Do you ever read the Old Testament books and wonder how in the world you are supposed to apply the scriptures there to your life today? I have. Sometimes my eyes roll back in my head at the tediousness of some of the reading. I mean, why does everyone have to have such unpronounceable names?
The funny thing about the Word of God is that it is alive and active. Hebrews 4:12 doesn't say that the New Testament pierces your soul and reveals your motives, it says that the Word of God does these things. And, that includes the Old Testament, too.
Reading today, this verse jumped out at me (proof that it is alive is how you can read things over and over, and just when you need it a verse reaches out and smacks you in the face):
How about you? Have you been struggling with something that you can't seem to get free from? God wants us all to turn north -- to turn to Him for help and deliverance. Unlike our own efforts, which can send us in unproductive circles, God will set us on a straight path to freedom, bringing glory to Himself in the process.
The funny thing about the Word of God is that it is alive and active. Hebrews 4:12 doesn't say that the New Testament pierces your soul and reveals your motives, it says that the Word of God does these things. And, that includes the Old Testament, too.
Reading today, this verse jumped out at me (proof that it is alive is how you can read things over and over, and just when you need it a verse reaches out and smacks you in the face):
"And the LORD spoke to me, saying, 'You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north,' " (Deuteronomy 2:2-3 NASB).I've been dealing with some thought patterns that have kept me down for many years now, and I've been struggling to be free of them. In an effort to do so, I've tried many different things, but none of them have sustained me. When I read this, I felt like God was speaking directly to me, telling me that my "efforts" were the circling of the same mountain. I certainly felt like I was going in circles.
How about you? Have you been struggling with something that you can't seem to get free from? God wants us all to turn north -- to turn to Him for help and deliverance. Unlike our own efforts, which can send us in unproductive circles, God will set us on a straight path to freedom, bringing glory to Himself in the process.
great post..was teaching this to the kids yesterday in a devotion about why we read the old testment (specifically regarding offering sacrifices--if we don't do that anymore) and it was fun to teach the kids about how God uses the whole bible to teach us about himself--his big plan--his love for us and he uses it to whisper truth to our hearts too.
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