Thursday, July 25, 2019

Read

We can see God's Word work powerfully in and through us, but we have to make it our aim to cease struggling against the Lord and allow Him to have His way. Hebrews 4 states:
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We approach the Lord; we come before His throne of grace, which is referred to later in this chapter, from a state of humility and surrender.  When we do that, we can experience a power that is not of ourselves.  But, if we do not rest in Him and struggle to try to live in our own strength, then we miss out on what the Lord has in store for us.  Living by the Word means more than merely reading Bible verses; no, it means to allow Christ, the living Word, to live through us.

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As Joshua took the mantle of leadership over Israel from his predecessor, Moses, he received these
instructions from God in Joshua chapter 1:
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God is calling us to grow in Him, and to pursue spiritual maturity, so that our lives might reflect His presence.  Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, commenting on a recent study, stated, according to Baptist Press: "This research asked churchgoers about many biblical characteristics to see which actions, beliefs and desires are present in the lives of followers of Christ," adding, "Among them, Bible reading was one of the most predictive of spiritual maturity."

The study revealed that only about a third of regular Protestant church attenders - 32 percent - stated that they read the Bible every day. 27 percent say that they read it a few times per week.  12 percent say they read the Bible once a week. 12 percent of those who attend Protestant churches seldom or never read God's Word.

The article also referred to a 2016 LifeWay study that "found 1 in 5 Americans said they had read all of the Bible at least once. However, more than half said they have read little or none of it. "

And, according to the article:
LifeWay Research asked churchgoers if they think about biblical truths throughout the day and if they miss time with God if they go several days without reading the Bible. Responses to those questions are closely tied to how regularly churchgoers read the Bible.

When asked if they find themselves thinking about biblical truths throughout the day, 32 percent of Protestant churchgoers strongly agree. In total, nearly 7 in 10 at least somewhat agree (69 percent).
Now, just over half of those daily Bible readers say they think about the material during the day.

McConnell says: "This is a case in which the action of reading the Bible influences one's thoughts," adding, "This mindfulness on God's truths has additional benefits of influencing other actions and speech."

It's not surprising that, according to the Baptist Press article, "The more regular the Bible reading habit, the more likely churchgoers are to say they miss that time with God." The article states:
Among Protestant churchgoers who read the Bible every day, 65 percent strongly agree. That number is cut in half among those who read Scripture a few times a week (32 percent).
So, some things to consider today.  First of all, God's Word is a lifeline.  We need the counsel and power of the Word of God for our lives, and as God told Joshua in chapter 1, it's important that we think about what we read - it's a key element to practical Christian experience, meditating on God's truth and allowing it to renew our minds and refresh our spirits.

We know from the Scriptures, according to Hebrews chapter 4, that His Word is living.  More than merely words on a page, God's Word has the incredible ability to change our hearts and to connect us with the Almighty.  We can draw strength from absorbing His Word.

Finally, His Word should be a lifestyle.  The survey dealt with two areas of practical experience: think about His truth throughout the day, and how we respond to missing our time with God.  It's not a matter of "finding time for God."  It is vital that our very schedule is centered around our time for Him - truly, the most important time of our waking hours is dedicated time spent with our Creator and our Counselor.

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