The Resource at Your Fingertips

The resource at your fingertips!

Every morning I open my Bible.  After more than 4 decades of reading, hearing, and teaching, I am still challenged, fed, instructed, and comforted by the inspired Word. The Book is actually 66 books, diverse in both content and purpose.

·         There are the books of the Law, which reveal the holiness of God, revealing Him as “I AM,” inviting me to believe.

·         There are the Psalms that become the language of my prayer and/or worship so often: "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. … When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4, NIV)

·         There are the pointed, pithy declarations of the Proverbs that speak so directly to life’s issues: "Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare." (Proverbs 20:13, NIV)  

·         There are the stories of those who walked with God, told in authentic details that include successes and failures, that teach me. 

·         There are the Gospels- the richest of fare in the whole of Scripture- where I learn about Jesus, our Savior. Is there a text that compares to this? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16, NKJV)  

·         There are the letters that teach me how to live as a Christian.

 I am a being created by a loving God, a person of spectacular worth, with a purpose-filled life. My destiny is His Presence, where I will fully realize what faith has only allowed me to see in outline form in the present. Where did I learn that?  The Bible! How I think about life comes from my study of the Scripture.  I do not treat the Bible as a magic book, nor do I read it simplistically. I study it carefully, approaching the Word with reverence, as I expect the Spirit to make it alive, full of Truth that transforms. "You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." (2 Timothy 3:14-17, NLT)

Christians have so many ways to access the Bible. Traditionally, we read it in book form.  We can read and/or listen to it online.  (http://www.biblegateway.com/) The Bible in 20 versions is on my smartphone.  Bloggers (like me!) write about it.  Pastors teach it (hopefully).  "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:19-2:1, NIV)

Don’t neglect the Word.  Near the top of my concerns for the Church is the neglect of the Word.  Many choose only to receive the Scripture second-hand, through preachers, bloggers, and books.  I urge you to read it for yourself.   May this be your prayer, Christian.

"I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." (Psalm 119:8-16, NIV)