Experiencing God

Experiencing God-Chapter Twelve-God Speaks Through the Bible

Question 1. What has God been saying to you through His word? How have you been responding?

There are many things I learn about myself as I read the Bible. Even though the events take place thousands of years ago, everything can be applied to everyday life.

I recently finished reading 2 Samuel. David was blameless in God’s eyes, even though he had sinned. In a nutshell, he slept with a married woman and made sure that her husband got killed while in battle. God punished David for this by allowing the baby that was conceived through this adulterous act to die. When David committed this sin, he turned his back on God. However, he turned back to God and the Lord forgave David and forgot his sin.

There are times when I feel unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness. I do not think I make it once through the day without once having a negative thought or making a rude comment. However, God will forgive me if I ask for his forgiveness.

Hebrew 4:12: “For the Word of God is living 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” (NIV).

Some people think of the Bible as a type of history book, since it contains the history of such people as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, King David and so on. However, it is more than that. It is one of the many ways God speaks to us. I may be reading a specific passage and, all of a sudden, I will understand God in a whole different way. The Bible is another way for all of us to get personal with God.

John 14:17: the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (NIV).

Question 2. Are you spending time regularly reading your Bible so you can hear God speak?

The Holy Spirit plays an important role when we read the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is just a book filled with stories. However, with it, the truth of God is revealed to us. When we know the truth we can adjust our lives and obey God. In order to experience God and to accomplish his purposes, we must set aside time each day to read the Bible.

This is something I still need to work on. When I first became a Christian, it was suggested that we spend an hour each day to study the Bible and spend time in prayer. While I have greatly improved on reading the Bible, it is still not a daily activity. I do make up on it on my days off since I spend more than an hour with God.

Question 3. If you keep a journal as you read scripture, take time to review it and see if there is a pattern to what God has been saying lately.

Yes! I admit I am a journal person. I have been one most of my adult life. I have, however, never been into the one and five year diaries-those with the dates-because with these I believe that there are a limit of how much I can write each day. On top of that, there may be days where I do not write anything at all.

I prefer the hard back journals that have over two hundred pages, since I always have a pan in my hand. I believe having a journal nearby is necessary for me. I might be reading a scripture whether from the Bible or a supportive one that is mentioned in a book. It might inspire me but I tend to forget what I learn later. That is where the journal comes in handy.

By writing down a specific verse, I can meditate on it and pray to God. I can get a deeper understanding of the verse and apply it to everyday life.

As I look through my journal, I see several different patterns. The one type of pattern is more organized. This is when I have the time to write out well-thought responses. Other parts of the journal are not organized. These are notes that I jot down at church or while I am watching a video. I go back to these when I have more time and get these notes more organized.

I guess my journal describes my life. At times I am organized, I know what I plan to do each day and am able to accomplish my goals. Other days I cannot seem to get anything done.

Question 4. If you have not been hearing God speak to you through his word, why do you think that is? What might you need to do to change that?

Sometimes-I do not like to admit-I do not always practice what I preach. At work, as I have mentiponed before, there is the gossip mill. While I try my best not to get involved by repeating what I hear, I sometimes dwell on something I hear. In my thoughts I judge the person. This is as bad as talking about the person. When I sit down to read the Bible, and I am dwelling on something else, it is obvious I will not hear God speak to me.

This is what I must do. I cannot let my thoughts hinder our love relationship. I must adjust my ways of thinking. When I feel my thoughts are going in the wrong direction, I must confess to God that I am doing wrong. However, that is not enough. I must take action by turning my thought back onto the right path.

Reference:

Bible quotes are taken from The Holy Bible. New International Version

Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby.