Those of us who are Christians
would agree in the importance of scripture reading and study.
However, though we might agree
intellectually, I wonder how many of us deny that truth in our lifestyle.
I am extremely burdened by the potential we
all have to ignore the blessing of Bible reading and study.
To stand in awe of God, I believe,
is to stand in awe of His Word. He SPOKE the world into existence! The Bible says we are to live by every WORD
that proceeds out of the mouth of God! Students
who are reading this blog will remember my constant cry, “get in the Word”! Why do I say that?
1. How do I stop sinning?
a.
Thy WORD have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11)
2. How can I have more clarity in life?
a.
Thy WORD is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalms 119:105)
3. What is my purpose?
a.
Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the WORD
of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
The list can go on and on! The truth is this: The Word of God is a BIG
source of being a fruitful follower of Jesus Christ; therefore, it will be a
BIG source of attack by the enemy!
So, what are some simple steps to
get into a more consistent habit of Bible reading and study?
1.
Be saved!
Perhaps we are going through the motions spiritually!
You just feel better as a person by showing
up to a Bible Fellowship class or a church service.
Yet, the bottom line is you simply have not
given your life to Christ!
Therefore,
what true value do you find in opening the Bible?
Today is the day of salvation!
The Bible is clear that we are all sinners
(Romans 3:23) and there is a payment all must pay for that sin (Romans
6:23).
However, even though we were
sinners, Jesus Christ paid the payment for our sin (Romans 5:8), and whosoever
will call upon the Name of the Lord WILL be saved (Romans 10:13).
If you would like to talk more about
salvation, and becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, please feel free to contact
me at
nstills@fbc301.org!
2.
Start small
I remember one resolution I made in the past of reading the Bible in a
short period of time. I began plowing
through page after page of the Bible with this large goal in mind, and yet felt
very little assurance that I was hearing from the Lord.
If we were to start a workout program together, I would never ask you to run
a marathon on day one, or do 15 pull ups.
I started working out with a friend not long ago, and he put
me through a routine that included pull ups.
I could do half of a pull up. He mentioned to me a way to build up my back
that would help me do a pull up. I began
this very small and simple task and today I can bust out a multitude of pull
ups without a problem. His advice…”start
small”
Perhaps you start by reading ONE VERSE!
Perhaps one chapter! Whatever
plan you start…just start!! Get in the
game of being a more fruitful follower of Christ!!!
3.
Be specific
The worse thing we can do is just to open the Bible and point our finger
down on a verse and read it, walk away, and ASSUME the meaning. Starting a Bible reading program is an act of
WAR! The enemy will come after you for
he wants you to live as defeated people, without clarity, and wondering what
the whole point of this Christianity thing is.
We must be very diligent about being specific with our program.
I get excited when I hear people say they want to read the Bible more,
but the excitement turns to concern when they say they do not want to PLAN
THEIR BIBLE READING! I love the quote attributed
to Ben Franklin and later to Winston Churchhill, “If you fail to plan, you plan
to fail”. Be specific. Perhaps you start by studying verses on a
topic. Perhaps you go to your pastor and
ask for his upcoming message series, and start diving into his Bible reference
list. This will get you well prepared in
your heart to be taught the Bible.
If you have more questions on how to be specific, please contact me at
nstills@fbc301.org.
4.
Be accountable
The same guy I mentioned earlier that got me doing pull ups now has me
texting my eating for the day to him. Whatever
I eat gets texted to him. This is called
accountability. Because I know that I am
going to text him my food, I think strongly about my eating habits. There was a spell of time that I stopped
texting him because I didn’t want him to know that I began making wrong eating
choices. Not long passed when he shot me
a text asking me how I was doing in my eating because he had not heard from me. The tendency is to not have accountability so
you don’t feel the taste of others seeing you fail.
You need to find someone in your life that you say, “I want to read the
Bible consistently, and I want you to hold me to it!!” Perhaps you text each other the passage of
scripture you read that day, or whatever you both agree on; but the point is
get someone to hold you accountable!!
5.
Don’t quit
Michael Jordan said “if you quit ONCE, it becomes a habit. Never Quit!”
Not bad, but here is what the Bible says about quitting!
Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due
season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Doing any sort of good behavior can become a difficult act. Rewards for good behavior are not always big
and visual. As the farmer patiently waits
for the fruit of his labor, so we are to patiently stay steady in our good
efforts. Bible reading will become
difficult to maintain consistently…Don’t be weary in this well doing, for in God’s
timing you will see the fruit of your labor.
In HIS Service,
Nate
