{The Word of God} Part 1: Foundation
From cover to cover, the Word of God reveals the heart, the character, and the actions of God. We have the great privilege of being able to get to know God through His Word. But I think it goes even further than that. If we want to have a vibrant, life-changing relationship with God, we need to KNOW, LOVE, and LIVE His Word.
This series is intended to equip you to KNOW, LOVE, and LIVE the Word of God. To help you, an everyday woman, put feet to your faith and discover how the Word of God is relevant to your everyday life. As you are persistent and diligent in knowing, loving, and living the Word, I firmly believe one day you’ll wake up and find yourself in the middle of a REVIVAL.
You can read the next post in the series here.
I have this nagging memory of a conversation I had in high school. I was probably 15 years old, talking with one of my locker neighbors. Somehow we got onto the topic of church and the Bible.
At one point, he turned to me and asked very pointedly, “You don’t believe the Bible is actually true—like, all of it—do you?”
His question took me by surprise and, honestly, I didn’t know how to answer it. Nobody had ever asked me such a direct question about my beliefs before.
I awkwardly replied, “Uhh...yeah, I think so. I mean...I don’t know!” Then, of course, I quickly ended the newly uncomfortable conversation, looking for a quick escape down the hall.
Isn’t it interesting--the conversations and small moments we remember from our past? Well, this one has never left me. I remember how it felt to not be fully assured of what I believed, to not be able to stand firm in the face of someone else’s doubt.
Well, this would be my answer to that 15 year old boy now:
YES! Yes, I believe the Bible is true--like, all of it.
I believe the Bible is God’s Word. It is right. It is just. The Word of God is unshakable, unchanging, and infallible. It reveals to us who God is, all that He has done. It shows us how kind, patient, and loving He is. The Bible is one unified story that points to Jesus. It reveals how much we need Him, and how much He loves us.
The Word of God is our foundation, our strength, our encouragement. It guides us and directs us. It corrects us and helps us see where we need to change and grow. It’s not a feel-good book full of answers only when we need them. It is the account of creation, our redemption, and eventual restoration.
The Word of God is beautiful and life-giving. It is the foundation upon which I have chosen to build my life.
Wherever you are in your journey with the Lord, you can and will grow in your assurance of Him and His Word as you continue to look to Him for guidance. I may not have known exactly how to respond to that pointed question years ago, but I do now. My confidence in His Word did not just happen on its own, though. I had to put work into learning and discovering the truth in His Word. And God, through the Holy Spirit, has been faithful to guide and lead me along the way. (John 16:13)
Did God actually say?
Did you know the first time we see anything contrary to God and the goodness of what He created came in the form of an attack on His Word? We see this happen in the Garden of Eden when Eve had that infamous conversation with the serpent.
Genesis 3:1b (ESV) — He [the serpent] said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
This was an attack on the Word of God. And you know what? Things haven’t changed all that much. The Word of God is still under attack today. The enemy is still out there asking sneaky questions, causing people to doubt, question, and even wander away from the Truth.
If you keep reading, you’ll notice that Eve didn’t even respond with what God actually said. She put her own spin, her own understanding on the truth. Maybe she didn’t actually know. Maybe she wasn’t fully assured of what God had said. But instead of going back to the Source, she listened to the one coming at her with doubt and accusations.
Oh, but don’t worry! We do have an example of how to correctly respond to accusations, doubts, and even temptations that will be thrown at us in this life. Jesus! He is our example, the ultimate example. In Matthew 4, He was tempted by the devil multiple times.
How did He respond?
He responded with the Word of God, literally. Jesus quoted scripture to combat the evil that the devil was throwing at Him. Jesus knew the Word, and He knew the power of the Word. When correctly understood and used, the Word of God is our weapon (Ephesians 6:17)!
Can we agree that the Word of God is powerful? Then, why aren’t we in it more? Why do we find it difficult to consistently read the Word, to give it time in our lives? (We’ve all been there, or maybe we are there right now.)
Recently, I polled some friends on Instagram, asking what keeps them (or has kept them in the past) from reading the Word of God. While this was by no means a scientific study or anywhere near conclusive, I found the answers interesting. I was able to group the answers into three categories.
Three common hindrances to reading the Word:
1. Not fully understanding the value in it:
-not making it a priority
-being too busy
-choosing other things instead
2. Feeling intimidated or lost:
-not knowing where to start
-not knowing how to read it
3. Anger and/or disappointment with God
-what’s the point anyway?
Maybe a couple more categories could be added, but I do think most reasons why we aren’t actively spending time in the Word of God can be fit into one of these categories.
What do you think? Can you narrow down why you may (or may have in the past) find it difficult to spend time in the Word of God?
There is no shame here. I actually think recognizing what holds us back is part of the freedom process. If you can put a name to it, you can work against it. You can begin fighting the actual reason holding you back from the Word. (I do plan to address these specific hindrances at another time.)
The first step? Prayer.
If you know your priorities are confused, ask God to help you let go of or move the things that hold a higher priority in your life than His Word. If you have a full schedule, ask God to help you wake up earlier (!) or to reveal some moments within your day you can set aside for Him.
If you feel completely overwhelmed when you think about reading the Bible, ask God to help you understand it, to open your eyes to see the “wondrous things” in His Word (Psalm 119:18).
If you are struggling with anger at or disappointment with God or the way your life is looking, ask God to remind you of His goodness, to give you His perspective. Cry out to Him—He can handle your anger, frustration, and questions.
I am not trying to give you all the answers where the Word of God is concerned—not that I actually could. My goal here is to lay a foundation of the importance of the Word of God while acknowledging that there are things holding us back from fully knowing, loving, and living it.
As we continue in this series, we will focus on what it actually means to KNOW, LOVE, and LIVE the Word of God. Maybe these seem basic and generally understood, but are they? How often do we stop and actually talk about how to do these things?
The next part of the series will be all about KNOWING the Word of God. I’ll share practical tips and advice on studying the Word and provide you with some resources. More than anything, I want it to be helpful and attainable. I’m not a theologian nor do I hold a degree in Biblical studies, but I do have a heart and passion for helping others to read, understand, and apply the Word to their lives.
your Next step
Do you need something practical to walk away with today? A “next step”? My suggestion is to read Psalm 119. Read through it, and then read it again slowly. Take your time. This Psalm is all about the Word of God. It’s a great place to start.
You can read the next post in the series here.
If this has been helpful in any way, can I ask you to share it with your friends? Now more than ever, having a grounded foundation of the Word of God in our lives is vital. And I’m a big supporter of being grounded together with other believers. Let’s all dig in and become women who are actively engaged in knowing, loving, and living God’s Word.