Grow up! Grow deep! Grow strong!

Christians love to post verses of Scripture on social media. I do it!  When a verse encourages me, sometimes I share it on Facebook or send out a Twitter notification. Christianity Today (April, 2015) reported on the verses most posted.  No they were not from Leviticus or Ezekiel.  We posted the positive note Paul wrote to the Philippian church hundreds of thousands of times:  "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, KJV)  Another favorite post:  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)  So, why mention it?  Is it wrong?  Not at all.  We can, and we should share the Word. It is a great faith-builder. 

The whole of Scripture is a gift of God to us, but there are parts of it that get a lot of play and others we seldom, if ever, read.  The genealogies, the law codes of Leviticus, the building descriptions of the Chronicles, and the visions of Ezekiel, fall a long way behind the prayers of the Psalms, the stories of the Gospels, and the practical direction of Paul’s letters.  Think about this: "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 3:16-17, NLT)

Vegetables, protein rich foods, fats, and fiber, in the right proportions, build our bodies. Similarly, we need the whole of Scripture to become healthy Christians. If we only read the passages that make us feel good, we will lack correction. If we avoid passages that reveal the holiness of God, we will slip into careless sins. If we stick to the Gospels, we will not know how to order our lives in the Church.  Some parts of the Bible arrest us and make us realize the majesty and mystery of God.  The Spirit tells us to grow up in our appetite and tastes. "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14, NIV)

I learned this passage early in life. "How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules. I have tried my best to find you- don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your principles." (Psalm 119:9-12, NLT)  So, which comes more readily to your mind (or the mind of your children)- the lyrics to some pop song or the precept of the Word of God?  What shapes your thoughts when trials come, when you are working through a problem?  I hope it is the eternal truth of the Scripture!

Jesus taught us that we live from the content of our heart. Whatever is stored there forms our actions.  If our minds are filled with assurance of God’s love and care, we will live with peace, confidently.  If we are convinced of His mercy and grace, we will run to Him when tempted and tried, finding the help we need to overcome. If we see Him in His majesty, we will pray with real faith, and wait with steady patience for His will to be worked out in our lives.

Reading straight through the Bible, cover to cover, may sound like a noble thing, but it will lead you to long stretches in passages that are hard to understand, or in books that demand more study to mine the wealth of His wisdom.  We do better following a plan that mixes readings from the whole of Scripture.  Get a plan and hang with it.  Does it require discipline? Yes it does, but what a reward we enjoy when the Word takes root and produces a harvest of holy living.  (Need a plan?  Bible Gateway has many different ones. Click on this link to go there.  Bible Gateway)

Here’s the word from the Word, a prayer.

"Teach me, O Lord, to follow every one of your principles. 
Give me understanding and I will obey your law; 
I will put it into practice with all my heart. 
Make me walk along the path of your commands, 
for that is where my happiness is found. 
Give me an eagerness for your decrees; 
do not inflict me with love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things,

and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise, 
which is for those who honor you.

Help me abandon my shameful ways; 
your laws are all I want in life.

I long to obey your commandments!

Renew my life with your goodness." (Psalm 119:33-40, NLT)

Amen