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Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

 

At times, we delight in and find comfort in God’s Word, and other times, we may feel His Word slices through the soul and pierces the heart, making us vulnerable to truth. This is why reading the Word of God has a cause and effect on anyone who reads it. The key to understanding this power is to grasp that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a collection of inspirational writings penned by great philosophers.

 

2 Timothy 3:14-16, "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

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When you open your heart to reading, learning, and studying the Scriptures, you begin to see yourself and God like never before. You will understand your sinfulness and the gift of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. You will begin to grasp the power of the Holy Spirit to turn you from sin and enjoy a life of great joy. You will begin to see how you are changing as you go deeper into God’s Word over time.

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All Scripture is God-breathed; therefore, every time you read Scripture, it is as if you are close enough to God to feel His breath. The Bible is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and redemptive love story about God’s love and constant pursuit of us. 

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There are three things you will gain by reading the Bible.

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1.  God is in control. He is our Creator, and He keeps His promises. Since His covenant with Abraham, God has kept all of His promises. Therefore, we can trust Him to keep His promise. 

2.  He is faithful. As you read the Bible over and over, you can see how humanity stumbles from sin and how God rescues it. God has never given up on humanity. It is important to take notice of His promises and hold on tightly to them.

3.  God is Love. He gave us His one and only Son so we can experience life eternally with Him. 

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To sum up, when we dive into God's Word, it changes us from the inside out and slowly transforms us into the image of His Son, Jesus! 

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Praying with the Psalms

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Psalms have been called the prayer book of the Bible in both Jewish and Christian traditions. The Psalms have special relevance to our prayer life. They teach us to hide nothing from God, but to bring all that is real into the only relationship that can bless the best and heal the worst in us. No matter what we are feeling — distress, trust, anger, or delight- we can find the words of the psalms to accompany us into God's presence. In the psalms, we find words to express every conceivable human condition and feeling. These prayers give us words to glorify, confess, hope, ask, and even curse. In so doing, they permit us to share our whole being with God.

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ANXIOUS/AFRAID
     • Psalm 70

ENVIOUS
     • Psalm 73

DESPAIRING
     • Psalm 77

SICK AND TIRED
     • Psalm 6

GRATEFUL
     • Psalm 9

CONTENTED
     • Psalm 23

WRONGLY ACCUSED
     • Psalm 17

AWED BY GOD
     • Psalm 29