What's Stopping You From Experiencing God's Word?
As a little girl, I would sit in church and observe the old folks; when the pastor would say a scripture, they would be able to recite the scripture without blinking an eye or even turning to a page in their Bible, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how they knew scripture verbatim. They would come to church with their Bibles, and the Bibles would be worn, torn, and marked up.
These people were not just Sunday morning Christians; they experienced the Bible day in and day out; the word was an experience for them. It was a testament to God's favor, peace, and presence. They read their Bible and had scripture in their hearts. Apart from wanting to be like them, those who could recite scripture had a torn Bible. When I relied on that, these two things required time and relationship. When I stopped making excuses about why I couldn't read my Bible and started to do it, I experienced a transformation like no other. When I stopped reading my Bible out of routine, I was able to experience heaven on earth because of my relationship.
I want to drop jewels on what may be stopping you from experiencing God's word.
Routine versus Relationship: In our world of checking boxes and making lists, we tend to forget that when it comes to God, he isn't looking to be checked off the list because of routine. He is looking to build a relationship with us (the kingsskid). We approach God as if he is the next checked item, not realizing that he is Jesus Christ. We don't enjoy when people do things out of routine, yet we turn around and do it to God expecting a "blessing," and expecting "favor," and then have the audacity to get mad with him when he doesn't do things the way we expect him to. The nerve of us. To build a relationship, you must spend time getting to know not just what Jesus does and did but who he is, understanding his character and all that he embodies. My pastor Dr. Tony Evans was preaching a sermon; now, he's been in ministry for over 40 years, and he said that the particular passage he was reading was so full of great theology that he has yet to discover it all. I sat in awe because someone that's knows the Bible in and out is telling us that he has yet to discover and unpack all that God's word will reveal. It tells us that we must be in a persistent pursuit to learn about Christ.
Reading w/o Context- I have also been guilty of reading without context, which can be dangerous and cause us to teach or learn in a manner that's misconstruing God's word and intended message for his people. Like any topic we study, we know who, when, where, why, and for what purpose. We must do the same to experience God's word.
We can't be his representatives
We can't be his hands and feet
We can't be his beloved
and be missing the message
which is very dangerous to the call for discipleship.
Reading In A Version That's Not Conducive To Your Comprehension - I struggled for multiple reasons when I first started reading the Bible. I struggled at first because I was reading a version that wasn't conducive to my comprehension. I would be reading King James Version and closing the Bible wondering what happened. Now, I have a few to-go versions:
New Living Translation and Tony Evans Commentary Bible are my primaries
International Children's Bible
Amplified Verison
New International Version
It's essential to read a version conducive to your learning style. That way, you can gain understanding and receive revelation to be a practical application within your life. As I learned what version of the Bible worked for me, I would toggle between other versions, even King James Version, because now I understand what is going on. Different versions use different words; it's essential to be aware.
Reading As A Chore, Not A Strategy - I struggled to read God's word many times because I often approached it as a chore and lacked strategy. I would read the Bible in a version that's not conducive to my learning and wonder why I fell asleep. I fell asleep because I never set myself up for success in the first place. I typically don't read my Bible at night. I read mainly in the morning. I have a dedicated space, and I prefer to get through passages, but sometimes I only get through a couple of scriptures at a time, and I am okay with that. I read the word, write my revelations, and pray over what I read and for people. Some days I get it. The revelation is there. Other revelations come later, but I stay postured before God, not because of routine but because I desire to have a relationship with him.
Why is Scripture Important?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 New Living Translation
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is valuable to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 | New International Version
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Think of the versions of the Bible as synonyms, saying the same thing differently, and some are more detailed and specific than others. Hence, it's essential to take the time to discover which version matches your learning style. We must do the work for God's word to manifest in our lives.
