you ’ re confused and unable to sort things out ?
The reality that God ’ s Word is living and active means that it is a powerful weapon that can cut through the chaos in our head and a beacon of light in our overwhelm . The power of God ’ s Word has a way of slicing through confusion , mixed motives , denial , blind spots , and sin to show us the truth that can set us free ( John 8:32 ).
In a world where we can access any information in seconds , the danger is the expectation that information will at some point equal transformation . Just because we can google a variety of solutions to the problems in our lives doesn ’ t mean that those problems will be solved . You can research every angle in the world about your serious health diagnosis , but you have no control over how your body will respond to treatment or a definite answer on your quality of life three to five years from now . Information is great , but it can ’ t provide the kind of peace in your life that the living and active Word of God can .
The spiritual practice of engaging with Scripture is about finding ways to incorporate God ’ s Word into every area of your heart , mind , actions , and life . The goal of engaging with Scripture is to increase our awareness of the character and love of God . It is not to increase the number of colored pencils we have or how many notes are in our Bible . Those are good things , but they aren ’ t the purpose of this spiritual practice .
In my years as a Bible teacher and leader , I ’ ve noticed that when the focus of Bible study swings to how often and how long we study rather than how we study , it ’ s hard for a single verse or chapter to be applied and absorbed into the reader ’ s life . Many have faithfully showed up at Bible study or small group for decades , but in the end their lives remain unchanged or they walk away because God ’ s Word never soaked in enough to make a difference . They never allowed the living and active Word of God to transform them . The spiritual practice of engaging Scripture isn ’ t only opening and closing your Bible at a certain time of day . It ’ s bringing Scripture with you wherever you go and letting its words flow through your life in every situation .
Engagement with Scripture means that you can arm yourself with knowing how to interject the Bible into any area of your life at any time . This can also include meditating on Scripture , which is continuing to think and reflect on what you ’ ve read in the Bible .
Instead of limiting your practice to one specific way of sitting at a table or in a chair with your Bible and pen for thirty minutes , there are unlimited options for bringing the Bible into every moment of your everyday life . If you ’ re stuck in traffic while hurrying to pick up the kids from school , you can engage with Scripture by listening to the Bible on audio . If you ’ re pacing the floor at night because you ’ re upset about decisions that your teenager has made , you can write out verses on notecards about God ’ s peace and power . The potency
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