21 Jul Listening To God Through His Word
In this week’s video and in our next two articles, we will discuss some themes from Part 2 of my book, Be Still My Soul, which addresses the great reward of consistently reading and meditating on God’s Word.
In Psalm 119:16, the psalmist writes, “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” In verse 18 he prays, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” In verse 97 he says, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” God’s word is a rich fountain of wisdom, a gift from God to shape our hearts and draw us closer to Him.
God has left us His written Word so that we might hear His teaching and learn from Him. We have both the Old and New Testaments with life-changing teachings to help us. Prayer is how we speak to God; God speaks back to us in His Word!
When we sought to become disciples of Jesus and be born again, we studied the Word of God. But that was just the beginning—as we mature in Christ, our Bible study can grow richer and deeper. Paul encourages us in 1 Timothy 4:7 to “train yourself to be godly,” and Hebrews 5:14 says that “the mature, by constant use, have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Let us devote ourselves to being consistent students of God’s Word!
When you study God’s Word, I recommend you take notes and keep a journal. You can then read your notes over again to be reminded of what God has graciously taught you on various subjects. I have taken notes like this for years, and have turned back to read them many times in order to be inspired all over again by the things God has taught me!
In deciding what to study, simply ask yourself some questions about your most significant needs. You may seek to grow in your faith, or draw closer to God and Jesus, or to become more convinced of their wonderful love and grace. You can study scriptures that equip you to be more loving to other people. And you can seek help in dealing with temptation and sin.
The Hebrew writer tells us, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12-13). Let us give our whole hearts to becoming students of God’s powerful Word, allowing it to transform our hearts and lives!
Be Still My Soul is a book to inspire greater growth and depth in your walk with God. It can be purchased from ipibooks.com.
*You can view our conversation on this topic here on our YouTube channel.
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