Mistakes People Make When Reading the Bible

By Mike Query

As someone who grew up going to going to church, I’ve often viewed the Bible as both fascinating and daunting, but somewhat inaccessible. Hearing about all the stories in Sunday School was definitely entertaining, but they were harder to make much sense of once I got older and read them for myself.

When I began reading the Bible on my own initiative, I found it difficult at first to get much out of it. I knew there was a lot to unpack, but it was hard for me to believe I’d be able to make much sense of what I was studying unless I decided to attend seminary.

Over time, I was able to learn how to read the Bible and become familiar with it, but it took numerous changes in how I approached it before I was at a point where I could read it daily and make some sense of what it was trying to tell me.

I work primarily with teenagers, and I find them repeating the same mistakes I did when reading my Bible when I was younger, and after talking with some peers when doing this Bible study for myself, I realized these mistakes are also common among most adults as well. I’m pretty convinced that, without some guidance, most people fall victim to the same traps when reading the Bible, and unfortunately lose their enthusiasm for God.

There are a lot of things you can do to learn how to understand the Bible better, but first, here are a few common mistakes to avoid:

1. Looking for Insight Rather Than Personal Application
The Bible is a fascinating book, there’s no question about it. Even if you’re coming at it from a completely atheistic perspective, there’s enough historical and cultural significance, as well as action-packed sequences, to keep you occupied for days.

However, for believers, simply reading the Bible for information is not enough if we want it to have an impact on our lives.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (James 1:22-24).

Just about every verse you read contains some kind of direction from God on how we can change our lives for the better and open up to His transformation in our lives. The Bible is applicable to situations we go through on a day to day basis (Hebrews 4:12), from dealing with stress to loving those around us.

It’s a huge temptation to only read the Bible with the purpose of gaining more knowledge. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, you’re missing the whole point of the Scriptures if you never once sit down and read it with the intent to let it guide you to change something in your life.

2. Failing to Research Context
The Bible is one continual story, from cover to cover, about God creating us and doing whatever He could to build a relationship with us. While many verses work fine when read in a vacuum (most notably Proverbs and Psalms), most Scripture is meant to be understood in context. You can learn a lot more about the verse you’re reading by examining the details surrounding it, including:

Author - who wrote the book, and why were they writing it? What else do we know about this person?

Date - when the book was written can tell you a lot about the verses in the book you’re reading. For example, knowing that the book of Ruth took place in 1300 BC tells us that they lived during the time of judges, when Israel was at one of its most darkest points in history. This makes the story of Ruth and Boaz that much more inspiring and powerful.

Recipient - who the book was intended for can give you more insight on how the Scriptures were meant to be processed. This is especially true of the letters in the New Testament, most of which were written to different churches who were in various spiritual states.

3. Sticking to the Same Translation
If the only version of the Bible you’ve ever read is the one sitting on your shelf that you’ve had since you were a kid, there’s a chance you’re reading a translation that may not be right for you.

A lot of people make the mistake of sticking to the same Bible translation, either refusing to change because of tradition or because they’re unaware of the other reading options available. Since each translation is slightly different, reading a different version can give you more insight into the Scriptures, and can make an otherwise confusing Scripture more accessible.

Order another version (such as the New Living Translation or The Message) and see if it helps you understand a new perspective on the Scriptures, or clear up any confusion you may have previously had.

4. Reading in a Distracting Environment
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people I talk to who read their Bibles with the TV on, while playing iPhone games, or while friends or family are nearby asking for help. While those scenarios may work for homework or paying the bills, they make it close to impossible to really read the Scriptures and hear what God is trying to tell you.

As I mentioned in the first point, reading your Bible can (and should!) be a very personal affair. Eliminating distractions could mean the difference between reading a cool verse and finding the passage that changes how you view your life.

5. Thinking the Only Way to Read the Bible is By Looking at Words on a Page
In today’s modern age, there are countless ways to digest information. This is no less true for the Bible. Many people get stuck in a box and feel intimidated by the sheer volume of Scriptures, and end up never giving the Bible a shot. And while the fear is understandable, it’s completely avoidable.

If you’re feeling bored of reading, or perhaps have a disability or learning challenge, try listening to the Bible (via a full audio Bible, or a read along feature like the one found in the Tecarta Bible app) or watching the Bible (The Story is a great example of a visual presentation of the Bible).

Reprinted from: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/5-mistakes-people-make-when-reading-bible

Five Characteristics of Biblical Discipline

By Chip Ingram

"Discipline" can be a really vague concept, and if you're lost in the landscape of opinions surrounding it out there, you're not alone. If you were to ask a hundred parents to describe their motives and methods of discipline, you might get a hundred different answers. But here's the good news: God's Word is pretty specific about this subject. Since the Bible is always more reliable than opinion surveys — a good principle for any issue in life, by the way — let's take a look at what God says through the writer of Hebrews.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Endure hardship as discipline: God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:4-11)

In this passage, we can discern five distinct characteristics of God's kind of discipline.

1. The necessity of discipline: to deter destruction (v. 4). The writer of Hebrews ends chapter 10 with a strong warning coupled with strong encouragement: Those who shrink back from faith and God's will are destroyed, but those who persevere receive all that He has promised. Chapter 11 is full of examples from the men and women in Scripture, and then chapter 12 continues with the encouragement to live a courageous, faithful life. The context of verse 4 is this idea that haphazard living leads to destruction. The message is clear: Disciplined lives reap rewards.

Discipline is about watching your child to see the direction in which he's going. Remember the illustration of giving your child the keys and letting him drive on his own? Action needs to be taken when you see your child take the wrong route and you know he's headed straight for a cliff. You yank the wheel or slam on the brakes, or even put up a barrier so your child won't plunge a thousand feet. He'll get mad for a moment, but ten years down the road he'll thank you.

Many parents are afraid of making their children mad. I remember the first time one of mine stuck out his lip and said, "I don't love you anymore." My first thought was, "Boy, I don't ever want to be that hard on him again." That's a lot of power to give a five-year-old, isn't it? A better response is to grit your teeth and bear the anger of your child, because it's better to make him frown than let him rush toward destruction. That frown won't last forever. Destruc­tion, however, just might.

Do you see how, from this perspective, discipline — even pain­ful discipline — is actually an expression of love? It always seeks the child's best interest. A mature parent can withstand the anger of their child and say, "That's okay, you don't need to love me right now. You'll love me for it in a few years." It hurts temporarily, but to compromise your child's welfare from fear of losing his love will hurt a lot worse later on.

2.The means of discipline: actions and words (v. 5). In the Proverbs 3:11 passage that is quoted in Hebrews, two different Hebrew words are used: yasar (discipline), which involves God's actions; and yakach (rebuke), which refers to God's words. Hebrews 12:5 tells us not to make light of God's actions and not to lose heart at His words of rebuke. Yasar refers to disciplinary actions; yakach refers to corrective words.

As parents, that's exactly how we are to discipline. We bring both words and actions, warnings and consequences, into our children's situations in order to keep them on track.

3.The motive in discipline: to express love (vv. 6-9). When juvenile delinquents, as part of a research study, were asked how they knew their parents' feelings toward them, almost all of them said that lack of discipline in their home was a sign that their parents didn't love them. We often think that we're expressing love when we repeatedly say, "I'll give you another chance." What we're really doing, though, is neglecting to set boundaries that let our chil­dren know they're in a safety zone where they can feel secure. One of the most powerful ways to love your child is to be consis­tent in your discipline. And that's really hard. We're inclined to do whatever we can to maintain a friendship with our kids, when discipline is actually much more important.

I tend to do discipline well for a few weeks, and then find it more convenient to make compromises. Kids pick up on that in an instant. Try listening to them sometime when they aren't aware that a parent can hear them. Their conversation often sounds something like this:

"I got grounded last night."

"Oh no. How long?"

"They said two weeks, but it'll probably just be three or four days."

Where did they get that idea? Children are diligent students of parental behavior. They usually know when they can get away with things. Over time, they learn your breaking points and where you are prone to compromise. They aren't consciously taking notes, of course. They've been taught very well by experience.

4. The goal of discipline: to teach obedience (v. 9). When you teach your children godly submission, you're teaching them to do the right thing for the right reason. You want them to get beyond the point where they say "I've got to" and get them to the point of obeying out of love and trust. Their discipline will be primarily external in the beginning, but eventually it should become internal — so integrated into their personality that it's self-discipline rather than imposed discipline. The way you regulate how they speak and act toward other people needs to become a part of who they are so that when you remove the regulations, the behavior remains.

5. The result of discipline: short-term pain and long-term gain (vv. 10-­11). The reason we don't like to discipline our kids is because it involves short-term pain. We're sympathetic to their feelings, and we never enjoy hurting them. Verse 11 acknowledges the pain, saying all discipline — not some or even most, but all — seems not to be pleasant, but painful. But there's a process involved; those who have been trained by it yield the fruit of righteousness.

Someone advised me long ago not to ask myself whether my child liked the discipline I was imposing but to ask whether he would love me when he looked back on the situation years later. That helped me tremendously, especially when one of them would say, "What do you mean I'm grounded? I really can't go? I hate you. You're the worst parent in the world." I even over­heard one of my kids, only mildly joking, telling his friends, "It's like my dad chains me to the bedpost. I never get to go any­where." I would have to remind myself that he was reaping the consequences we had decided on and spelled out up front, and his disobedience produced the expected results. I didn't give in, and my kids came back to me later and said, "Thanks, Dad."

Reprinted from: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/effective-biblical-discipline/effective-child-discipline/five-characteristics-of-biblical-discipline

Does Obedience Come From A Sense Of Duty Or From A Desire For God?

By Nathan Betts

Christianity is nothing more than a set of rules! Have you ever heard or argued this before? The question or objection, depending on how it is phrased, comes from both Christians and skeptics. So what does Christianity have to say to this?

It is helpful first to acknowledge that the Bible is indeed full of commands and instructions. But the role that the rules play is often misunderstood. Rules, even going back to the Ten Commandments, were not meant simply to tell us what to do and what not to do. They were intended to be a means by which humanity could come close to God and relate to God. If we think of how rules are applied in other areas of life, it is quite easy to understand how this works. Discipline, guidelines or putting deadlines in place are not an end in themselves; they are the means by which we achieve what we want to accomplish.

While I was doing undergraduate studies in Toronto I worked for the Toronto Blue Jays ground crew. While working there I noticed that the elite players would always be the ones to arrive at the ballpark early and leave late. They would come in early for strength and conditioning purposes, then perhaps look over strategies or game plans. Then they would join the rest of the team once the normal daily routines began. This was hard work and made for long days. Here is the point: the discipline of getting to the stadium early, doing an extra work out, working over game plans were not the goal. These were the means by which this player would attain the ultimate goal: victory.

The rules set out in Scripture were never meant to inhibit pleasure or desire, but to do the exact opposite. Desire gave birth to commands, but somehow we have understood it the other way around, as if the commands were meant to create desire.

There is actually a moment documented in the Old Testament in which the people of Israel say that they would like to follow God’s commandments. However, Joshua, their leader at the time, turns them down. Effectively, he says, ‘You don’t have what it takes. You will turn away from God. So, please, don’t commit to it.’ They push back and insist that they truly want to follow God. Joshua reluctantly gives in and grants them their desire to form a covenant binding them to follow God’s rules.

The rules and statutes implemented into the life of Israel stemmed from a desire to serve the Lord. Rules were not put in place to prevent desire from finding its fulfillment. Rather, the rules were put in place to fulfill desire and avoid destruction.

A question that we need to ask ourselves is, ‘Where do rules find their starting point?’ In the Christian sense, does obedience come from a sense of duty or from a desire for God? If the drive to live for God comes from a sense of duty, our faith will become one long arduous journey. But duty is not where the gospel asks us to begin. We begin with a love and desire for God.

Imagine that I have just been away from home on a long business trip. When I return home I decide to stop off at the florist’s near my home because I want to get flowers for my wife. I purchase the flowers, then walk up to the door with flowers behind my back and knock on the door. My wife opens the door and I reveal the flowers to her. She says, ‘Nathan, you shouldn’t have done this! Why did you get me these flowers?’ I reply, ‘Because it is my duty!’

What do you think her response will be after she hears this? What if I respond to her question by saying that I got her those flowers because I love her—that there is nothing more I love than the sweet fellowship I have with her.

This gets at the heart of Christian discipleship. Christianity does not start with rules, but the rules do make sense. They are put in place to fulfill our desire for God; not to coerce us into loving God.

Reprinted from: http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/love-and-rules/

Why Live By The Bible: Follow your heart?

There are many calls to “follow your heart” in movies, novels, slogans, blogs, and memes. Related pieces of advice are “trust yourself” and “follow your instincts.” A corollary dictum is “your heart will never lead you astray.” The problem is that none of these quips are biblically supportable.

Rather than trust our hearts, we are to commit our hearts to God: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6). This passage gives an explicit command not to trust ourselves. And it gives the promise of guidance to those who choose to follow the Lord.

For anything to provide proper direction it must be based on objective truth. That is to say that whatever is consulted for guidance must reach a conclusion based on objective truth and not subjective, emotional inference. The Bible teaches that man is to follow God. God declares, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him” (Jeremiah 17:7). God has perfect knowledge of everything (1 John 3:20), a trait often called omniscience. God’s knowledge is not limited in any way. God is aware of all events that have ever transpired, are currently occurring, and will ever happen (Isaiah 46:9–10). God’s knowledge goes beyond mere events and extends to thoughts and intentions (John 2:25; Acts 1:24). It is not all this knowledge, however, that makes God a perfectly reliable source of guidance. God is also aware of every possibility, every eventuality, every imaginable outcome of any series of events (Matthew 11:21). That ability, combined with God’s goodness, enables God to give the best possible direction for people to follow.

God says this about the unregenerate heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). This passage makes clear two reasons why no one should bind himself to following his heart when making decisions. First, there is nothing more deceitful in all of creation than the heart of man because of his inherited sin nature. If we follow our heart, we follow an untrustworthy guide.

We are, in fact, blinded to our own heart’s deceitful nature. As the prophet asks, “Who can understand it?” When we rely on ourselves for wisdom, we end up unable to tell right from wrong. The hit song of 1977, “You Light Up My Life,” contains these unfortunate words: “It can’t be wrong / When it feels so right.” Determining right from wrong based on “feelings” is a dangerous (and unbiblical) way to live.

Second, Jeremiah 17:9 teaches that the heart is desperately sick. There is no way to fix the heart. Rather, man needs a new heart. That is why, when a person comes to faith in Christ, he is made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus does not fix the heart; instead, He replaces it with a new one.

But that does not mean that we can rely on our hearts after we come to faith in Christ. Even as believers, we are encouraged to follow God’s will over our own desires. The Bible teaches that “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:17).

We have an omniscient, benevolent Lord who promises to give us wisdom (James 1:5); we have His inspired, inerrant Word written down for us (2 Timothy 3:16). Why would we turn our backs on God and His eternal promises in order to pursue the whimsical impulses of the heart?

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/follow-your-heart.html

How Do We Live By The Bible - Calling: Our Role In Equipping

Proverbs 14:23 NIV

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom, and one subject it goes back to over and over again is work.  In fact the Bible constantly returns to the theme that work is good & laziness is bad.  We know practically that people who work hard are rewarded while lazy people miss opportunities.  But how does this relate to finding our calling?

You may have thought about work & laziness in terms of a profession.  I know that’s where my head goes first.  Usually the people who work hard & hustle are the ones rewarded by more work, responsibility, & money.  This concept is described in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, where the good stewards are rewarded.  But what about the stewardship in your spiritual life?  Do you invest your time in order to grow in spiritual maturity?

1 Corinthians 3:2-3

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh

Maybe you’ve never thought about investing in your own spiritual maturity.  In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul talks about addressing them as infants in Christ, giving them milk because they weren’t ready for solid food.  I think many Christians aren’t equipped for a bigger calling because they are still ‘drinking milk’ spiritually.  God calls His people to a deeper relationship with Him, & that time spent in prayer, fellowship, & the Word is really an investment.  One way we see a return on this investment is by God calling us to much more.

Let me be clear that I am not talking about skills & abilities here. Hebrews 13:21 assures us that God will equip us for whatever he calls us to.  The mechanisms God uses for equipping are the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) & teaching (Ephesians 4:11-12).  Nearly every person in the Bible who pursued their calling lacked outward qualifications. But what is true is that the most successful people in the Bible in relation to their calling were the people who had invested most in their relationship with God.

Isaiah 64:8 says we are the clay and God is the potter.  Each week we have 168 hours. A mere 30 minutes of preaching on Sunday is actually only 0.3% of a week. That leaves 99.7% of the week for something else to mold & shape you.  As the potter, God was able to mold His vessels, but how can He mold clay that continues to stay on the shelf?

So what is the alternative to investing in your relationship with the Lord and on spiritual things?  Is there anything that could provide the return that the Bible promises now and into the future?  So as Proverbs 6:6 says, consider the ant & its work ethic…don’t be lazy.  There is so much more waiting for you.

How Do We Live By The Bible - Joy: Is there a difference between joy and happiness?

A dictionary definition of happiness is “a state of well-being, a pleasurable or satisfying experience.” The definition of the word “rejoice,” from which our word “joy” comes, is “to feel great delight, to welcome or to be glad.” Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words “happy” and “happiness” about 30 times, while “joy” and “rejoice” appear over 300 times. If we look at some verses it will help us understand why joy is different from happiness.

Genesis 30:1-13 tells the story of two sisters, Rachel and Leah, and their rivalry over their husband, Jacob. Each woman tries to have more male children in order to please him, even using their handmaidens to conceive more offspring. Leah’s handmaiden, Zilpah, bore Jacob a second son, and verse 13 says, “Then Leah said, ‘Happy am I! For women have called me happy.’ So she named him Asher.” Thus the word "happy" comes from the Hebrew root word ashar and means "to set right or be blessed." We also find the word "happiness" in Deuteronomy 24:5, which says, “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”

The word “joy” comes from the Greek root word chara and means "to be exceedingly glad." James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials.” How could we ever consider going through difficulties and trials a reason to feel joy? James 1:3-4 gives us a clue when it says, “Knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” The deep, abiding joy comes as we persevere through trials, with God’s help, and our faith matures and is strengthened. So happiness tends to be fleeting and depends upon temporal factors like circumstances or other people. Joy, on the other hand, is true contentment that comes from internal factors like our faith in the Lord. True joy is everlasting and not dependent upon circumstances. The book of Philippians is a great study in the difference between joy and happiness. Written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned in Rome, this book uses the words “joy,” “rejoice,” and “joyful” 16 times and teaches us how to have true contentment in Jesus Christ, despite our circumstances. In chains and aware that his life was coming to an end, Paul talks about his faith and trust in Christ and how it had changed his whole perspective on suffering. In Philippians 1:12-24, Paul says that because of his two-year imprisonment (Acts 28:30), the whole Roman guard heard the gospel from him, and it had even spread throughout all of Rome. In verse 18 Paul says, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.” Paul goes on to encourage others to have peace knowing that God strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) and “supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

So the Bible teaches that happiness is fleeting because it often depends on things outside of ourselves, but true joy is eternal because it is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ, which is itself an everlasting source of joy.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/joy-happiness.html

How Do You Read The Bible: Breaking down 2 Timothy 3:14–17

Here is a example of advanced Bible study you can do, breaking down the meaning of each word in context.

You can see other examples here: http://www.desiringgod.org/labs

How Do You Read The Bible: Quiet Time

This week we talked about the importance of a devotional life.  We also talked about ‘quiet time’.  I tend to have a distaste for overused ‘Christian’ terms, especially when they are removed from their Biblical roots.  So, is ‘quite time’ even a Biblical concept?

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I think these two verses give us an idea of what the lives of a disciple of Christ should look like; meditate on the Word day and night & pray without ceasing.  They are lofty goals and they far exceed a small block of ‘quiet time’.  So how does the concept of quiet time play into this?

Quiet time is really an opportunity to fellowship with God free from distractions.  Our lives are busy & full of distractions so any time we can set aside to focus on our relationship with God is highly beneficial.  Consider that our faith is founded on not a set of religious laws, but on a personal relationship with Christ.  Alone time is so important to build that relationship.

It’s like when you were dating your spouse.  You probably couldn’t wait to see them & learn more about them.  If suddenly they stopped returning your phone calls & texts, you never would have built the relationship…actually you probably wouldn’t be married to them at all.  Even now as married couples, how important is communication & time alone with each other?

Also, I think quiet time is a good way give the Holy Spirit room to work.  In John 14:26, Jesus talks about sending the Holy Spirit as our counselor to ‘teach us all things’.  Because we live in the world & have all these competing forces that are not of God pushing against us, it’s easy to drown out the teaching of the Spirit.  A good quiet time that includes prayer & Bible reading are tools for the Spirit to mold us in the image of Christ.  So, quiet time is also an appointment for the Spirit to work on us.

Lastly having a quiet time where the Spirit is speaking to you through prayer & through your Bible reading gives you something to think about throughout the day.  In group someone said that they often read a verse in the morning about patience & then they find they need that patience throughout the day.  A good quiet time sets the tone for your life to reflect  Joshua 1:8 & 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

If you would like to dig deeper into the why & how of quiet time, read this: https://bible.org/article/quiet-time-what-why-and-how

C.H. Spurgeon :: Morning and Evening

"Search the Scriptures." — John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires searching-much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian exclaims, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures." No man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence. The Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur- who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn-we have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: "They are they which testify of Me." No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.

Why Know The Bible: Renew Your Mind

I read an article this week that talked about the health benefits of walking.  We tend to sit too much & walk too little.  Even if we hit the gym sporadically, it can't counteract the negative effects of sitting like walking everyday can.  Just like our physical health, our mind needs the Word daily to counteract the negative effects of this world.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

One of the best reasons to know the Bible is explained in Romans 12:2 where Paul calls us to 'be transformed by the renewing of our mind' to know God's will. He doesn't say we need to attend church more or do more religious things, but instead focuses on the space between our ears.  I think this verse gives us direction to one of the most important ways we can become more righteous, which is emulating God's morality.

The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10 & Psalm 14:3 that no one is righteous.  So righteousness is something every one of us has to learn.  Psalm 145:17 also tells us that God is completely righteous. 2 Timothy 3:17 says scripture can train us in righteousness. Because the Bible is the inspired word of God, it's the most direct way to understand and learn righteousness.

But how else to we learn morality?  Throughout our life we continue to learn morals. Our community, our friends, our family, things we watch & read all shape us morally. I think this shaping happens slowly and is a stronger force than we realize.  And considering even the best of us only spends a few minutes a day in the Bible, outside influences have more time to work on us.

And as we become more righteous, we learn more about God's will. Staying in his will is incredibly beneficial for our lives. Psalm 91 goes into this in great detail.  Who wouldn't want these incredible promises!