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April 18, 2007
FROM THE COUCH
Removing The Veil – Part 2Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law
Psalm 119:18
Last week we looked at how we might tap into the wisdom and power of the Scriptures and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working through them to impact our lives. We looked at how hard it is for many Christians to read the Bible, and how important it is to approach God’s Word on His terms, not ours. We looked at how this involves seeing God’s Character revealed in every sentence of Scripture. When we meet God Himself in the pages of the Scriptures, we can’t help but walk away from that experience unchanged. This week I’d like to build on that foundation by giving a few practical suggestions on how we might open ourselves up to better receive what the Holy Spirit has to give us through His Word.
First, we must make time to read the Scriptures every day. D.L. Moody explained it like this: “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.” It’s wise to read at the same time each day if possible to develop a routine. Avoid reading right before you go to sleep - we all know how that turns out!
Next, it’s very important to follow a reading plan. Simply reading the Bible randomly limits what we can receive from it, because it prevents us from seeing the larger picture and making connections between larger sections of Scripture. Reading three chapters a day and five on Sundays will take you through the whole Bible in a year. If you would like some help in developing a specific reading plan, give me a call and I’ll be glad to make some suggestions.
It’s also vital that you pray before you read. Thank God for revealing Himself so perfectly in His Word. Praise Him for His wonderful work in your life. Ask God to reveal Himself to you as you read, and to help you focus and concentrate. Ask Him to give you the discipline to carve out quality time to read and to follow your reading plan, to forgive you when you fall short, and to help you persevere when you want to give – up. Ask Him to frustrate the enemy’s attacks and protect you from them as you read. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart and mind to the truth. Ask Him to give you a burning passion to know Him more intimately through His Word. Remember what Jesus said – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Maybe you’ve been missing something in your Bible reading because you are approaching it like any other book. Don’t open the Scriptures without first preparing yourself through a time of focused prayer.
Finally, it’s important to take something from God’s Word each day on which to meditate. Fill your mind with a small portion of Scripture and let it absorb into your soul. Write it down on a note card, read through it repeatedly, and think about what it means and how it’s relevant in your life. Memorize it. Pray it’s truth back to God, and ask Him to open your heart to receive it and be changed, even if just a little. Even speak it out loud to yourself when you are in the car or someplace quiet.
Why are these things so important? Because they enhance our ability to drink deeply from the well of God’s Word. The primary source of the Holy Spirit’s wonderful work in our lives is His Word and prayer. To neglect either is just like walking past the only well of life-giving water that exists in the driest desert. If we don’t live our lives around it, and drink deeply from it on a regular basis, we can’t survive spiritually for very long. My prayer for you this week is that you will be like the man described in Psalm 1, who meditates day and night on God’s Word. He flourishes like a tree which is planted near a stream of water – growing strong and bearing fruit because he is continuously tapped into the source of life.
Pastor Steve
Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at April 18, 2007 01:51 PM