The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"When Reading"
(Part 1 - Guideposts)
When reading and pondering the Scriptures, certain guideposts of truth help us to absorb and assimilate God's truths found in this sublime gift to our hearts and lives. Consider a few:
The Lord Jesus Christ. The written Word of God exists to exalt and reveal the living Word of God. Every letter, word, sentence, verse, chapter, and book of Scripture flows with the current of Christ, from its holy headwaters unto the shoreless ocean of grace and truth found only in the Lord Jesus. We will not always see or perceive Him in every passage. He abides there nonetheless, and we search in vain for Scriptural light if the Lord Jesus does not form and inform our quest. "Search the Scriptures… they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).
The Holy Spirit. As referenced in a message several weeks ago, the Bible exists as the Holy Spirit's masterpiece biography of the Lord Jesus. We doubtless bless Him as we read with His theme in mind, and as we seek to learn the truth He inspired in order to live the life - the life of Christ - He imparts. As with any author, the Spirit of God must rejoice as we approach His Book in humility, faith, joy, and the determination to trust its promises and obeys its commands by the power He supplies. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21). The Bible comes with its Author, as the Holy Spirit leads and enables all who respond to His literary wonder of grace and truth in the Lord Jesus
Truth. The propositional Word, the Bible, reveals the personal Word, the Lord Jesus. "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said" declared the Lord Jesus of the only perfect source of knowing Him. We must know facts about the Savior in order to trust rightly in His Person. "Thy Word is truth" said the Lord, referencing the Biblical doctrine, teaching, and history we must know in order to discover our Lord's person, and in order to ensure we know and walk with Him in truth (John 5:39; John 17:17).
Glory. "Whatsoever ye do… do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31). We exist to bring honor to our Lord. Scripture tells us how to do this in countenance, demeanor, attitude, word, and deed. Believers "shine as lights in the world," existing to serve as moons to the sun (Son). The Bible supplies the primary means of absorbing God's illumination, and leads us in knowing how to glorify Him by every means possible (Philippians 2:15).
The character, nature, and way of God. The Bible tells us who our Lord is, and how He thinks, feels, speaks, and acts. "In Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9). To say that we know the Lord means, to one degree or another, that we know the Scriptures that reveal Him. His heart, mind, and hand grace the sacred pages, revealing our Lord's "Who?" and "What?" as the sole authoritative revelation that leads us to know Him as He is, and to rightly interpret His actions.
Prayer. A primary reason we read the Bible involves praying according to God and His truth. The Psalmist, and the Apostles Paul and John unite to lead us to the Scriptures, that we might be led in our prayers:
"Let my cry come near before Thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to Thy word" (Psalm 119:169).
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us" (I John 5:14).
"I will pray with the understanding" declared the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 14:15).
"Effectual, fervent" praying correlates with effectual and fervent reading and assimilation of the Bible (James 5:16). Indeed, every time we open its pages in humility and faith, new paths of prayer welcome us, or old paths shine more brightly. Attempting to pray apart from the lamp and light of Scripture indicates an ignorance and even a pride that will always hinder our genuine communion with God. We can - and inevitably will - "ask amiss" if we do not devote ourselves to the Bible as our singular guidebook of learning to pray, and being confirmed that we pray rightly (James 4:3).
We will not specifically or consciously consider each of these truths (or others we will address) every time we read the Bible. We do well, however, to have them hidden in our hearts as guiding lights that make it more likely we will respond to God and His Word, and to God in His Word.
To be continued…
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts."
(Jeremiah 15:16)
Weekly Memory Verse
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts."
(Jeremiah 15:16)
7595
No comments:
Post a Comment