I trust that God has blessed your ministry this week and
that He has strengthened you personally for each task. God is well able to
supply for us and equip us for the particular needs we face.
Sometimes it seems that the best way to share God's
encouraging truth with you is by telling how He has guided me in that truth, so
I hope you're okay with another testimony-related letter. A few weeks ago, when
I desired to see God give answers to some difficult situations, He reminded me
that "we walk by faith, not by sight." The answers still have not
come, and the battle for faith has at times been challenging. My mind has recalled
Acts 27:20. "And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no
small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken
away." Except that my mind filled in other words about what there was no
hope about. In that context, God reminded me of another truth: "So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
I know that I need the Bible and that the Bible can help me,
but the sad truth is that sometimes I want to look elsewhere for my help. When
I am struggling, I want other people to care. When I am discouraged, I want
people to love and comfort me. This desire can be so strong that I fight
against going to the Bible, because I want to be miserable long enough that
someone will finally notice and do something to show me love and support. It's
a pretty foolish position, not only because it unnecessarily increases my
struggle, but even if people do give help, it's not as effective as what God
can give through His Word.
So I needed some more reminders and prompting from God. He
reminded me of verses in Psalm 119. "My soul cleaveth unto the dust:
quicken thou me according to thy word" (v. 25). "This is my comfort
in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me" (v. 50). "I will
never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me" (v. 93).
"Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments"
(v. 156). These are some of the verses in Psalm 119 that talk about being
quickened, or revived, by the Word of God.
Sometimes I know I need the Bible (and lots of it), but I
have a couple of excuses for not going there. Due to chronic fatigue, I feel
like I'm too tired to read and be able to get any profit. I have to allow God
to be in charge of that and trust that He will make His Word effective in spite
of my limitations. My second excuse is a helplessness in knowing where to read.
Especially in the midst of difficulty, I feel like there must be certain
passages that would be helpful; it seems like the majority of the Bible isn't
appealing or can't help, because it isn't the precise answer for my immediate
need. So since I don't know where to read, I don't read at all. The Psalms are
my tried and trusted friends, but I have a tendency to stay there to the
neglect of the rest of the Bible, and I was just finishing another read-through
of Psalms.
In that dilemma, I believe God directed my thoughts, telling
me in essence, "It doesn't matter where you read. Just read!" After
all, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
(II Timothy 3:16).
Okay, I got the message. So I just started in Genesis, with
the determination to get as much of God's Word into me as I can. Just the
decision itself was helpful, yielding my will and my insistence on needing help
from other people, and agreeing to seek it in God instead. And the other thing
I was reminded of is that reading the Bible is not strictly about gaining
knowledge or coming across the right verse or having the understanding
strengthened. It is about spending time with my God, communing and
fellowshipping with the One who loves me best.
My focus in Bible reading used to fall into a common trap -
that of seeking one special verse or truth for today, a practice that leads to
random snatching of verses. I have come more and more to focus on broader
ideas, both the immediate context of the passage I am reading, as well as its
place within the wider themes of Scripture. Reading the Bible is an opportunity
to see the character of God revealed, to see underlying themes of love and
redemption, and to understand the way in which God wants Christians to live. It
is both having one's eyes opened by God to grow in maturity and understanding,
and it is also a means of spending time with that special Friend.
I long for love and comfort and support from people, but my
expectations and my dependency in that direction are far too high. God is the
only one who can truly meet those needs. (I've even heard that the perfect
husband has yet to be discovered!) No one else can do for me what God can do
through His Word. No other truth is as flawless. No other love is as pure. No
other comfort is as sweet. No other compassion is as deep. The love and comfort
of others is helpful and welcome, but it can never take replace or equal what
is available from my dearest Friend through the precious Book He has given me.
May you find the Bible to be sufficient for you this week,
special and effective in meeting all the needs of your heart.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holtmember at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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