The university library was massive.  It had shelves of books on virtually every imaginable topic (and many that I had never conceived of) from every possible perspective. A person could read there for their entire lifetime and never even make a dent in the total number of books.

Fortunately, I was interested in reading only some of the topics. Some areas held no interest for me whatsoever, and I don’t even have the expertise to decipher or understand others. For example, I’ve never been able to grasp the fundamental concepts behind simple differential/integral calculus, so any book on that topic or any topic that uses that knowledge as a foundation would be beyond me. 

The foreign language section would be beyond my grasp. I took some French in high school and university, but to be generous, it’s rusty. I can make out the occasional phrase in Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, and a handful of other languages. Still, I am not fluent in any of them. I can say I don’t “speak the language” in French, German, Italian,  and Spanish.

I headed towards the seminary section of the library, looking for the topics I was interested in researching. Again, there was a bewildering array of books. For example, there were hundreds of biographies on Jesus (and I know they only have a sampling), some of which start with the belief that the Bible is true (as do I) and others that believe that there is no truth in the Bible at all. Theological perspectives from the extreme liberal to the middle of the road and onto the ultra-conservative were available on many topics.

The topic of God, the claims of Jesus, and the path to salvation are some of the most vital issues of all. It’s no wonder so many books have been written on these subjects.

Some people look at all those books and think, “Why should I read the Bible?” If the “experts” can’t agree, why should I even try? Some denominations or congregations even try to maintain control by encouraging this point of view.

The Bible is an incredible book. It contains truths that are so simple that a young child can understand them. It contains truths so vast that theologians have been arguing for thousands of years over the interpretations. If you are a believer, you have a built-in guide to help you understand the truth (Holy Spirit). No matter how much you read, you will never truly understand Scripture if you’re not a believer. 

Yet, I know of many cases where people who weren’t believers but had open, honest, searching hearts asked God to reveal Himself to them when they read the Word, and He did.

I have thousands of hours of Bible reading and study under my belt. I have thousands of hours of readings commentaries, dictionaries and other books about the Bible. I still have only begun to tap into the wealth of knowledge the Bible contains. There is more wisdom and truth in the Bible than in all the books in the university library for the person who will earnestly seek it.

I’ll never know it all, but with a bit of reading, anyone can sit down and learn through the Bible that Jesus loves them and will save them if they only ask. The Bible will teach you what God is like and what He wants from us. It will teach you, rebuke you, correct you, and embrace you if you only open the covers and begin reading it.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

Not sure where to begin reading your Bible? There are many plans available for daily Bible reading. Here’s one I recommend to people

Read the Gospel of John through two or three times

Read the four gospels through twice. By this point you’ll have a good idea of who Jesus is.

Read the New Testament through twice. You’ll have a good basic knowledge.

Follow this by reading all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Repeat…Repeat… Repeat

Reading twenty minutes daily will enable you to read through the Bible in a year. Reading a book a day will get you through cover to cover in 66 days.

Don’t worry that you don’t understand it all at once—no one does. You will find, though, that you gain new wisdom and insights every time you do. 

The more time you spend in the Word, the more you will realize its importance and the more you will want to do it. Don’t be discouraged; it’s often hard to form new habits. If you slip, just pick yourself up again and keep on going.

Until next time, don’t be intimidated. Read the Bible. God had written a wonderful love letter to you within the pages of that book. He’s waiting for you to read it.

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

I recently watched a home improvement reel online,  which made me remember a minor project I had done years ago. I had to adjust the striker plate hole on a door, a two-minute task.

I knew where my chisels were. Sure enough, right in the tool chest drawer, all except the one I needed. After twenty minutes of searching, I found where it had fallen off a shelf. Great! Problem solved.

Unfortunately, not so fast. The blade’s fall onto the concrete caused a big divot. It was large enough to have to be ground out and then resharpened, which took about an hour.

At last, I was ready to fix the door. It took about two minutes. Five years of procrastination, an hour and a half to find and prepare the tools, All that for a two-minute job.

There are many parallels to my faith walk. Although I had heard the gospel, I didn’t come to Christ until my thirties. Once I recognized the need, coming to him was relatively simple.

I was forgiven at that moment, but then the real work began. I needed to be reground and reshaped into his image, and that is an ongoing process.

I had a lot of lousy thinking to overcome. I had much to learn about Jesus … the Spirit … and the Father. I had to begin to read the Bible and listen to sermons. I had to start to put what I was learning into practice.

I had to learn to love and forgive others. I had to learn to trust in Jesus to do what He promised. I had to endure rejection from most of my extended family because of my newfound faith.

When I tried to put what I was learning into practice, I often found that my blade was still pretty dull and needed honing. Sometimes, I was too aggressive and zealous in my approach to people, and sometimes, I was too passive. Sometimes, I tried to change things under my own power, not His. My heart was often right, but I did or said the wrong thing.

Yet, He continued to work despite the foibles and follies. He never gave up on me. At times, I even saw victory. The process continues today.

Sometimes, big divots need to be removed, and it can hurt. Other times, it’s just a gentle feathering touch on the blade. Still, other times, we are amazed to see how God works through us despite our dullness.

The Bible uses different metaphors, but it emphasizes the need to remain close to Jesus and the ongoing shaping and refining.

We start the process by accepting Jesus and begin the lifelong journey of becoming like him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

I don’t know where you are in your faith walk. Maybe you are in the procrastination phase and putting off trusting Jesus. Please know that salvation is a time-limited offer. None of us knows the hour of our death or the hour of His return. When that happens, it is too late.

Maybe you are being pruned, refined, and sharpened. To some degree, we all remain there until we go to be with the Lord. It’s not always a pleasant process, but it is a worthwhile journey, and there are many times of great joy and gratitude that come with the grinding and shaping.

Eventually, all those who are His will be with Him for eternity, and the job will be completed. We will be all He has created us to be. We will be prepared for whatever blessings and tasks He has uniquely crafted us to do with/for Him in glory. That will be an indescribable joy.

Until next time, rejoice in the reshaping because what He has planned for us is beyond our greatest expectations.

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.