I enjoy reading - fast and slow. Since returning to Vietnam I have begun to access our Canadian library costing nothing but a $9.00 library card fee. So now for free, I can download a fiction book, or a light biography and read it quickly. On the other hand I am reading a theological book on my Kindle that is fairly dense and requires a much slower pace, with some words whose definition I can only guess from context.
Then there is the reading of Scripture that I do daily. I am preparing to preach this week on II Timothy 3:14 - 17 as part of a nine week summer series. It is a familiar passage with the familiar phrase "All Scripture is inspired or God breathed". I put that with the words of Jesus when He is tempted in the desert? "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matt. 4:11
When Jesus spoke, His words were "from the mouth of God." And when Scripture was written it was God breathed - as though from the mouth of God - coming through the personality of the human writer. That is why for example Jesus says "God said" when in reality He quotes words written by Moses.
All of the above to say don't ever stop appreciating this fact: of the millions of books on planet earth - hard copies and ebooks - only one is specially God breathed. Only one book provides us the absolutely trustworthy words from God.
I know most of you reading this blog; perhaps all of you, believe this to be true. Yet how then can we allow ourselves to become too busy to spend time reading God's book? How, except for very unusual circumstances, could a serious follower of Jesus say in good conscience "I just don't have time to read these unique words very often?"
Words from God - don't let them become common place or unimportant to you. You cannot live a healthy spiritual life without large amounts of these Words filtering through your mind and soul.
Then there is the reading of Scripture that I do daily. I am preparing to preach this week on II Timothy 3:14 - 17 as part of a nine week summer series. It is a familiar passage with the familiar phrase "All Scripture is inspired or God breathed". I put that with the words of Jesus when He is tempted in the desert? "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matt. 4:11
When Jesus spoke, His words were "from the mouth of God." And when Scripture was written it was God breathed - as though from the mouth of God - coming through the personality of the human writer. That is why for example Jesus says "God said" when in reality He quotes words written by Moses.
All of the above to say don't ever stop appreciating this fact: of the millions of books on planet earth - hard copies and ebooks - only one is specially God breathed. Only one book provides us the absolutely trustworthy words from God.
I know most of you reading this blog; perhaps all of you, believe this to be true. Yet how then can we allow ourselves to become too busy to spend time reading God's book? How, except for very unusual circumstances, could a serious follower of Jesus say in good conscience "I just don't have time to read these unique words very often?"
Words from God - don't let them become common place or unimportant to you. You cannot live a healthy spiritual life without large amounts of these Words filtering through your mind and soul.
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