like food which digests into various components for energy, repair, and growth, the Bible contains the building blocks of spiritual life with God.

Beyond that, and even more important, the Bible makes God's supernatural power available to us for this new life. It is a new life, not a natural one. It takes the old life with its problems and starts a new and better life. Jesus told Nicodemus he could be born "from above," that is, through the creative power of God's Spirit working on the heart. The same power is at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead, according to Paul. (Eph. 1:17-22)

The Spirit works through the Bible. As we see God's character, read His promises, and understand His redeeming plans for us, the Spirit speaks to our minds. As we believe and choose these things for ourselves, the Spirit deepens our understanding and writes the lessons on our hearts, weaving them into our lives.

So, what do we do if the Bible has not been interesting to us, or we feel to busy to read it? Here are a few things that have helped me.

1. Know that God is drawing you. If you have any desire to open the Bible, it is because God Himself is leading you there. Recognize it is His love at work in you.
2. Ask God for the desire to read His word. That is a prayer He loves to answer. 
3. Ask for His help each time you read. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9-13). That's a promise from God! You can believe it. He will send his Spirit to help you.
4. David prayed that God would "open his eyes so he could see wonderful things in His word." (Psalm 119:18). Paul prayed that our eyes would be opened so we could know God better. I pray these prayers for myself; you can too (Ephesians 1:15-23 and 3:14-21). We need God to "open our eyes" because our natural heart doesn't innately know or understand God without His help.
5. If you lead a busy life (who doesn't these days?), Ask God to help you find the time you can spend with Him. Be sure to take Him up on it when he does. I've been asking God to wake me up when He wants, and He has been doing it (and I love my sleep!).
6. Read the Bible to know God, not primarily for facts and information. Jesus told the religious people of His day that they were searching the Scriptures, but they were not coming into a personal relationship with Him. (John 5:39). They studied to develop theories about God and to debate theology but neglected to open their hearts to Him. And, yes we need think carefully about what we believe.
7. Keep a Bible close at hand, so when you have a few spare moments you can read it; or install one on your cell phone or electronic device. 
8. God will start showing you things. Bookmark them, write them out on cards, or keep a journal of the things you are learning and what they mean to you. I've found that when I write things down, I remember them better.
9. Expect God will start teaching you. That's what the Spirit specializes in. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26).
10. Remember how important this is. It is your life!

Several years ago, I met an artist who taught at liberal arts college. He was a very good artist and very interesting to talk to. He had traveled around the world doing research for his art projects. 

There was a time when he did not know God personally very well, so he decided to start reading his Bible. He said that at first, it was like taking medicine. Then he began to look forward to it in the way he would enjoy eating a good meal. Then he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Now it is like desert!"

It may take time for the Bible to become like desert to you. But if you begin and keep going, God will help you get to that place. There is no alternative. Jesus said that if His words are in us, we will have life, the new life He promised.

Michael Brownfield