Overflow Daily...ish: Loving Scripture


9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV)
On August 24th, 1572 the rivers of France resembled the Nile river after the first plague of Egypt. The waters had become red from the blood that nearly 100,000 Christians shed starting on a day known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. As the Protestant Reformation continued to spread throughout all of Europe, not everyone welcomed this “new” belief and interpretation of the Scriptures and it soon became a crime to even own your personal copy of the Bible in the French language. The Huguenots, however, were able to read the Scriptures for themselves and questioned much of the medieval Catholic Church’s teachings because of teachings which had no basis in the Scriptures. Because of their efforts to reform the church back to the Word of God, the wrath of the church and state boiled over and the result was one of the darkest days in French History… the day the rivers turned red.

Why were all of these Christians willing to lose their comforts, social status, and lives? Because they loved the Word of God and the truths found in it above everything else. In fact, I would argue that this ought to be the same for every true Christian today. Maybe you are doing some self-reflection right now and thinking that you do not have as high a regard for the Scriptures. May I encourage you to remind yourself of what it is that you have before you. The Word of God is not just a collection of 66 books. Neither is it a history book, a collection of wise sayings, or a series of moral imperatives. It contains eternal truths which addresses all of life’s questions such as who we are, how we came here, and why there is evil in the world. Of eternal significance, it reveals our sins and shows us how it is that we may be saved. That may, in and of itself, be the reason for us to devote ourselves to the study and application of God’s Word.

If you are already struggling in your Bible in a Year plan, may I offer these simple tips to help you grow more in love with God’s Word:

1) Know Christ- This may sound odd, but the truth is if Christ does not know you, meaning you are not born again, then you cannot understand the Scriptures.

2) Remember what the Bible is- It is God’s Word to us. Re-read that statement, it is GOD’S Word to us. The One who created everything and sustains all things. It is His direct word to you, how amazing is that!

3) Know that it is for us- It is specifically useful for us to teach us and train us and grow us in righteousness. It also provides us with all that we need for life and godliness.

4) Walk in Sanctification- Yes, to grow more in love with God you must put on godliness. You must discipline your flesh and turn away from sin and turn towards righteousness. Do not think that it will just happen automatically upon salvation.

5) Pray- Ask God to help you to understand the text by the help of His Spirit.

6) Read it- Don’t scratch your head on this one either. You must devote yourself to reading and studying the Bible if you want to grow more in love with it.

7) Journal- Do not just read the Bible, but journal what you have read to help you recall it and to also meditate on the text.

8) Subscribe to this blog- Yep, do it!

9) Share what you have read- We are not meant to be silos for the word of God, but to impart the truth and to preach the Gospel into the lives of those around us. Preach so that others will believe, preach to encourage others in the faith, preach to restore your own soul.

10) Join a church that exposites the Word of God- Not merely those who do topical teachings, but truly goes verse by verse through the Word so that you are trained to better handle the text.

God’s Word is truly good. It is not for words on a page that we are willing to die, but for the God who gave us these words. May your love abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alex


If you would like to join the Bible Reading Plan, you can do so by clicking the Connect button under the Group Reading section @ https://faithlife.com/overflowtx/activity
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