Did God give us the Bible so we could interpret it in any
way we choose? Of course not! But we all have our own viewpoints, prejudices,
desires and wishes, and we all tend to want the Bible to agree with our point
of view. When we have accepted the free gift of salvation offered only by Jesus
Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit as our helper and comforter. The Holy Spirit
is a part of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This study does not
deal with the issue of the Trinity, but it’s still important to understand the
Holy Spirit’s role in our everyday life.
But we impart a secret and hidden
wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if
they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear
heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love
him”— 10 these things God has revealed
to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the
depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s
thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of
God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from
God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom
but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are
spiritual. 14 The natural person does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is
not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:7-14 (ESV)
Satan controls the spirits of the world. The Spirit of
God helps us discern the things God gave
us. Only those who have the Spirit of God accept God’s things freely given.
Think for a minute of all the things God freely gave you
when you received the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. You might
consider writing them down and then offering a prayer of thanksgiving, naming
all your blessings.
We can never fully know the mind of God, of course, because
we are human – and sinners. Our understanding of God may be limited because we
have not read His entire Book. We may not understand the Bible as well as we’d
like because we don’t necessarily have the cultural background of the writers,
or we may simply be immature as Christians. We might not yet be saved, which
would keep us from a deeper heart knowledge of the Bible, or we may not
understand some of the vocabulary. But nothing I’ve mentioned (or any excuse we
could come up with) is a true barrier to understanding God. we can study, read,
discuss, pray, gain maturity, learn a bit about the history and culture, and
ask God’s Holy Spirit to teach us.
These things I have spoken
to you while I am still with you. 26 But
the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:25-26 (ESV)
…bring to your remembrance. This is a specific promise from
Jesus Himself. The Holy Spirit will bring specific Scriptures to mind as we
struggle with life’s challenges. To receive all the benefits of this promise,
however, we need to do our part. We need to read, read, read!
I have stored up your word in my
heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalms
119:11 (ESV)
When I read my Bible, I have a notepad with me. As I read I
jot down an outline of the day’s reading. If something is particular troubling
to me, I make a note so I can do additional research. I also tend to write life
events before my daily notes so I can see how God applied His Word to a
specific problem. If a verse or two pops out, I write down the reference.
Later, I print the verse on a regular sheet of paper and tape it somewhere that
is easily seen. Because I’m a computer junkie, I also tend to put them on a
nice background. I have a thumb drive attached to a television. I have the
verses cycling randomly on the television, so whenever I glance up I see God’s
Word. The backgrounds help me to remember the verses (although they may not be
memorized), and the Holy Spirit frequently prompts me to remember the words or
the picture.
What do you do to help get God’s Word into your heart? I’d
like to hear how others work through their Bible readings and prayer time. Your
ideas may be what someone else needs to start their reading and praying
program. It can seem quite daunting, especially for a first timer!
I look forward to hearing from you and pray for a blessed
weekend – and an uplifting worship service on Sunday!
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