I lead a wonderful group of ladies on Tuesday evenings that I have grown to love and cherish because of their desire to go a little deeper into Scripture to find the greater value of knowing God’s message inside and out. But they’ve gone beyond knowledge. They implement these truths into their daily lives. They live out their faith. They are spiritual warriors in their own worlds.
While
I love getting deep in God’s Word, I also love teaching those who know nothing
or very little about God. I love sharing the Gospel. I love sharing God’s grace
and forgiveness. I love sharing the importance of learning and studying God’s
plan through His Word.
Several
years ago, I was asked to lead a study on a wonderful book called A Newcomer’s Guide to the Bible[i].
The book is a great tool for beginners, but I found it to be inspiring for me
as well. It gives a clear view of how the Bible is a complete work. How it fits
together perfectly. It shows that God had a plan from the beginning and how He
connected that plan throughout.
We
really wanted to use this in our women’s Bible study program, but the problem
is that this book is all reading. A person going through the book would never
have to open the Bible by reading this book. So our women’s ministry director
and I took on the task of writing a companion study to go along with the book. It
was the first study I’d ever written and I must say I was hooked!
I
say all of this because I am now working one-on-one with a young gal and we are
going through A Newcomer’s Guide.
This will be my 4th or 5th time, but I can see how God
will show me different ideas this time through…just as He has done in the past.
You
see, God’s Word is very relevant for our lives today. It is living and active. And
it points us to the exact place we need to be in our relationship with God.
Perhaps
you understand what I am saying. Verses pop out that you’re certain you’ve read
before, but never meant anything to you until a certain moment. Or a passage
will have greater meaning depending on what is happening in our lives. That’s
how God’s Word works.
This
also validates that we must never stop studying the Bible. God will always show
us something as we approach our study time with an open heart and mind. Don’t
ever underestimate what God will teach you when you’re an eager vessel.
Perhaps
we read verses of Scripture like Psalm 119:105 (NIV), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” and wonder
how God is able to do this. But He does. God directs us through His Word to
show us the path we are to take. And as we study Scripture, we’ll gain more
insight into that path and we’ll learn to hear His voice.
I’d
love to hear from you about this topic. Have you experienced anything I’ve
mentioned today? If so, how? What new information has God shown you through your
study time? Has He pointed you directly to a passage that you needed for a
specific situation?
I
can honestly say that He has for me.
I
pray that you’re getting into God’s Word today. I pray that new insight will be
shown to you because of your eager heart. I pray that God will show you exactly
what He wants you to learn today.
God’s
Word is a precious gift to us. Let’s never take it for granted. Let’s spend as
much time reading the pages of this book as possible. Let’s glean potential knowledge
and wisdom from its inspiring words. Let’s see what God has to say to us today!
Grace
and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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