Monday Devotional- Open Your Bible Week 2

This week is all about how we are to approach God's word or the TRUTH. Many of us use excuses to stay away from our bibles and this week there are some encouraging thoughts about approaching God's word that should make us feel more comfortable and at ease with sitting down with our bibles. Let's take a deeper look.

1. We should approach God's word REVERENTLY. When you open your bible there should be a feeling that you are coming to a source of life giving words that are so powerful they have the ability to transform you! That is pretty exciting stuff. At the same token anytime you approach anything of such power you always want to approach with respect. Make sure you are in a quiet space that is just for you and your thoughts so that you have the correct mindset to really dig in and absorb all that God has in for store for you that particular day from his word. Outside of God himself, nothing is more powerful than God's word! And so nothing is more deserving of our respect and reverence that the Bible! 

         Take a look at what God's word is compared to in Hebrews 4:12 and Ephesians 6:17.

     2.  We should approach God's word CONFIDENTLY. If you are a believer here 

           is a small sampling of what God's word says about you ( yes all of you). 

• You are a child of God. (John 1:12)
• You are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. (Isaiah 61:10)
• You are free! (Galatians 5:1)
• You are not condemned (Romans 8:1)
• You are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• You are LOVED. (Ephesians 5:2)

          The funny thing about us is that even though we have example after example of what God's 

          word lavishly says about us we still want to come up with reasons we are not qualified to open 

          our bibles! It is madness and I am begging you to stop what you are doing and look up and read           all the verses listed above in your own bible with your own eyes. These are not IF AND THEN           statements. If you will obey all my rules and guidelines I will love you. Or I am a child of God           only if I always have the desire to open my bible. NO NO and NO! This statement and any                 other statement like it that you can come up with is false. They are made up 

          and we are putting words in God's mouth and making all of them qualifying statements. The 

          things that God says about us are always true no matter what because the sacrifice has already

          been made on our behalf. That doesn't mean to not strive for what is good and right but for 

          heaven sakes please don't overlook God's abounding grace that just pours out for us and is

          always there at our fingertips to remind us how special we are. 

    3.  We should approach God's word REGULARLY. This should come as no shock that one of the 

          best ways to know God and know what his word so lovingly says about us is to open it 

          regularly. In Psalm 1 there is a comparison to a righteous person being like a tree planted by 

          streams of water. The tree and the stream they are in a relationship with each other. If the 

          streams water dries up the tree loses its life. It is an urgent and non negotiable relationship. The

          same is true in our own lives. How can we expect our life not to wither and be dry if we do not 

          water our lives with God's word regularly. I want to know that I have been regularly watering 

         my life with God's word so that my roots are strong and able to withstand anything....even some

         drier more difficult seasons that may have already come or will come. So how do we do this? 

         How do we make it a priority to sit down with our bibles every day? One of 

         the best things you can do is to create a space that is yours with all you will need for your quiet

         time and then commit to a time. Act as if this is a meal just like any other breakfast, lunch or 

        dinner date.  You would not skip a good meal that would nourish your stomach and make the 

        growling stomach go away would you? Then do not deprive your soul of 15-30 minutes each 

        day of some much needed watering. Make a commitment to yourself and you will see so much 

        fruit from this act in your life. 

       READ THROUGH PSALM 1 

  4.   We should approach God's word PRAYERFULLY. Prayer is an absolute heart changer as the

        book says. Through prayer we have direct access to say anything we need right to the creator of 

        the universe. How cool is that? Have you ever thought of it that way? What an honor to be able 

        to speak freely and honestly to the person who created me. He knows all my flaws and weakness

        and with him there is no pretending only a 100% authentic relationship with the most 

        trustworthy one there is. 

This is just a small sampling of what is talked about in the study for week 2. If you have the book there are some direct quotes scattered throughout. And there is more in depth question and scripture digging that you can get into. If you do not have the book go through and read some of the suggested passages and spend some time reading this week from God's word and feel good and confident about it! Drop the qualifications and know that God has a plan and a word to minister straight to you in whatever season you are walking through but you have to come to him first.