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As a believer, the Word of God helps you to identify God’s will for your life (Hosea 4:6a). It is also a weapon for spiritual warfare; in fact, the only offensive weapon that you have as a Christian against the enemy (Eph. 6:11-17). It keeps you from sin (Ps. 119:9, 11) and builds up your faith in Christ (Rom. 10:17). Failure to study the word of God is one major element that causes lukewarmness in the lives of Christians. Many Christians become complacent with respect to the Word of God. They feel they know so much because of their constant hearing of and familiarity with the Word of God. Thus, they deny the Word of God access to their lives and this is dangerous to Christian growth and maturity.
How many of us take time to study the Word for ourselves and by ourselves? Many times we don’t wait for God to speak to us; we are so quick to read through the messages in our devotional guides. Majority of the hours we spend in God’s presence is during church services and meetings. That shouldn’t be the case; it should rather be during our personal times. Yes, fellowshipping with other believers is important, but more important is our personal daily communion with God. Today, we depend too much on preaching tapes and Christian literature. They are good, but we need to avail ourselves so God can speak to us personally through His Word. Can’t we learn from the Bereans who received the word of God and investigated what was preached? (Acts 17:11-12) Beloved, you need to take your personal moments with God serious.
Do not hold the perception that you know everything. The more you study the Word of God, the more revelation you receive, the more you increase in faith and the more you grow spiritually (that is, when you put into practice what you study). Ephesians 1:17, 18 reveals that we need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know God better and the eyes of our hearts being enlightened, we may know the hope to which He has called us. Let Psalm 119:18 be part of your daily prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
Learning from the Bereans
Three things described the Bereans: they received the word of God eagerly (Acts 17:11); they examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what they were being taught was true (Acts 17:11); and they believed what was preached (Acts 17:12).
Receiving the word of God
Receiving the word of God demands readiness and preparedness of mind. You have to set aside every distraction. How do you feel when you are having a very interesting conversation with a friend and somebody just cuts in uninvited or without permission and begins talking with your friend while you stand watching? I guess it sounds annoying. Just as you do not want anyone interrupting your beautiful conversation, so God wants your undivided attention when communing with Him. The Bible says that Ezra prepared his heart to seek God’s will and do it (Ezra 7:10). How prepared is your heart to receive the word of God? How willing are you to do God’s will? If you are really willing to receive from God you need to be serious and do away with every form of distraction. Consider putting your phone off whenever you are communing with God; it will do you a lot of good. Sometimes we wonder, “What if there is an emergency and somebody is trying to reach me?” God is able to take care of every emergency, so give Him your undivided attention.
Searching the Scriptures
Searching the Scriptures goes beyond just finding evidence of what your pastor says in his sermons. It involves a careful study of the Word to know its truth, to seek direction and to know God’s will and to obey it. The Young People’s Guild of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has as its motto, “To know His will and to do it.” This should be one major reason for searching Scriptures–not to find scripture verses to justify sin; not to use scripture verses for unnecessary arguments and babbling; not to use scripture verses to curse our enemies–but to “study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth’ (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV). The Bereans searched the Scriptures everyday to be sure of what they were being taught (Acts 17:11). What about us? Do we search through Scriptures everyday or only when it’s a Sunday?
Believing in the Word
What does it mean to believe in the Word? It means to wholly accept, agree with and obey what is written in the Word of God. It is not just accepting, agreeing with or obeying only part of God’s Word. It is not your Biblical knowledge that qualifies you as a believer of the Word of God. There are theologians who are not even Christians. It is not just about knowing but about doing and obeying. It is like unbelievers saying, “I know Jesus.” What they mean is that they have heard of Jesus but not believed in Him or made Him the Lord of their lives. Even demons know Jesus Christ (Acts 19:15; Mk. 5:6-8). The Bible says that Jesus is the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14). This confirms that believing in the Word means believing in Jesus Christ. It is impossible to believe in Jesus Christ without believing in the Word of God. So to be able to believe in Jesus Christ as the Saviour and Lord of lords, you need to accept, agree with and obey God’s Word. The Bereans believed what was written plainly. How often we want to receive something different from what is plainly written; how often we want to twist the word of God to fit our sermons; how often we misapply some scripture verses to revival themes, fundraising themes, and crusade themes. These things have made many Christians to be deficient in the word of God.
Let us arise and go back to studying the Scriptures.
Copyright(c)2010 by Michael Okyere Asante
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Source by Michael Okyere Asante
