Just As You Are Book Study, Chapter Four
Just As You Are
Online Book Study
Chapter Four – Dive Into His Word
March 25, 2019
Hebrews 4:12, “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 will delight 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 affect to 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 that were 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.”
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.
All Scripture is God breathed, therefore, every time you read Scripture it is as if you are close enough to God you can feel His breathe. The Bible is a beautiful, heartbreaking and redemptive love story of God’s love and constant pursuit of us.
There are three things you will gain by reading the Bible.
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 in Him to keep His promise.
2. He is faithful. As you read the Bible over and over again you can see in how humanity stumbles from sin, and how God rescues them. God has never given up on humanity. As you read the Bible, you can see God’s faithfulness. 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.
To sum it up when we dive into God’s Word, it changes us from the inside out and slowly transform us into the image of His son Jesus!
Praying with the Psalms
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 give us permission to share our whole being with God.
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
Chapter Four – Dive Into His Word
1. When was a time that you read Scripture and it spoke directly to your heart? What was the Scripture?
2. How have you seen God’s Word impact your attitude during your day-to-day life?
3. What are the biggest roadblocks to getting into the Word on a daily basis? How can you overcome this hurdle? What do you need to change
in order to make getting into the Word a habit?