Deuteronomy 17:19-20 NLT
He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.
The one thing I love about the Bible is the definitive language. “He must “… “It will also prevent…” “…it will ensure…”
I was thinking the other day about life in general, and I thought about how, when God created Adam and Eve, He gave them one thing to obey.
Genesis 2:15-17 NLT
The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
It was perfect in every way, and God wants them to worship Him willingly, and He gave them a choice. Live in the ideal world I created, and He said, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden — EXCEPT the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
And then the serpent came along and planted that seed of doubt in the mind of Eve.
Genesis 3:4-5 NLT
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The false promise that the serpent sold was, “…and you will be like God.”
We still battle this false promise every day, especially now in a shifting world with every passing minute.
We are questioning our government; we are challenging our bosses and the decisions they are making trying to keep their businesses going.
We question everything. We think we have a better way; no one knows what they are doing, and our approach is better.
Unfortunately, this thinking and way of going about things, and it is this thinking that keeps us in bondage.
We think that what we have to offer is better; we present our ideas, no one responds, we throw our hands in the air and end up saying to ourselves or to anyone who listens, “What difference does it make?” And we give up, and we start to grumble and complain about life.
But even though we continue to make the wrong decisions, God always extends the lifeline.
That lifeline is and always has been Jesus Christ.
He knew what we were going to do even before He created us. He knew Jesus was going to have to come and save us before we took our first breath.
Ephesians 1:4 NLT
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
John 1:1-5 NLT
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
The wonderful thing about this is that God made this instruction available to all of us, and for those who choose to read and obey, there is freedom and blessing.
But we have to do our part:
Read the Bible DAILY, as long as you live.
The only thing I can tell you from my personal experience is that you will begin to be convicted by the words you read when you start to do this.
This was tough for me and led me to a nervous breakdown. I’m not saying this to scare you; I’m saying this to you because it was the most liberating thing that ever happened to me.
It led me to the point where I had no other choice but to lay my life down and start to live my life submitted to Jesus Christ.
A word of caution here, when reading the Bible, it’s easy to look at the words and apply them to those living around us. Be very cautious here; when we start to do that, we need to examine that very thing inside of us. Frankly, when we recognize weaknesses in others, we can see it with such clarity because of that weakness in us.
We are supposed to use the Bible as a mirror, not as a magnifying glass.
When we do this, these will be the results:
1. We start to learn what truly fearing the Lord means. We live in awe of the wonderful things He has provided for us. And how He operates, His love for us and others. The deeper we get into His Word, the more He starts to reveal.
2. It prevents us from being prideful and looking at ourselves as superior to others. There is not one person who doesn’t struggle with this, and as Christian, we are called to help each other. Period.
3. It prevents us from leaving the path that God has set out in front of us. When we are in God’s Word consistently, the Holy Spirit will quickly reveal to you when our thinking and actions are not in line with the Bible. When this happens, you ask to be forgiven, make amends if necessary and repent.
When others see us living out our faith in God, it provides them with a picture of hope.
What I have noticed as well is that I am more willing to help others. And with a willingness to do this and listening to others, my reading is deeper and more fulfilling because not only is God speaking to me about what I struggle with, but He is showing me insights for those who have confided their challenges to me. What a great benefit.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word. I pray that you provide me a continuing desire to learn from Your Word and apply these words to my life in a manner that glorifies You.
I pray for mercy and healing during this challenge that we face with the Coronavirus, and I pray that through all of this, people will come closer to You and start to live their lives in line with Your Word and start to experience the blessings that come from obedience to You.
Thank You for Jesus Christ. I thank You that You sent Him down to be the example that our lives should emulate.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
