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A Most Peculiar Book
WHAT IS the purpose of the Bible? Let the Bible itself answer that question. Since you were a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:15)
The purpose of the Bible? Salvation. God’s highest passion is to get His children home. His book, the Bible, describes His plan of salvation. The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim god’s plan and passion to save His children.
That is the reason this book has endured through the centuries. It dares to tackle the toughest questions about life: Where do I go after I die? Is there a God? What do I do with my fears? The Bible offers answers to these crucial questions. It is the treasure map which leads us to God’s highest treasure, eternal life.
But how do we use the Bible? Countless copies of Scripture sit unread on bookshelves and nightstands simply because people don’t know how to read it. What can we do to make the bible real in our lives?
The clearest answer is found in the words of Jesus.
Ask, He promised, and God will give it to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you (Matt. 7:7).
The first step to understanding the Bible is to ask God to help us. We should read prayerfully. If anyone understands God’s Word it is because of God and not the reader.
But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. The Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name (John 14:26).
Before reading the Bible, pray. Invite God to speak to you. Don’t go to Scripture looking for your idea; go searching for His.
Not only should we read the Bible prayerfully, we should read it carefully. Search and you will find, is the pledge. The Bible is not a newspaper to be skimmed but rather a mine to be quarried. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God (Prov. 2:4,5).
Any worthy find requires effort. The Bible is no exception. To understand the Bible you don’t have to be brilliant but you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and search.
Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way (2 Tim. 2:15).
Here’s a practical point. Study the Bible a bit at a time. Hunger is not satisfied by eating twenty-one meals in one setting once a week. The body needs a steady diet to remain strong. So does the soul. When God sent food to His people in the wilderness, He didn’t provide loaves already made. Instead, He sent them manna in the shape of thin flakes, like frost on the desert ground (Exod. 16:14).
God gave manna in limited portions.
God sends spiritual food the same way. He opens the heavens with just enough nutrients for today’s hunger. He provides. A command here, a rule there. A little lesson here, a little lesson there (Isa. 28:10).
Don’t be discouraged if your reading reaps a small harvest. Some days a lesser portion is all that is needed. What is important is to search everyday for that day’s message. A steady diet of God’s Word over a lifetime builds a healthy soul and mind.
A little girl returned from her first day at school. Her Mom asked, "Did you learn anything?" "Apparently not enough," the girl responded, "I have to go back tomorrow and the next day and the next…."
Such is the case with learning. And such is the case with Bible study. Understanding comes little by little over a lifetime.
There is a third step in understanding the Bible. After the asking and seeking comes knocking. After you ask and search, then knock.
Knock and the door will be opened to you (Matt. 7:7).
To knock is to stand at God’s door. To make yourself available. To climb the steps, cross the porch, stand at the doorway and volunteer. Knocking goes beyond the realm of thinking and into the realm of acting.
To knock is to ask, What can I do? How can I obey? Where can I go?
It’s one thing to know what to do. It’s another to do it. But for those who do it, those who choose to obey, a special reward awaits them.
The truly happy people are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy (James 1:25).
What a promise. Happiness comes to those who do what they read! It’s the same with medicine. If you only read the label but ignore the pills, it won’t help. It’s the same with food. If you only read the recipe but never cook, you won’t be fed. And it’s the same with the Bible. If you only read the words but never obey, you’ll never know the joy God has promised.
Ask. Search. Knock. Simple, isn’t it? Why don’t you give it a try? If you do, you’ll see why the book you are holding is the most remarkable book in history.
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