Living With Purpose

Shakespeare is considered by many to be the master writer of the English language and his works have been translated into 50 languages. This is quite impressive. However, there’s one book and its authors that trump his popularity. The Holy Bible, God’s Word, has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations and audio translations (for unwritten languages). This is incredible and accounts for the power and attraction it has held for its faithful readers throughout the centuries. The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years with the last installment being as late as 100 A.D.
Think of all the self-help books on the market today. A quick stroll down the aisles of the local bookstores and its evident people are searching for answers and help for life’s problems. The Bible is the greatest book ever written and its annual sales prove this fact. The Bible holds as its authors, faithful men and women who followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit. God’s library (the Bible) is a 66-volume series of essential information you should be familiar with.
You can read many different books. And I’m not opposed to secular reading. In fact, I’ve always encouraged my children to read and I also enjoy it. There’s much to be learned about this great universe of ours. I’m especially fond of biographies that give account of the gripping tales and daring feats performed by past heroes of faith and the more modern-day personalities. However, secular reading, even the best of it, can never substitute for the life-giving Word of God. God’s book, besides being the source of guidance for every human situation, is the only book that contains a “roadmap to heaven”. In this book, we learn that Jesus Christ is the Way of approach to the Father (John 14:6).
God’s Word has sustained people through the hardest of all difficulties and trials. It’s not uncommon to log onto the wildly popular social network Facebook and find numerous Scriptures referenced on people’s statuses. The Bible and its truths help you to overcome and people of faith know this. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” This great Psalm gives light to the power of God’s Word. If you haven’t already, you need to discover this power and get plugged into it. “Great and honored are You, O Lord. Teach me your law” (Psalm 119:12 NLV). Like the psalmist, we should ask God to teach us His Word. Discovering God’s promises means finding those that apply to our area of need. A good concordance in the back of some Bibles can help. Reference Bibles are also helpful in locating specific Scripture helps. You and I discover God’s Word when we trust Him to reveal it to us. It’s the Holy Spirit that helps us understand God’s Word.
Webster says the word “digest” means “to think over and absorb”. It’s important to digest what the Bible has to say. Psalm 119:18 states, “Open my eyes so that I may see great things from your law.” We need to delve into God’s promises, studying and pondering them. Bible commentaries found in bookstores can help explain certain verses and words. You should absorb what God has to say until you are absorbed by it. Read the Bible every day and digest it. The Psalmist wrote, “O taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who trusts in Him.” (Psalm 34:8).
If your new to daily Bible reading start with the book of Psalms and Proverbs of the Old Testament or begin reading from the New Testament and start with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then “believe” what you read. The Old Testament and the New Testament writings have helped people for hundreds and hundreds of years, even thousands. If God’s Words aren’t true, they would not have stood the test of time. The more real thinking, the more reading you do of the eternal truths (the Bible), the more quickly you’ll gain solid, satisfying self-confidence and faith.
I know people who claim never to read the Bible. This is, primarily, why some are defeated spiritually. With the right attitude and correct desire, God’s Word enables you to be conquerors of all that life throws at you. It should be a privilege and delight to have such a resource to help you live and face the joys and sorrows of life. “I will be glad in Your Law (Word), which I love…Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing will cause them to be hurt in their spirit” (Psalm 119:47, 165).
Self-effort will only get you so far. In medical science, doctors can only do so much. But God is never limited by time and resources. If we are to conquer, we must depend on God’s Word. It never fails. Joshua 21:45, “Every good promise which the Lord gives to His people comes true.” There are many people that will agree there are few things in this life that are trustworthy. Possessions fail, pleasures don’t last, popularity rises and falls, and people will let you down. “But the Word of the Lord will endure forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Find a Bible-believing, Scripture-preaching church, attend faithfully, and follow God in all your ways.
• This weekly column is written by Matt Dobson. A graduate of Florida State University, Univ. of West Florida, and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, he is Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Jay, Florida and a 1LT Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves. Matt can be reached by email: rmdobson@liberty.edu. He welcomes your thoughts concerning faith, belief, and Christian living. Visit the Living With Purpose website at www.living-with-purpose.org.