The Bible is how God speaks to us. I have learned that reading the Bible is vital to spiritual growth.  In the past, I had never studied the Bible.  I knew the basic stories, of course:  Noah, Adam and Eve, the parting of the Red Sea, the Christmas story, David and Goliath…  I didn’t know much else. When I started reading the Bible straight through, I was able to see the big picture.  So much of what happened in the Old Testament was foretelling the coming of Jesus.  So much was showing God’s people that we needed a better way.  That better way would be Jesus.  

The most amazing thing that I found was that reading the Bible allowed God to speak to me.  I found that I had to keep a journal next to me as I read because everytime I opened my Bible, I would gain insight.  Things would just come to me.  Words would often jump off the page.  I would even say, “Wow!” outloud often as I read.  This idea was confirmed for me in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  This verified that the Word of God is living and important to read.  You can’t read it once and be “done”.  It’s not one of those books that gets put on a shelf.  It is important to read it all the time. It speaks to us in new ways every time we read it.  It is the way we stay connected with God and allow Him to teach us. 

The Bible contains the “big picture” of our faith.  After Adam and Eve sinned, they couldn’t walk freely with God in the Garden of Eden.  God is pure holiness, and their sin separated them from God.  They were driven out of the garden forever.  “After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24).  Because of sin, man couldn’t go freely to talk with God anymore.  Yet, God made a way for man to come to Him.  It was through blood sacrifices and laws.  There were countless rules and regulations set by God so that man could continue his relationship with Him.  

The Israelites had one high priest that could see God in the Tent of Meeting once a year.  This high priest would have to be worthy.  If he wasn’t worthy, seeing God would kill him.  In fact, they used to tie a rope to the leg of the high priest, so that if he dropped dead at the sight of God, he could be pulled back out, and no one else would have to die.  This once a year meeting was only after countless sacrifices made for all of the sins of God’s chosen people.  All of these blood sacrifices could only cover – not forgive – the people’s sins.  There was a constant foreshadowing of the coming of a Messiah that would restore man’s relationship with God.  He would be the perfect sacrifice.  Jesus became the perfect lamb, sacrificed for all of our sins.  His sacrifice was perfect and only had to be done once – not over and over like the Israelites.  After His perfect sacrifice, there was no longer any more need for blood sacrifices.  The rules, regulations, and laws given in the Old Testament had been fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  A new, better covenant was created between God and His people because we were made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus.  We no longer needed a high priest as a mediator between God and the people.  We no longer needed to make constant sacrifices to cover our sins.  Jesus fulfilled the Old Law and truly saved us.  This is the Good News of the gospel.  We sometimes take for granted all that the cross did for us.  I really encourage you to read and study the Book of Hebrews for more details on the Old and New Covenants.  My first Bible study I ever did was on the book of Hebrews, so this book is very near and dear to my heart.

I’ve learned that our relationship with God is not just a part of our life.  He IS our life.  In the past, I regrettably remember thinking that you needed “balance” in life.  My role as wife, mother, teacher, daughter, sister, and child of God were all parts of my life.  They fit into compartments.  They were all hats that I wore.  I would pull out different hats at different times.  Sometimes, I would wear more than one hat at once.  I realize now that God is not a hat to wear.  He should be everything.  He is a part of us.  He lives inside of us to lead, comfort, and guide us.  We cannot insert Him into our life as needed.  We would not be anything without Him, and He speaks to us through His word. The Bible is how he speaks to us and teaches us. We can find everything we need in life in His word.

Now, I’ve rearranged things, and put them in the correct perspective.  God is the center.  Everything filters through Him.  He is a part of everything in my life.  There is nothing in my life that He is not a part of.  Everything that I am is because of Him. He is most important, and everything else I have is because of Him. I continue to develop and deepen my relationship with Him by spending time with Him reading, studying, and meditating on His word.

Try it for yourself. Read slowly- don’t worry about quantity- just quality. Stop and think about what you’re reading, and let God speak to you. I promise you that He will!

The Power of Prayer