Is it Really that Important to Read the Bible?
Dear Sisters,
Sometimes I get a letter that is so very special. This week it was from Cindy. She is getting excited about God's Word, and I can relate with her! The Bible says to "seek first His Kingdom." There is nothing like doing that each and every day. I have such a heavy heart to move you, my Sisters, into God's Word. For without a doubt, that is the reason I am writing to you today. His Word has changed my entire life. It has changed my marriage. It has changed my mothering. It has changed my homemaking. And, as I wrote last week, it has even changed my cooking. ~Smile~ For there is nothing like walking through your day with The One Who created you and Who loves to create alongside of you. I know this world says, "Hurry, hurry, hurry." But I do not find that kind of pace when I am walking beside Him. Rather, I find a much more steady pace that is easy for me to keep up with. He doesn't go too fast, and I am able to walk beside Him and learn His beautiful ways at a very gentle and peaceful pace.
You see, the Word of God has shown me what is valuable. What is profitable. And what I should be spending my time on. It always begins with these four Words, "seek first His Kingdom." In my heart. In my marriage. In my mothering. And in my homemaking. When His Kingdom is first and foremost on my mind, and my heart is entwined with His, oh, what a difference in my life! I do not walk at the same pace as I did when I "sought first this earthly kingdom." When His Kingdom is first and foremost, then I always want what He wants. And what God wants is just perfect for my life. He is my Heavenly Father, and He always knows what is best for me. The wisest thing I can do is to seek Him in every instance of my life. What I want more than anything is to love Him more and to bring Him glory. Christ before me. Christ in me. Christ behind me.
"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6
Now it seems as though I would lose my very self in this total submission to Christ. But it is really the contrary. I find that I as I submit everything to Him, then paths that I originally thought were straight are really crooked. He gives me new eyes to see this in the light shining from His Word.
Take, for example, Proverbs 31. I remember reading many different books covering this chapter. Some of those books claimed this was the impossible woman. But as I grew to know my Savior and LORD, I realized just how much He loves His Chosen women. He would not put such a chapter in His Word to drive them to distraction. Instead, I further realized, that He has the power to accomplish this chapter through a woman of God if she will meet His Word with faith.
"But the Word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard." Hebrews 4:2
I can hear the Word of God. I can listen to the testimony of an older woman describe her walk with the LORD and what He has done through her. I can hear her quote the precious promises which have been her living guides down through the years of her life. But it will profit me nothing if I don't believe her. I won't come away strengthened at all. Likewise with the most precious Word of God. I need to do this:
"But one who looks intently at the Perfect Law, the Law of Liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this 'woman' shall be blessed in what she does." James 1:25
You see, I need to be deeply in the Word of God, and then I need to practice what He has so graciously taught me. He has the power to do His Word through weak me. And when that happens, I can't help but praise His Name! His joy is indeed my strength.
"'She' who gives attention to The Word shall find good, and blessed is 'she' who trusts in the LORD." Proverbs 16:20
I can tell you, dear Sisters, that I have been a praying woman since my young teens. I was very good at talking to God about my needs. And I always had many of those. ~Smile~ My problem was that I was not a "listening woman." I may have been consistent in verbally not leaning on my own understanding and seeking God's will in many of my ways, but I had not developed an ear to hear His beautiful voice and know what His will was through His Word. When I think of the years I missed out in "leaning against Him and hearing Him speak," I feel so sad. But I am making up for lost time now! And the blessings are rich, rich, rich.
Perhaps you can't imagine when you would have the time or the know-how to study the Word of God. I remember when I thought this to be so as well. So I started with the easiest Bible I could find. It was advertised as a Bible that children could understand. It was called "The Everyday Bible." And I did just that, I read it every day until I finished it. Then I got another Bible called the "Woman's Devotional Bible." I liked reading the devotions that came up as I read my passages for the day. I finished that Bible and went on to the next edition called "Woman's Devotional Bible 2." After finishing that Bible, I bought my husband the "Men's Devotional Bible." Well, he wasn't reading it at the time, so I read that one, too. Soon I was ready for a Bible with devotions in it written by Max Lucado. Once I went through these Bibles, I was ready for a Bible called, "The NIV Study Bible." It was a bit more in depth with a lot of teaching helps, and I soaked it up like a sponge. Presently I am in a New American Standard Bible that was given to me when I was senior in high school. I find that the more I read the Bible, the longer it is taking me to get through it. It is getting richer and richer with each new reading. I like to read a new Bible from cover to cover, Old Testament one day, New Testament the next day, and make lots of notes. When my Father teaches me, I take notes. ~Smile~ My prayer is that my children might inherit these Bibles one day, and they might be a help to my grandchildren or great grandchildren in understanding God's Word.
In all my years of studying God's Word, the most important thing I need to practice is perseverance. I must get alone with the LORD every day. It is more vital to me than anything else in my whole day. I need to hear Him speak. I need to pour out my heart to Him. I have learned so much from many pastors and listening to different Bible studies over the years. But I have never, no never, learned as much as I have in these past six years of sitting at His Feet in the early morning hour. It is a precious time alone with Him that I value more than any amount of sleep. For it is in this time alone with Him that I have begun to know His heart, to fall in love with Him, and to commit my life to His service. No wonder I can write to you with such excitement over the pleasures of mothering and homemaking. It is such joy when He is involved! These pages would be blank if He was not filling me with His great love. I am forever thankful. And to show my thanks to Him, I do my best to gently draw His beloved women into His Word on a daily basis. Truly it is the foundation of my writing to you.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8
I can testify to this beautiful promise. I am hungering for His Word.
Love,
Laine
Sometimes I get a letter that is so very special. This week it was from Cindy. She is getting excited about God's Word, and I can relate with her! The Bible says to "seek first His Kingdom." There is nothing like doing that each and every day. I have such a heavy heart to move you, my Sisters, into God's Word. For without a doubt, that is the reason I am writing to you today. His Word has changed my entire life. It has changed my marriage. It has changed my mothering. It has changed my homemaking. And, as I wrote last week, it has even changed my cooking. ~Smile~ For there is nothing like walking through your day with The One Who created you and Who loves to create alongside of you. I know this world says, "Hurry, hurry, hurry." But I do not find that kind of pace when I am walking beside Him. Rather, I find a much more steady pace that is easy for me to keep up with. He doesn't go too fast, and I am able to walk beside Him and learn His beautiful ways at a very gentle and peaceful pace.
You see, the Word of God has shown me what is valuable. What is profitable. And what I should be spending my time on. It always begins with these four Words, "seek first His Kingdom." In my heart. In my marriage. In my mothering. And in my homemaking. When His Kingdom is first and foremost on my mind, and my heart is entwined with His, oh, what a difference in my life! I do not walk at the same pace as I did when I "sought first this earthly kingdom." When His Kingdom is first and foremost, then I always want what He wants. And what God wants is just perfect for my life. He is my Heavenly Father, and He always knows what is best for me. The wisest thing I can do is to seek Him in every instance of my life. What I want more than anything is to love Him more and to bring Him glory. Christ before me. Christ in me. Christ behind me.
"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6
Now it seems as though I would lose my very self in this total submission to Christ. But it is really the contrary. I find that I as I submit everything to Him, then paths that I originally thought were straight are really crooked. He gives me new eyes to see this in the light shining from His Word.
Take, for example, Proverbs 31. I remember reading many different books covering this chapter. Some of those books claimed this was the impossible woman. But as I grew to know my Savior and LORD, I realized just how much He loves His Chosen women. He would not put such a chapter in His Word to drive them to distraction. Instead, I further realized, that He has the power to accomplish this chapter through a woman of God if she will meet His Word with faith.
"But the Word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard." Hebrews 4:2
I can hear the Word of God. I can listen to the testimony of an older woman describe her walk with the LORD and what He has done through her. I can hear her quote the precious promises which have been her living guides down through the years of her life. But it will profit me nothing if I don't believe her. I won't come away strengthened at all. Likewise with the most precious Word of God. I need to do this:
"But one who looks intently at the Perfect Law, the Law of Liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this 'woman' shall be blessed in what she does." James 1:25
You see, I need to be deeply in the Word of God, and then I need to practice what He has so graciously taught me. He has the power to do His Word through weak me. And when that happens, I can't help but praise His Name! His joy is indeed my strength.
"'She' who gives attention to The Word shall find good, and blessed is 'she' who trusts in the LORD." Proverbs 16:20
I can tell you, dear Sisters, that I have been a praying woman since my young teens. I was very good at talking to God about my needs. And I always had many of those. ~Smile~ My problem was that I was not a "listening woman." I may have been consistent in verbally not leaning on my own understanding and seeking God's will in many of my ways, but I had not developed an ear to hear His beautiful voice and know what His will was through His Word. When I think of the years I missed out in "leaning against Him and hearing Him speak," I feel so sad. But I am making up for lost time now! And the blessings are rich, rich, rich.
Perhaps you can't imagine when you would have the time or the know-how to study the Word of God. I remember when I thought this to be so as well. So I started with the easiest Bible I could find. It was advertised as a Bible that children could understand. It was called "The Everyday Bible." And I did just that, I read it every day until I finished it. Then I got another Bible called the "Woman's Devotional Bible." I liked reading the devotions that came up as I read my passages for the day. I finished that Bible and went on to the next edition called "Woman's Devotional Bible 2." After finishing that Bible, I bought my husband the "Men's Devotional Bible." Well, he wasn't reading it at the time, so I read that one, too. Soon I was ready for a Bible with devotions in it written by Max Lucado. Once I went through these Bibles, I was ready for a Bible called, "The NIV Study Bible." It was a bit more in depth with a lot of teaching helps, and I soaked it up like a sponge. Presently I am in a New American Standard Bible that was given to me when I was senior in high school. I find that the more I read the Bible, the longer it is taking me to get through it. It is getting richer and richer with each new reading. I like to read a new Bible from cover to cover, Old Testament one day, New Testament the next day, and make lots of notes. When my Father teaches me, I take notes. ~Smile~ My prayer is that my children might inherit these Bibles one day, and they might be a help to my grandchildren or great grandchildren in understanding God's Word.
In all my years of studying God's Word, the most important thing I need to practice is perseverance. I must get alone with the LORD every day. It is more vital to me than anything else in my whole day. I need to hear Him speak. I need to pour out my heart to Him. I have learned so much from many pastors and listening to different Bible studies over the years. But I have never, no never, learned as much as I have in these past six years of sitting at His Feet in the early morning hour. It is a precious time alone with Him that I value more than any amount of sleep. For it is in this time alone with Him that I have begun to know His heart, to fall in love with Him, and to commit my life to His service. No wonder I can write to you with such excitement over the pleasures of mothering and homemaking. It is such joy when He is involved! These pages would be blank if He was not filling me with His great love. I am forever thankful. And to show my thanks to Him, I do my best to gently draw His beloved women into His Word on a daily basis. Truly it is the foundation of my writing to you.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8
I can testify to this beautiful promise. I am hungering for His Word.
Love,
Laine
Comments
Post a Comment