GOD’S WORD FOR NOVEMBER 18 ~ ~ Psalm 119:92 ~ ~ “If Your Law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my misery.”

From the book, How to Read the Bible by Dr. Michael Youssef, finishing up with eight principles for correctly handling God’s Word.

6. Avoid Reading into the Bible what You Want it to Say:

Ask yourself, “What does the Bible REALLY mean here?” Try to clear away your preconceptions and biases. Try to read the Bible as if you are reading it for the very first time.

Approach God’s Word with a willingness to be completely changed in your thinking and your way of life. The fallacy of reading into the text is called “eisegesis,” meaning the process of interpreting a text through the lens of your own biases and presuppositions. Instead of reading INTO the text, a good student of the Bible should read OUT OF the text what is actually there. The process of setting aside our biases and reading out of the text is call “exegesis” – from the Greek word that means “to lead out.”

Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your understanding. If you need more insight to understand the meaning of words or the cultural context of the passage, consult a trusted Bible commentary. Make sure you have a good grasp of what the Bible passage is saying to you.

7. Faithfully Apply What You Discover in the Bible

Ask yourself: “How can I apply this passage to my life today? How can I apply God’s wisdom to my problems, my decisions, my challenges today? How can I apply these Biblical principles to my business life, my home life, and my relationships?” Let the truth of God’s Word penetrate every aspect of your life. Apply its truths to real-life situations.

Learning to faithfully apply God’s truth to your life takes time. You cannot microwave the Scriptures, like heating up a cup of coffee. You simmer it slowly in the Crock-Pot of your thoughts and daily experience. When God speaks to you through a passage of Scripture, write it on sticky notes, and place it on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator door, and the dashboard of your car. Live in that Scripture, memorize it, and let it bathe your mind – then look for opportunities to apply that Scripture to your everyday life.

Begin every day with the Bible open in front of you. As you explore the Bible, the Holy Spirit will point out areas of your life that should be brought under the authority of the Word. You’ll begin to hear specific encouragement in the Word. You’ll hear specific rebukes or challenges or warnings for your life.

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was known as the “Prince of Preachers.” born in England, he was a longtime pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in London. He committed his life to Christ after a snowstorm forced him to take refuge in a church, where he heard the words of Isaiah 45:22: “turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.” Spurgeon did not have a long list of degrees after his name. In fact, he dropped out of school at age fifteen, taught himself to read Greek and Hebrew, and learned to read the Word of God in its original languages. He daily asked the Holy Spirit to open his mind and teach him truth from God’s Word. Here is what Charles Spurgeon said about the Bible:

“The book has wrestled with me. The Book has smitten me. The Book has comforted me. The Book has smiled on me. The Book has frowned on me. The Book has clasped my hand. The Book has warmed my heart. The Book weeps with me and sings with me. It whispers to me and it preaches to me. It maps my way and holds up my goings. It was to me the Young Man’s Best Companion and it is still my Morning and Evening Chaplain. It is a living Book – all over alive – from its first chapter to its last word it is full of a strange, mystic vitality which makes it have pre-eminence over every other writing for every living child of God.”

This is a much-needed perspective on the Word of God. The Bible truly is a book with a “strange, mystic vitality.” It is our sword that arms us for the spiritual battles we face every day, which are intensifying all the time. And the Word of God encourages us to keep fighting the good fight, because the Lord is on our side. We have read the last chapter, and it tells us that Jesus wins and He will establish His Kingdom forever.

8. Boldly Share God’s Word

The best way to build the truth of God’s Word into your life is to give it away at every opportunity. Share the good news of the Kingdom and the King. Tell others about some new morsel of truth you uncovered in your morning time of prayer and Bible study.

God will lead you to people who need to hear a message from His Word. Not everyone will accept it. Sometimes people won’t want to hear about God’s Word. Don’t let rejection or opposition stop you. Now is the time to pray for boldness in sharing the good news with the people around us. We must pray for boldness rather than safety. We must obey God rather than human beings.

I believe we are only seeing the beginning of the opposition and persecution that is coming our way. We are heading for times of testing. Are we willing to stand for the truth and proclaim it in the face of persecution? Like the apostles of old, we need to share God’s truth boldly and fearlessly, as if our lives depend on it.

The good news of the Kingdom won’t win any popularity contests – but it is the truth. Let’s proclaim it without compromise or hesitation, so that one day we can stand in the eternal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share you Master’s happiness!”

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II Corinthians 4:15

 For all things are for your sakes, so that grace, having spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Joshua 23:14

 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.

Isaiah 54:5

For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

John 14:18

I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ;

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