The Bible is central to Christianity as it is the Word of God. Although God has used man to write it, God inspired those men and He stands by His word.
Since the Bible is so important to us, we need to take stock every now and then to see what we are doing with His word.
Elmer Towns shares an illustration that helps to demonstrate how we can have a grip on the Bible. He spoke about visiting an elderly lady who asked him how she could get more faith.
He said he felt a little intimidated at the time but God brought to his mind the Bible verse, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
He told her that the more you get the Bible in your life, the more faith you will have. If you learn the bible, obey the bible and let the bible fill your life you will have strong faith.
Because the elderly lady was visually impaired he held out his hand to her and explained, it takes five fingers to get a strong grip on the Bible.
He talked about how holding the bible with one finger was not enough (if you try this no doubt the bible will fall from your hand), and he compared holding the bible with one finger to using only one approach to get hold of the Bible.
As he added a finger he showed the elderly lady how his grip increased until he had a strong grip on the Bible.
The five things he spoke on that can help you to get a grip on the bible were:
To Hear. This includes sermons at church and bible studies. We are so blessed to have a pastor who labours over the Word of God in order to bring a message for our specific congregation. However, sadly, sometimes this is the only relationship some people have with God's word. Like a Bible trying to be gripped with one finger, using this method alone is sure to have it fall from your grasp.
Read. The second approach is to read the word yourself. We live in a day where Bibles are readily available from local shops and even free on devices such as phones and tablets. No longer is there an excuse for not being able to read God's word. A reading plan and daily devotions are a great way to get started (click here to learn how to do a devotional).
Study. This is more than simply reading the Bible, it is digging deeper to find the treasures of wisdom that God has left for us. In Proverbs 25:2 it reads, "[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter." When reading the bible God scatters gems and precious pieces of revelation that people can find. However, He also conceals precious nuggets of wisdom for those who will diligently seek it out. God wants to uncover mysteries to us, but is waiting for those of us that are ready to hear it.
Memorise. The word of God has been described as a sword, but how can we wield that weapon if we don't know it. It is like being in the middle of a shoot out and asking the other party to wait while you find your weapon. In Psalms 119:11 it talks of hiding the word in your heart to prevent you from sinning. When Jesus was being tempted by Satan He was able to fight back with the Word of God because He had hidden it in His heart before the testing came.
Meditate. The fifth step to having a firm grip on the Bible is to meditate on God's word. The more we meditate and think on the word of God the more it will become a part of us. Have you ever heard a sermon or read a Bible verse that really spoke to you only to forget what it was a day or two later? Meditating on the word can help prevent us losing these revelations that God gives us. Elmer used Deuteronomy 6:7 to encourage us to make time to think on God's word, "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." These are four specific times we should meditate on God's word (and share our revelations with our children if we are parents). The first is when we sit in our house - put the phone or tablet down and meditate on His word. The second is when we walk by the way (or are about our daily business), maybe it is when we are driving, or when we have down time at work. The third is when we go to sleep - before closing your eyes, go through what God has put on your heart and the verses He has given you. Fourthly, when we arise - make time when you wake up to think on the things of God before the day begins.
If we use these five methods of getting a grip on the Bible we will increase and strengthen our faith so that it can not be shaken.
What kind of a grip do you have on the Bible at the moment?
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