Bible Study...zzzzzzzzzz

"There is enough dust on some of your Bible's to write "damnation" with your fingers."
C.H. Spurgeon

This quote, from one of the greatest preachers, who ever lived, makes me cringe as I realize that I just don't pick up my Bible enough. This is one thing that is vitally important to spiritual growth, but something few of us do well.

Bible study sounds boring…z z z z z z z z z z z z z… excuse me, that word “study” gets me every time. But we truly need it. When you start really digging into it, the boredom quickly goes away. It's full of adventure, romance (for the ladies) & plenty of action. But the main thing that it's filled with is truth. That truth leads to wisdom & wisdom to a better life. The more you read the closer you come to God. You start to see who He really is, not just who people say He is. You get to know Him. You come to realize that the God of the Old Testament is the same God that is in the New. You truly get to know Him & the only way you can really, honestly love someone is get to know them.

When I met my wife, I'm going be honest; I was deeply, madly in…lust at first site. I didn't love her; I didn't even know her name, but when I got to know her, the way she talked, the honesty, the caring, Her inward & outward beauty, that's when I fell in love. We can't love someone we don't know. The best way to get to know God is through His word.

Now when I talk about Bible study, I'm not talking about, closing your eyes, flipping your Bible open, sticking your finger on a scripture & saying "God lead me to this verse". Start somewhere & read. Go book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. A good place to start for a new Christian is Ephesians or maybe Romans, they kind of lay out what it means to be a Christian. I also like to start in Genesis, then go to Matthew, back to Exodus, then to Mark & so on. It blends them together, in a kind cool way. Whatever you do, read at your own pace, don't rush. This is not a novel to finish & then discuss at some sort of Oprah Book Club, it is a guide to living life & following Christ, a map or instruction book. You need to understand what you have read & what you are reading.

Now the Bible is different from all other books. You may read something today get a meaning from it, reread it a month from now & get another. Not that it will change word wise but as you grow, God shows you more things. You can never ever totally understand & fully know everything in God's Word, we are not capable. Also without knowing Christ as your Lord & Savior you can’t even begin to truly understand it, it is the Holy Spirit who will guide you in your understanding. But He does want to reveal Himself to us as well as His truth.

There are great benefits to reading & applying God's Word to your life:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
Psalm 1:1-6

Notice that it says "whatever he does prospers". Look at this next one:

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:6-9

“Successful”, “prosperous”, isn't that what we all want. When you follow God & His word, you can have those things…wait now, don't think that I've turned over to be a "Name it & claim it preach", I'm not a $600 suit, big diamond ring, gold watch wearing, just flew in on my own private jet, gonna slap you in the head as I mumble some gobbled gook preacher. But I do believe that God can & will prosper you when you get close to Him. Living right with God will make a difference in how your life goes; I know I've been on both sides. It want always be with money.

I know you can't find the time to read the Bible; you are too strapped for time as it is, and you can't fit anything else in. If that's the case, remember that T.V. watching will not make you successful, that glossed over stare you've got on your computer will not prosper you…see what I'm saying. We make time for everything else, heck I rushed home from church Wednesday night just to watch one hour of "American Idol" with the crappy singers, and if the “O'Reilly Factor” or “Glen Beck” would have been on I would have sat there another hour. Make the time… you'll be glad you did.

For a great way to go through the Bible chapter by chapter verse by verse with free MP3 downloads go to the link on the top right: “Thru the Bible” with J. Vernon McGee.

Vern