READING THE BIBLE – A CHORE OR PLEASURE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of
his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But
these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in His name.
(John 20:30-31)

MEDITATION:
What inspires you to read a book? Is it an attractive cover,
a ‘catchy’ title, or the reputation of the author? Maybe it’s
the main theme of the book? For instance, if you like sports,
would it pique your interest to read about the life of a famous
sports figure?

What if you are struggling with something like depression,
would you have an interest in reading about how someone
else successfully coped with, and overcame it in their life?

If you were interested in a particular hobby, would you look for
“How to” books about it? The list could go on and on, but again
the question is,
    “What motivates you to read certain books?”

A follow-up question is,
    “If you are reading about a specific individual, would you
      want to read everything about that person, or would you be
      less interested in reading the book, because the inclusion
      of all the details made it a very large book?”

Would you prefer to read about the highlights of an individual
(with a few details included as needed), so you could get a better
understanding about the specific characteristics of the person?

With these questions in mind, why did God speak through selected
individuals and compile all their writings into one book called, the
Bible? What is the core message God is communicating to mankind
in His Word? It’s a good question and one that the scriptures answer
for us in John 20:31.

The theme of the Bible is ‘Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God’.
If we expect to have life (real life), then we need to believe this
theme is true. Most of us understand that whenever we believe
in this message, and yield (commit) our lives to the Lord, we will
have everlasting life.

However, it also means that our life here on earth can become ‘alive’.
    We can experience feelings and emotions that we have
    never felt before. Our life can have a new focus and a
    new purpose, which will dramatically change every
    priority we have.

The scriptures also tell us that some of the details of the life of
Jesus are excluded from the Bible (in particular, some of the signs
He performed). Why would they be excluded? It could be that if
all the details about Jesus were included, the Bible would be so
large that many people would not want to read it.

Aren’t you glad that God knows how much should be included?
Aren’t you glad that He understands the number of details that
will keep us interested in reading His Word? Aren’t you glad that
He knows what can cause us to be less interested in reading the
Bible?

God knows what is important and He has created the perfect book
for all mankind; our responsibility is to read it. And when we do,
we can discover another critically important theme of His book:
    Salvation (life) is available for all those who
    believe that Jesus is God’s Son, that He is the
    Messiah, and that He is the Savior of mankind.
    Note:
        We prove our belief in God’s salvation plan
        when we surrender to His will, commit to
        following His Son, Jesus, and apply to our
        own lives, the things we have learned.

The Bible was written so we could understand God’s plan for His
redemption of all people. It was written so that those who are part
God’s family could clearly understand His laws, and His great love
which is available to guide and comfort us while we live our lives
here on earth.

Without the Bible, we would be overwhelmed with the troubles
of this life. Without understanding the theme of the Bible, we
would have feelings of hopelessness. Reading the Bible gives
us a greater appreciation of God’s enduring love for mankind.

One last question we might have is,
    “Why are ‘other signs of Jesus’ not recorded?”

Think about this as a possible answer:
    If we knew ‘everything’ about Jesus it would increase
    our understanding, but could cause a decrease in our
    faith and trust in Him. Our faith is based on the ‘unseen’
    (unknown), and not the ‘seen’ (known). God knows what
    we need to understand, and the things that should remain
    a mystery so our faith will increase. Anything that decreases
    our faith is never a good thing. Praise God for His wisdom!

ACTION:
Do you have any interest in the Bible? How often do you read
God’s Word? Has reading the Bible created a major, and long
lasting impact on your life? What changes have you made in
response to the things you have read in His Word?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of the Bible.
Thank You for including Your promises that give me hope
for a brighter future. Thank You for how I can be inspired
and motivated to make changes in my own life by simply
reading Your Word. Thank You for including guidelines
for a joyful life for me and everyone else. Thank You most
of all for Your promises to those who believe that Jesus is
Your Son, and that He is the Messiah who will return and
take His family with Him into a blissful eternity. Forgive
me if I am not reading the Bible as much as I should, and
forgive me if I have allowed other things to take the place
of reading Your Word. Create in me a burning desire for
reading the Bible and applying to my own life the things 
it teaches me. Convict me of the importance of committing
my life to following Jesus and surrendering my life to Your
will.”

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com