Digging Into the Word

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    Most of us have chosen a Bible-reading plan for the new year.  Maybe you plan to read through the Bible this year, or in two years. It may be chronologically, or one of many different Bible-reading plans that are freely available to you from a variety different sources. That is a wonderful first step to learning about the God we are blessed to serve! But is there more to studying the Word of God than just reading?

    Yes! We must allow our hearts, minds and lives to be changed by this Word that we are reading, or it is relegated to just another good piece of literature on our bookshelf. I recently watched a reel on Instagram.  It quoted a Jewish man who stated that the Bible he studied guided his life down to his eating habits. He stated he didn't want to study a Bible that was not applicable to every area of his life -- this was his way of rejecting Jesus. This was convicting to me.  The whole Bible IS applicable to our lives, but I fail so often in applying it. If I am not allowing the Word of God to dwell in me and change my everyday life, then I am failing to follow Jesus as God desires:  fully devoted and surrendered to Him. 

    Now, this does not mean that we should start legalistically implementing every command from the Law once more as we read. No. We are no longer bound by that.  Praise the Lord for the grace that Jesus brought. We must use discernment which comes as we begin to understand more and more of the entirety of God's Word.  Legalism places our faith in actions, rather than in Jesus.  Beware of that! Legalism is a lie that has harmed the cause of Christ and turned so many away from the church. It is heresy. 

    On the other hand, the love of Christ, total surrender to His principles, and immersion in the Scripture He gave us WILL lead to change.  It will be constantly teaching us new things about the Lord and calling us to follow Him.  This comes out of humble obedience, not legalistic fear of "messing up" and missing the mark. There is a huge difference between the two, even if at times the outward manifestation appears the same. 

    How do we gain this discernment and deeper understanding of Jesus and His will for our lives? Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says:

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

    This indicates a life fully immersed in the Word! Is every area of our life bathed in His Word?  I know mine isn't -- but I am working on that.  As God brings these areas to my heart and mind, I am seeking His mind and heart to bring mine into alignment with His. This will be ongoing until I reach Heaven.  But, in the meantime, I am learning to incorporate Scripture more and more into my day.  Playing music that incorporates Scripture is an easy and powerful one!  It changes the whole atmosphere of the house! Listening to Scripture or Biblical teaching as I am cooking is another. 

    Sometimes this looks like focusing on one verse or section of verses for several hours or days at a time. This quote by Charles Spurgeon is powerful:

So many people like to read so many chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters.

Oh to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up into your very soul, till it saturates your heart! Set your heart upon God’s Word! Let your whole nature be plunged into it as a cloth into dye!

    I am praying that this year is one of saturation in the Word for myself and my family.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Heather Sparks

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