Monday
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.
– 2 Timothy 3:14-15
Paul wrote these words to Timothy from a Roman prison cell. He knew he was soon to die and he wanted to pass on some final challenge and encouragement to his protégé. In these two verses, Paul outlines the process by which the Scriptures transform our lives. He says to Timothy, "Continue in what you have learned." That is the first thing to do with the Bible, to learn what it says. Timothy had only the Old Testament, and, perhaps, just a few of the books which we call the New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark might have been circulating then. He probably had most of the letters of Paul, because this is the last of them. Timothy was with him when he wrote some of those, so he likely preserved them for his own reading. But he had the written Word of God; and Paul encourages him to stay with it and to continue in it.
This requires repeated reading. You cannot learn what the Bible has to say by reading it through once. There must be repeated, consistent, even daily, exposure to the written Word of God. The case for Bible reading is very simply put: There is no other way by which you can be exposed to the thinking of God except by reading the Word of God! The Bible is not in tune with secular philosophy. It is different than all the other books in the world because it contains the thoughts of God about human life.
That is why it is so important that you expose yourselves to the Word of God. You cannot read this Book without being changed. You will think differently about yourself and others; you will regard your husband, or your wife, and your children in a totally different way. You will begin to regard the frantic pursuit of wealth, comfort and pleasure by those all around us in a different light. You will make decisions on a totally different basis. That is the amazing quality of this Book. There is no other book in all of history that has that kind of a record. When you start reading your Bible you will find your thinking changed. You will be enabled to live realistically, to adjust to reality, to detect the confusions and the illusions of the world around and to correct the things that are destroying humanity. The truth of the Bible leads to life, not death. Anybody who believes that truth, and acts on it, will become enriched. Life becomes peaceful, calm, and joyful even in the midst of trouble.
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
– Proverbs 3:21-26
That is part of the heritage of those who learn to understand and read the Bible. That will take some time. You cannot understand the Bible by putting it on the coffee table. Even putting it under your pillow will not work - it does not soak into the mind that way. You have to open it and you have to read it.
Let me suggest what may perhaps be one of the most helpful thing in making that possible - turn off the TV and turn off the computer! It is so easy to sit in front of the TV and keep yourself occupied with entertaining ideas and thoughts - sometimes very boring entertainment too - when this Book lies ready at hand to open you to realities that will never forsake you. You know, in eternity, I do not think we will remember even a single sitcom or facebook post, but heaven is built around the truths and principles reflected in this Book, and it will go on for all eternity! So I want to urge us all to read the Bible - Fill your mind with the Scripture! Jeff Frazier
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4 comments:
Jeff,
You mentioned in the sermon that you would leave a few ideas for practical reading techniques. Did I miss those?
Thanks.
I saw them
"repeated, consistent, even daily, exposure to the written Word of God." Pick something, anything, in the Bible and read it daily
"turn off the TV and turn off the computer" Take 30 min of the time you would watch TV or surf the social net and read something, anything, in the bible.
"when this Book lies ready at hand" Keep a copy of the Bible next to your TV or computer device(I keep one in my bathroom) and when you go to turn either on, spend 10 minutes reading something, anything, in the bible.
It's easier than we think.
I know reading the Bible on a smartphone doesn't provide the same experience as reading an actual book with pages, but I downloaded Daily Bible as an app and have found it a lot easier to get daily Bible reading in. There's a daily verse and chunk of Bible reading delivered everyday. Plus, I always have a copy of the Bible ready, anywhere.
My dear aunt, a woman of faith at age 90, had committed scripture verses to memory some 50 years earlier by studying God's word instead of watching tv, etc. To this day, even though she has lost much of her mental sharpness, the Lord has faithfully preserved this part of her mind and she can still quote the appropriate scripture at the appropriate time and does quite often. She is the one that I pray God will help me to grow in faith like. She waits patiently and peacefully for her Lord and Savior to call her home to be with Him.
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