The word of God converges upon us in many ways to remind us of our creatureliness in relation to the Creator. At best we are limited in our understanding of who we are and how we fit into the scheme of things. We are not equipped to be God, but we are equipped to know the mind of God. Although there is mystery surrounding the Divine presence, He does not wish to remain a secret. We are invited to grasp as much of God as we are willing to seek. We are not left without resources in our search for ultimate reality. We do not have to concoct fictitious characters and suspicious myths about the past. We do not have to worship the bizarre in the present nor do we have to fatalize the future. We have the Bible as the written word which bears witness to Christ the Living Word. We have the Holy Spirit which enhances our appreciation of both. Whatever lack of knowledge we have concerning the things of God is not because we lack the resources and one of those resources is the Bible.
Too often it seems we substitute the possession of a Bible for a relationship with the Bible. The Bible is more than a book. It is a God-breathed revelation which requires a personal commitment to its contents. Reading the scriptures with the aid of the Holy Spirit puts us on a first-name basis with many Biblical friends. We see their interactions with God and we learn the lessons of their lives. We put ourselves in their places and soon it seems God is giving directions to our own lives.
The Bible can be more than a theological textbook used only as a vehicle for debate. It can be and it must be a devotional guide to God. Here is where we get acquainted with God and He has access to us. Here is where the Holy Spirit confronts us with our inconsistencies and empowers us for spiritual progress. Without this intimate encounter with inspired truth our relationship with God is limited.
Although there are many translations, paraphrases and versions of the bible, the word from God is clear and unmistakable. We cannot plead ignorance once we have been exposed to its treasures. To learn it is to love it. To live it is to lead a life of obedience and hope. How well the Psalmist spoke to us when he wrote, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against God.”
