The Bible
The Bible is like a deep well of clean water, a well so deep that you can never reach the bottom of it. You will never come to the time when you feel you know it all, and there is no more need to read the word of God. In this ever changing world and with all its confusion. The Bible the word of God is the only book to guide us on our path to life. Here I want to say his word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The Bible is indeed the word of God and should be the most precious thing in our lives, a great treasure. So this is one book that we should carefully read and learn from every day. We need to be like the Bereans in that they received the word with readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. God is speaking directly to us from the Bible! His word brings us a wonderful hope of life through the gospel message. Jesus of course, had only the Old Testament but knew it thoroughly. In every problem and difficulty, Jesus went straight to the word of God for the answer. Just consider these examples when Jesus was in the wilderness he was tempted of the devil. But he overcame all these temptations by answering them from the Book of Deuteronomy, and each time he said “It is written.” When soldiers came to arrest him, Jesus knew that his death would soon follow. He did not resist his arrest, for as he said the scriptures must be fulfilled. It was these scriptures that foretold his death. In deed throughout his life, Jesus was fulfilling all that was written about him in the Old Testament, 2Peter 3:18 Peter teaches us to grow I grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The only way that we can gain knowledge about the Lord Jesus is by reading the Bible. Each of the four gospels give an account of what Jesus said and did. They record his life, the words he spoke, the miracles he performed, his death and his resurrection. Other books in the New Testament help us to understand and appreciate all that Jesus accomplished for us by dying upon the cross. We learn how because of his sacrifice for us we can have hope of life in the Kingdom of God. They also teach us about how we should strive to live a new life in Christ. However, it is not possible to understand all these things without reading the Old Testament as well. The very first verse of the New Testament Matthew 1:1 states Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Thus we have to go back to the Old Testament in order to find out who these men were, and why Jesus is called their son.
Jesus read the Old Testament, which formed the Bible of his day. We also must read it, not just occasionally but rather we need to read the Bible every day. The Apostle Paul tells us how vital the reading of the scriptures is to our lives. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Now God provides us with the food our bodies need day by day Jesus reminded his disciples about this when he said to them, Behold the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? In the same way that we need the right balance of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals for healthy physical growth, our new life in Christ will only grow if it is feed. The only food required for Healthy Spiritual growth is the word of God.
It would be disastrous if we were to go without food for a week, and then try to make up by eating a whole week’s food at once. In the same way, we need to feed our minds with God’s word every day, not binges and then having periods of going without. If we read the Bible every day, it will build up our understanding of the ways of God, and our knowledge about our creator. If we do this we will grow in grace and knowledge. Just as we also need to have a balance in our reading of scripture. Most Bible readers have favorite passages from the Bible that they read, for example Psalms and the gospel records. But in order to gain an understanding about God’s purpose with creation and how he works we need to read also the parts of the Bible that are maybe we can feel harder to understand. For example, the historical accounts, the chapters that record long lists of people and places, the accounts of how the Israelites so often turned away from God. Many Bible readers wonder sometimes why these accounts are there, but as we have read 2 Timothy 3:16 all scriptures is profitable. These records in scripture are there for us to learn from and as a consequence make changes in our own lives.
Other scriptures teach us about how we should live our lives in a way that pleases God the Creator. It is no good reading scriptures if we do not also put the word of God into action in our lives, day by day just as Jesus did. From the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation the Bible is the inspired word of God. If we were only to read a few chapters here and there, we would never come to understand some of the most important teachings of the Bible. The wickedness that is in man, the great holiness of God and reverence and obedience the demands from us, the way by which we can be forgiven and reconciled to God, the great hope of Salvation revealed in Jesus Christ. Indeed Jesus said of God’s word it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Now as I come to my closing remarks read your Bible prayerfully whenever you sit down to read the Bible, ask God for help in understanding his word. We read in Psalm 119:18 is a prayer open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. We need God’s help in understanding, and he is willing to hear our Prayers. God will teach us through his word. But reading is not enough. James tells us we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only James 1:22 Jesus spoke of some who called him Lord, Lord but they did not obey his commands and thus would not be acceptable. Matthew 7:21 not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus also told a parable about two classes of people styled sheep and goats. The sheep had put the words of Jesus into practice in their lives and were accepted by him. The goats had not and were rejected. Please read Matthew 25: 31-46 and discover for yourself what this parable is about. Matthew 7:24-29 tells a parable about two men who both built a house. One built his house on a foundation of sand, the other on a foundation of rock. When the storms came, the house on sand was destroyed, the other survived. Thus what Jesus is saying therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.
May I encourage us to read and study the word of God daily.
Elder Terry L. Harmon