Toongabbie Anglican Church Blog

Weekly Blurb God�s word � are you soaking in it?

God�s word � are you soaking in it?

Sunday 10 August, 2003 · Posted by Neil Atwood

A couple of events this week have underlined again how vital it is to have God�s word at the centre of our lives.

One was a negative event — the election of the first actively homosexual to the role of Bishop in the Episcopalian church in America.

Why should we not tolerate this decision? Because it�s clearly condemned by Scripture. And we�re not talking about one or two obscure passages in Leviticus, the whole picture of human sexuality and behaviour in the Bible screams out against certain kinds of behaviour and lifestyle — and homosexual activity is one of them.

But that argument is wasted on those who elected Gene Robinson this week, because they have abandoned a godly view of Scripture for trendy, humanistic support of �tolerance� and �inclusiveness�.

Abandon the Bible, and we abandon our whole spiritual compass, and end up wandering around aimlessly.

The second event was this weeks� instalment of GrowthWorks (Tuesdays, 7:30pm in the FEC). This is shaping up into a first rate tool to encourage growth in our relationship with God, and it does so in part by teaching us to soak ourselves in God�s word.

It�s the easiest thing in the world to allow our busyness to squeeze out spending time in God�s word and in prayer, and yet those two activities are absolutely essential to a healthy relationship with our great God.

We�ve spoken and written at length about prayer this year, so how should we go about starting, resuming or rejuvenating our Bible reading?

There are lots of ways, but here are a couple of suggestions:

  1. Pray. God wants us to understand and enjoy His word. So ask the Holy Spirit to help you be disciplined, and to help you understand what you read.
  2. Plan to read the bible. That may sound obvious, but if we leave until we feel like it, we often never get around to it.
    A plan like Robert M�Cheyne�s is terrific. It takes you through the whole Bible in one or two years, by reading 2 or 4 chapters a day. If you add Don Carson�s reflections on M�Cheyne�s readings (�For the love of God� vols 1 & 2), you have an excellent basis for learning and growing in God�s word.
    If that doesn�t appeal, try something like �Everyday with Jesus�, or devise your own system.
  3. Take notes. Whether you use a notebook or mark up your Bible, record your joy, surprise, and questions you have as you read. Writing it down often clarifies it, and prompts you to take things further.
  4. Share. One really helpful way to help keep you accountable in your reading is to share with someone else what you are reading. Or even better, agree to use the same plan with someone else, so you can compare notes and discoveries with each other.
  5. Which Bible? So many versions and styles� but choose a reliable, modern translation like the NIV or ESV. I suggest avoiding the �study� and �lifestyle� bibles, as they can distract from the Word itself.

There�s no one right Bible reading system, so use whatever works for you.

This Sunday and next, you�ll find a few Bibles and resources available to browse or buy at the back of the church.

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