Living the Word and not just reading it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 

1.     What are some of the specific kinds of work God can do in our lives through study of his Word, and how have you experienced one of these in the past month? 

God’s Word can be used for every situation, specifically teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. I’m sorry. My heart is not into this. If you read the Bible, but you ignore it. You don’t put it into practice, why bother. I said before during confession. It would be much easier if everyone did it. When you’re surrounded by Christians who do not put what they read into practice, it makes it that much more difficult to do it yourself. People proclaiming God’s Word, talking about it, studying it, but not living it. And it’s politically correct to say you’re doing the best you can. We are all sinful.

What I want to experience is training. I just don’t know where to get it. Who to do it with. Where to go. I’m so alone.

2.    Why are a repentant spirit and a soft heart essential when we read the Scriptures? 

You have to be open to the fact that the Bible is talking to YOU. We so easily see where it is talking to this person or that person or any other sinner, but not us. We have to acknowledge that what we are reading is meant for us in that time and in that moment and every verse will have something new for YOU to find and absorb and practice. And we don’t need to hoard what we’ve learned for sharing with others that we feel can learn from it as well. This can be one of those secret things. It is a love story from God to you. You cannot be hard-hearted for that!

What are some of the dangers when a person reads the Bible simply to accumulate knowledge? 

They hoard the knowledge to be useful elsewhere. They keep it on little note cards in their back pocket to be used at a later time. An appropriate time. And what’s the point of reading it if you don’t intend to use it. You don’t read a manual on how to fix a car and then not attempt to fix it. You don’t read a book on how to change your diet and then continue to eat as always. You should read the Bible and put it into practice. The knowledge is useless to you otherwise.

3.    What is one passage in the Bible that has sunk deep into your heart and how has this portion of Scripture brought transformation to your life?

I’m empty. I don’t have this. I’ve been doing it all wrong if at all. I choose to be offended by some of what I read. I wish I had a lovely story about the verse that changed my life. I don’t have one right now.

I guess there is a part of me that embraces an idea that I can no longer find. Or maybe it’s not even in the Bible. Or maybe it’s an idea that takes several stories into account. God made use out of Moses. Jesus made use out of 12 ordinary men. I guess I find hope in the idea that God can make use out of me. He has gifted me in a way that I can serve in various places. And I’m aware that He can use me in areas that I’m not even gifted in if I trust Him and follow Him. It is in your weaknesses, not in your strengths that God shines.

But he said to me, 
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, 
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

It’s that second part that needs to be drummed into my head.