Picking up the pad next to my bed, I jotted down another question. I thought the Bible was supposed to provide answers not more questions. Such was my typical Bible reading experience before I joined a Bible study group in college.

Unsure of what to expect, I agreed to attend a study my friend was hosting. I relaxed when the audio teachings were interesting and humorous. What fascinated me most was how the teacher used the Bible as if it were the authority on how to live.

Before this time, I’d approached the Bible as if I were the authority. The parts that supported my thinking, I kept. What didn’t, I blew off like dust collected from an age gone by.

My girlfriend had no idea her study was leading me to a fork in the road. Would I continue to rely on my limited understanding? Or, would I look to the Bible as God’s inerrant word for my life?

I chose my path. I began to read the Bible as if it pertained to me. The change turned my world right side up. Not only did the Bible start to make sense, the evening news and everything else came into focus.

“I feel like I’ve been walking around blindfolded,” I told my friend. “Now I can see!”

Viewing the Bible as God’s Word opened a world more wonderful than Disneyland. Insights began to outnumber my questions. Life took on deeper meaning. God had not only steered me onto the path of life; He’d also opened my mind to perceive His guidance, comfort, and council.

I later discovered a verse that explained why the Bible had been so confusing to me earlier: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV).

Even though I’d trusted Christ for my salvation from sin, I’d been operating as a “natural man.” I was relying on myself instead of on the Holy Spirit. Only after I bowed to Christ’s Lordship in my life did I find the Spirit’s wisdom and counsel.

Understanding the Bible begins by coming to God as a child. Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Luke 10:21, ESV).

I discovered this verse in my personal devotions during the semester a seminary professor scoffed the idea of God personally guiding us from the Bible. He apparently wanted us to rely on him, not God, for understanding. Once again, God used His Word to protect me.

Seeking loopholes to support our beliefs won’t make us wise. But seeking God through His Word makes us wiser than our teachers (Psalm 119:99).

Religious and secular wisdom fluctuate with the tides of time. If you want understanding that won’t change with the next generation or administration, read God’s Word. Trends don’t have to jerk us around.

I put together a short e-book on How to Get a Personal Word from God. It’s free on the right margin.

Would you like to join a Bible study group? Click here to learn of opportunities.

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Blessings,

Debbie W. Wilson

Resources

To learn more about the reliability of the Bible, check out Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict.

Sometimes I link to the following great sites: #Reflectlinkup, #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #Titus2Tuesday, #IntentialTuesday, #TuesTalk, #So much at Home, #w2wwordfilledwednesday, #Wedded Wednesday, #Women with Intention,  #LivefreeThursday, Counting My Blessings, #WordswithWinter, #Grace and Truth

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