Soulful Sunday: Loving the Bible #2
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Last week's post sort of introduced this little segment of this series.
Loving the Bible.
God has hidden Himself in His word; the greatest treasure in the world- the Bible. Not so that we cannot find Him but rather so that we can find Him. The problem most of us have is not being aware of the role the Holy Spirit has to play when trying to encounter God. Heck, even I didn't really know about it until a couple of months ago.
Reading the Bible is meant to be an act of establishing a relationship with God and not a task that you cross of your list like a completed piece of coursework. It is so easy to read the Bible and miss the point. I have done (and still doing sometimes) this countless of times. What I'd read would seem so... flat because I didn't know how what I'd read relates to me. It was just another tale.
And this is where the Holy Spirit comes into play.
He is our link to the truth within the Bible. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to grasp the true message of God and not rely on our own interpretation of it (John 14:26). I don't know about you guys but for me, the Bible can be a bit hard to digest/understand. The Holy Spirit is our favourite form of transportation towards encounters with God. Honouring the presence and role of the Holy Spirit is a big step towards understanding the Bible and getting the most out of it.
During the sermon at church, a few ways that we can get a better grasp of the word of God were given:
- Read the Bible like a love letter from God to you
- Allow the Bible to change you
- Meditate on the Bible
- Read the Bible with the Holy Spirit
Reading the Bible as though it is a personal letter written by God to you kind of changes the way you will absorb the information in front of you. But in order for your life to truly be transformed and for you to encounter God, you have to be open to what the Bible may challenge us with once you have understood God's word in context with the Holy Spirit. The last thing you want is to go do something and find out that is not what God intended. This is where engaging with your church community comes into play. Be it Sunday meetings or nights out with your mates or youth fellowship meetings etc. Bouncing thoughts and experiences off one another is a way for you to get a better understanding of the Bible. And aside from just flipping through the many pages within the great book, you also have to meditate on what you have read. That way you will be able to remember what you've read and constantly challenge yourself to shape areas of your life that may not be so rosy into what they are meant to be.
Every time you read the word of God, you are are investing in future encounters with Him.
I do not claim to be an "expert christian". I don't even think such a person exists. I just want to take this time to share some the wonderful teachings I've heard at my church (as well as some of my own experiences and thoughts) with those that might find it interesting or useful.
Till next time!
Luv, Mo xx