Going Forward with God

I read a comment recently on a popular Christian blog, which got several "likes" and went something like this:  Christians need to stop using concrete terms to refer to a God that we can only read about. We've never met him, never had an audible exchange with him, so we only know what we read about him and some emotional feelings we have. People will always think we are off our rockers when we refer to Jesus and God in concrete terms.

I disagree.

The Bible is not a good book. It is the inspired Word of God. Jesus is the Word become flesh. When we read the Bible, we can know Him. We can have a relationship with Him.  Every book in the Bible, all 66 of them, point to Jesus. (Have you ever looked for Him as you read?)

As we get closer to the end of all things, more and more people -- even among Christians -- will appeal to rational thought and human wisdom when dealing with problems we will face. They will encourage taking things into their own hands to combat fear, instead of surrendering everything to God.

It is more important than ever to know the Word of God. Not just to read the Bible, but to pray for wisdom to apply it to our lives.  (When I struggle with something that I haven't overcome, I look at how obedient I've been to the Word of God.)

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves," (James 1:22 NASB).

 
Don't beat yourself up over some Bible reading schedule. Spending just 15 minutes a day in the Word will get you through the Bible in a year. But none of it matters if you are reading for the sake of reading. When we just read it to check it off our list of resolutions, it doesn't change us. Study the Word, meditate upon it, memorize passages.

Let God renew your mind, and you will view the future with His peace to guide you.