To grow closer to God, meditate on his Word as you walk the journey of faith.
To live a life reflecting God’s presence is to lead a life intricately woven with his Word. In this, we can grow closer to God.
The men and women in the scriptures reveal God’s story with as much passion, joy, fear, grief, twists and turns as any New York Times bestseller. God shares his character through timeless narratives. In these, we can grow closer to God.
Interspersed amidst these accounts we also find instruction and precepts. Let’s be honest… this is where we tend to tune out. We do not like being told what to do. It is an age-old quandry! From Adam & Eve to today’s children chaffing at parents’ rules, we challenge authority. Regardless…in these, too, we grow closer to God.
A Shift in Perspective
What if we instead embrace the Word of God as His love in written form? Clearly it has stood the test of time, passing generation to generation, with wisdom never proven false. What would this look like in our life?
Knowing God’s Word sheds light on the decisions that cross our path daily. While the scripture does not speak to the amount of time we spend online or to the websites we visit, it does remind us to reach out to care for peoples’ needs around us. It reminds us to guard our heart and mind from impurity. Does your life reflect these directives? Read Psalm 119:105.
Knowing God’s Word is to know the God of the universe. This is no small statement! The Lord chose to reveal himself through the writers of the Scriptures. When we want to know about someone, we seek personal references. The Lord has many! Read what Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:16-19.
Knowing God’s Word roots life deeply amidst the struggles of this life. I want to be like the oak trees on the Mississippi coast. After Hurricane Katrina devastated Gulf Coasts states in 2005, our disaster response team helped with clean-up. The storm ripped houses from their foundations. Nothing remained but the oaks in the yards. Their roots, inched over the decades deep into the soil, held massive trees in place. Oh, that my faith in God would be as firmly held in times of trouble as Psalm 1 tells.
Knowing God and his Word will strengthen and encourage. We can have confidence in his goodness and his wisdom and his plan but not without reading about his work. Through studying God’s Word, we see repeatedly how the Lord works in and through people’s lives. We grow closer to God as we learn his story. Moses final words to Joshua reminded him to know God through knowing the Word. Read Joshua 1:6-9.
Your Turn
Commit to studying God’s Word. Not just as knowledge for the mind but as food for the heart and soul!
- Pray and begin reading.
- Learn new ways and tools to study the Bible.
- Dwell in the Scriptures through contemplative practices.
May we all grow more passionate about the Lord and his Word with each passing day!
Posted by Sharon R. Hoover
Photo Credit: Martin Gommel via photopin cc
Reblogged this on religioushistoricalresearch and commented:
And before you study, pray for His wisdom and understanding.
Hi Susan! Prayer is indeed the first step in approaching God’s Word. Thanks for the important reminder!
Very good article. Have tweeted it and will repost on my blog. This is so important it needs to be out there
I love this post! Will tweet and share.
Thanks so much for helping to spread the Word!
“…To live a life reflecting God’s presence is to lead a life intricately woven with his Word. In this, we can grow closer to God”. This is the Spirit speaking today, this moment. The Word – Jesus the Word of God, is beautiful. All aspects of God’s verse reveals His mystery. The more we intertwine in this verse, we are not only aware in knowledge of who God is, but we are a part of this knowledge. The abiding Spirit. It is through ‘being’ this knowledge that we can then emanate His wisdom and love as we are seen for what we are and what we are in interwoven in the Spirit of God.
Hope that made sense! I know certainly what you posted makes sense!
Thank you
Rick
emanatingjoy.wordpress.com
@emanatingjoy
So true, Rick! Thanks for highlighting the “living” aspect of knowing the Word. We can then emanate His joy…love your blog’s name! Thanks also for adding to the conversation.