Having Trouble Reading the Bible?

Because a saved person is still a sinner, we have this internal conflict with doing right even though we have the Spirit inside to help us do as we ought. It’s kind of like that devil on one shoulder and angel on the other picture.  What is key is fueling the right internal person and as Paul said “I die daily”[1Cor.15:31]- (starving the carnal nature).  This is where the Bible certainly comes into play, its imperative our mind is affected by it every day and to this end Ps.119 was written !

Some years back I did a series in our Sunday School on this longest chapter of the Bible and its worth hitting some of the high points for us to help us stay strong spiritually. So let me just encourage you today, that when you struggle to read the Word remember how this grand psalm begins. It starts with some incentives of reading and heeding the Bible.

The “Aleph” section, so named for the first word in the Hebrew alphabet, gives us a few motivations to get in the Scriptures. First, verses 1&2 start the same, with the word “Blessed” and the point made is that joy is the result of allowing God’s Word to affect your heart. People look to all kinds of things to bring them joy but God says if you want true happiness, come to know and then do My Word, “Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.” (vs2). Don’t be fooled by money, friends, prestige, climbing the corporate ladder, follow the Word and true joy will be your certain reward !

Maybe you have heard the saying, “Sin keeps you from the Bible, and the Bible keeps you from sin”.  Verse three, in essence, teaches this as it says, “They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.”    God is not promising that in reading the Bible our sin nature will be eradicated, He is saying that it will help us to enjoy victory over sin as we “walk n His ways”.  Oh sure, at times, you may trip up but its the Word of God that will pick you up and keep you going strong.

Let’s see one more incentive. In verse seven it says, “I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments.”   Did you notice the italicized word?  Thats key here because it means that praise comes after or when I have been affected by the Word.   How many times a day do you hear folks complaining, criticizing, finding fault, negative, etc?   How many times are you the same in the course of  a day?  When we get a little nitpicky and negative, we need to reach for our Bible !    A person who reads and absorbs what it says will invariably start to see, even in the worst of situations, the “silver lining” and genuinely praise God !  It’s why Paul could truly state, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. . . ” (Rom.8:28) and “rejoice in the Lord always. . . ” (Phil.4:4).  Studies have shown people who worry and fret tend to age more, while people who have a more positive outlook on life do not. Cheaper and more effective than the latest anti-aging remedies is simply allowing God’s Word to rule your heart and mind !   I hope the blog will encourage you to take a little time to get into your Bible and let God penetrate your heart and cleanse your mind today !!  Enjoy, the effort will pay off greatly !!!!!