Wednesday, April 04, 2012

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES


"Strive for wisdom, not so that men will respect and admire you, but so that they will celebrate God's greatness.
The Word of God is called a light unto our feet-- not to our tongues, merely to speak about-- but to our feet, to walk by. Getting knowledge is your work; opening your heart to understand is the work of the Holy Spirit. But you must ask Him for wisdom and believe He will give it to you. God has promised wisdom to those who "ask in faith, nothing wavering" James 1:6. Strive for wisdom, not so that men will respect and admire you, but so that they will celebrate God's greatness. The end of every human effort should be to magnify His name. Go to God with David's prayer on your lips: "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works" Psalm 119:27.

Do not give up when the lessons are long or hard to understand. Scripture promises, "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6:3. The mysteries of Christ are not learned in a day. Too many read a chapter or two in the Bible, then for lack of interest put it down for weeks at a time and never look at it. Bernard compares the study of the Word and the mere reading of it to the difference between a close friendship and a casual acquaintance. If you want genuine knowledge, he says, you will have to do more than greet the Word politely on Sundays or nod reverently when you chance to meet it on the street. You must walk with it and talk with it every day of the week. You must invite it into your private chambers, and forego other pleasures and worldly duties to spend time in its company.
Do you long for great intimacy with your heavenly Father? Then meditate often and long on His Word. David likens the Word for sweetness to honey and the honeycomb. Like the honeycomb, the Bible is so rich and full that at first reading some wisdom will now and then drop from it. But unless you press it by meditation, you leave the most behind." 


Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617

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