When Your Education Tests Your Faith, You Have Three Choices

By Rick Warren

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12 NIV).

Education is vitally important to all of us. It’s one of the few parts of our lives that should never end. We should always be learning. The Bible describes it as a key to a successful life (Proverbs 19:8).

But like anything so important, we have to guard it. We have to ensure that our learning draws us closer to God and doesn’t pull us away from him.

That starts with a decision.

You have to decide in advance to stand for God.

The time to think through your loyalty to God isn’t when you’re learning something new. It’s before you even start.

The Bible tells us, “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33b NASB).

This verse doesn’t say “you might” have troubles. It doesn’t say “if” you have troubles. It says you will have troubles. And that includes your education. Your faith will be tested by your education. No doubt about it.

In 2 Timothy 3:12 we read, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (NIV).

If you’re not suffering any persecution in your life, it may indicate you’re not living an entirely godly life. It may mean you’re trying to be a chameleon where some people don’t know you’re a Christian.

Count on being tested in your education. You can fail a big math test. But you can’t fail the most important test you’ll ever take -- the test of your faith. It has eternal consequences.

When your education tests your faith, you have three choices.

You can take a dive. You withdraw and just drop your faith.

You can withdraw. You simply compartmentalize your life, and you don’t let God’s Word impact what you’re learning.

You can determine to thrive. You choose to run what you’re learning through the filter of God’s Word.

That’s what Daniel and his friends did in the first chapter of Daniel. Before going through the king’s indoctrination program, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself” (Daniel 1:8a NLT).

Daniel and his friends didn’t let phony ideas blow up their faith. Neither should you.

Decide from the start you’ll protect your mind. Decide you’ll run everything through a biblical filter. That’s how you thrive in your education -- and your faith. And use this filter no matter how old you are or where you are in life -- God wants you to be a lifelong learner, which means you’ll face lifelong challenges to your faith.

Remember that God is for you, not against you, when you’re being tested. He’s guiding you into a deeper faith and a closer relationship with him.

Talk It Over

Think of a time you saw someone “take a dive” or “withdraw” when education tested their faith. What did you learn from their experience?

How have you used the filter of God’s Word to process something you’ve learned? How did you grow from that experience?

How can you help another person learn the principles in this devotional and guard their mind properly throughout their education?

Are proverbs iron-clad promises?

Verse: Proverbs 3:1-4NIV  My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs are principles of right living and general descriptions of life’s realities, rather than sure-fire promises or guarantees. For example, Proverbs 3:1-2 appears to promise a long life and prosperity to those who do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart. Yet some godly people live in poverty and die at a young age.

This proverb isn’t offering immunity from illness, accidents or financial troubles. Rather, proverbs such as this point to a general principle, which if applied consistently to our lives, will save us from unnecessary pain and suffering. While we aren’t guaranteed we’ll never contract cancer or go broke, we can avoid the foolish choices that can prematurely cut our lives short or cause financial ruin.

While Proverbs observes the way life works time after time, exceptions to the general rules are evident in the books of Ecclesiastes and Job.

This devotion is from The Quest Study Bible by Zondervan. Used with permission.

This Should Have Us All Talking

by Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. (Isaiah 50:4)

Friend to Friend

I’ve heard it said, “If you don't know your purpose, you will be distracted by the voices.” The same principle applies to the purpose of our words. The Bible has a lot to say about the ways we should use our words.

To ENCOURAGE - “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

To WORSHIP - “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” (Psalm 103:1-5)

“May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.” (Psalm 119:171-172)

To TEACH - “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” (Proverbs 31:26)

To PROTECT - “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23)

To CONNECT - “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)

To CALM - “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” (Proverbs 26:20)

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus 3:1)

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (Proverbs 15:1)

A tongue that is led by the flesh falls easily into speaking destruction, corruption, or gossip. A tongue that takes its cues from the leading of the Holy Spirit does not. Period.

The prophet Isaiah recognized the importance of his words. “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.”(Isaiah 50:4) I read this and begin to ask God for a well-instructed tongue.

Recognizing his personal limitations but God’s limitlessness, Isaiah also wrote this, “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7)

Oh, how I wish I had this perfected. But I don't. My words still put me to shame sometimes. It is only by the grace of God that I can speak in ways that honor God. Because, like Isaiah, He helps me.

Without God’s intervention my sparky emotions can become a destructive force just looking for a place to happen. Especially with my family. But, thankfully, God helps me when I call to Him. And when I go off track, God convicts me... reminds me that I am His... that His Spirit is within me, and that His plan for me is greater. And He forgives. (Thank you, Jesus!)

I am challenged and changed by the love of Christ.
My words should be too.
Scripture points us to speak in ways that honor Christ, reflect His grace, echo His love, build others up and make much of Him. Paul encouraged the believers in Ephesus to, “...walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) Today let’s determine to TALK in a way worthy of our calling.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Please help me choose my words wisely today. Instruct my tongue. Lead me to build others up and to worship You continually. Keep me from causing harm to others.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Consider Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” What one practical thing can you do today to move your tongue and heart in this direction? Share your “one thing” on the wall of my blog.

A NEW NORMAL

"Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant saying, 'Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.'" Joshua 1:1-2

Moses was dead. The man who faced off with Pharaoh and faithfully led God’s people through the wilderness for over forty years was dead. The man who was the human instrument of so many miracles was dead. The man who met face to face with God in the tent of meeting was dead. As the news traveled through the camp of Israel, you could hear the gasps, “Say it isn’t so!  What are we to do now!?”        

The people wept and mourned Moses’ death for thirty days. Then God appointed a new leader, Joshua, and told the people to get up and get on with life. Moses was dead, but God wasn’t... and neither were they. The Lord had much more for them to do as the Promised Land awaited.          
  HAVE YOU FACED A MAJOR CHANGE RECENTLY?

Without question, when Moses died, the people faced a tremendous change in life. The death of a beloved leader has a way of doing that. Perhaps you too have faced a big change recently. Perhaps you have experienced the painful death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, or the devastation of divorce, or the deterioration of health.   

What do you do when life changes suddenly, unexpectedly, and without your permission?
  1.  You mourn.  It is normal and natural to mourn when something or someone you hold dear is taken away.  Emotional pain is not sinful. It is part of being human. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus and mourned the death of John the Baptist.
  2.  You stop mourning.  While it is good, right, and permissible to mourn, you cannot get stuck in a state of mourning.  The Scripture says, "When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ...." We don't build a house in that dark valley and set up shop there. Life does go on... and you need to go on, too.        
  3.  You trust God that the best is yet to be.  The people could mourn themselves to death and be buried on the plains of Moab, or they could arise, dry their tears, and enter the Promised Land. Just because a major change had come, life did not have to lose its sweetness. In fact, they were getting ready to experience new and greater blessings from God as they took possession of a land that flowed with milk and honey.

Listen, your best days are not behind you! They are ahead of you. God has a Promised Land in store for you, both in this life and the life to come. So, keep rejoicing, keep praising, and keep trusting Him. The Lord wants to turn your new normal into new opportunities and fresh encounters with Him. What do you say? Will you arise and cross this Jordan?
 
Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries

Where to Find Your True Self-Worth

by Dr. Jack Graham

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Years ago, Newsweek magazine ran an article on what they called the “feel-good movement” in America. It was titled "The Curse of Self-Esteem: What's Wrong with the Feel-Good Movement." This movement essentially stresses the importance of self-esteem and self-worth. But the article explored why studies were showing that this way of thinking was failing our society.

The article concluded that feeling good about ourselves doesn’t satisfy our deepest philosophical and spiritual needs. It’s superficial, and causes people to attempt to live up to impossible standards, setting them up for ultimate disappointment as their sense of self-worth crashes down.

This only brings us back to the original problem: people today are sick from hating themselves. And no amount of thinking positively can fix that. So how can we cure this sickness? Well, it goes beyond what we think into the very core of who we are.

The key to knowing your true worth is by seeing yourself how God sees you in Christ. To Him, you’re not worthless. In fact, He loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die on a cross for your sin so that you can have eternal life. Once we begin to understand who we are in Christ, that’s when we’ll know our true self-worth!

FIND YOUR TRUE SELF-WORTH NOT IT POSITIVE THINKING, BUT IN WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE!

He Leads Us

by Max Lucado

How can a person deal with anxiety? One fellow decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him. He found a man who agreed to do so for a salary of $200,000 a year. After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, “Where are you going to get $200,000 per year?” To which the man responded, “That’s your worry!” Worrying is one job you can’t farm out—but you can overcome it.

David declares in Psalm 23:2, “He leads me beside the still waters.” He leads me! God isn’t behind me, yelling, “Go!” He’s ahead of me bidding, “Come!” He leads us. He tells us what we need to know when we need to know it. Hebrews 4:16 says, “We will find grace to help us when we need it!”

God leads us. God will do the right thing at the right time. What a difference that makes!

No Turning Back, No Turning Back

by Mike Pohlman

No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. --Luke 9:62
I love the old spiritual, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” I hear in it the echo of Luke 9:62. Listen, for example, to the third stanza: “The world behind me, the cross before me. No turning back, no turning back.”
In this simple song we see a profound biblical truth: the Christian life is a constant movement forward to our heavenly home. We are not called to retreat in the face of the many spiritual battles that will crusade against us. We are called to advance in godliness—come what may.   
I’ve been indulging lately in a wonderful biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Jean Edward Smith. One theme that persists in Grant’s career as a general was his constant movement forward. Grant, in other words, was always on the offensive. His battle strategy was not to “dig in” and fight a defensive war. He was on the march, pressing the Confederacy into submission. Grant’s persistence—his stubborn determination to move forward and not look back—was summed up succinctly by Abraham Lincoln when he said in response to calls for Grant’s removal in early 1862: “I cannot spare this man; he fights.”
As the sun was setting on the Apostle Paul’s ministry he wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Unlike Grant, Paul’s fight was not against flesh and blood, “but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). But like Grant, Paul left no room for retreat. His life was marked by a steady, determined, rugged movement forward. Consider this astounding example from Acts 14:
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed (19-23).
Paul was “struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9). After being stoned and left for dead, he got up and moved forward. “But one thing I do,” Paul said, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
I’m reminded of one of the most moving passages in Smith’s biography of Grant describing an episode after the first day of fighting at Shiloh leaving Grant’s army on the brink of defeat: 
Later, sometime after midnight, raining harder now, Sherman went looking for Grant. He had worked five hours to prepare his division to attack, but it seemed hopeless. His men had been thoroughly beaten and Sherman—who would have been the last to say so—thought it important “to put the river between us and the enemy.” This is why he sought Grant, to see when and how the retreat could be arranged. The rain was coming down in buckets, punctuated by heavy thunder and lightning in the background. In this surreal setting Sherman found Grant standing alone under a large oak tree, dripping wet, hat slouched down over his face, coat collar up around his ears, a dimly glowing lantern in his hand, cigar clenched between his teeth. Sherman looked at him for a moment from a distance. Then, “moved” as he put it later, “by some wise and sudden instinct not to mention retreat,” Sherman approached and said, “Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day, haven’t we?” “Yes,” answered Grant, puffing hard on his cigar. “Yes. Lick’em tomorrow though.”
Which of us has not experienced a crushing defeat in the Christian life? Against the constant bombardment of the world, the flesh, and the devil we battle everyday to believe the promises of God held out for us in the Gospel. And, if we’re honest, some days we don’t feel like we’re winning at all. In fact, some days defeat feels certain.
But arrayed in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) we get up by grace ready to “lick’em tomorrow.” We remind ourselves that God in Christ “always leads us in triumphal procession” (2 Corinthians 2:14) “so that [we] may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3).

Your Spiritual Impact

by Pastor Greg Laurie

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. - (Jonah 1:7)

One man or woman outside the will of God can be a menace to themselves and to everyone else. A case in point: Jonah. The Lord had told Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh, and Jonah said no. Then he boarded a boat going in the opposite direction. A storm came, and the boat was shaking and tossing back and forth in the sea. Everyone was affected because of Jonah, and they figured out that he was the problem. He told the men, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me” (Jonah 1:12). So off Jonah went, and the storm stopped.

One man, in his disobedience, affected all those other people. Think of the husband who is not being the man God has called him to be. He is not being the spiritual leader of the family. In so many Christian homes, the wife is the spiritual leader, and the husband kind of goes along for the ride. How wonderful it is when a husband recognizes that he is to lead spiritually.

I read about a study in which researchers found that if both parents attend church regularly, 33 percent of their children will become regular churchgoers, while 41 percent will be irregular churchgoers. And interestingly, even if a father attends church regularly and a mother does not, 38 percent of their children will become regular churchgoers.

Think of the impact parents have on their children. They are passing that legacy on. When parents say, “We are going to church” or “We are going to go to a midweek study,” what a great example it is for their kids.

Think of the spiritual impact you are having on others.

Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What If It Were Today?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Two little girls were talking in school one day, and one said to the other, “I hear the school board is making an inspection of our school this week.”

The other girl’s desk was messy, so she said, “I’ll clean it up tomorrow.”

The first one asked, “But what if they come today?”

Her friend said, “You know, I think I’ll clean it up right now—and keep it clean.”

ACTION POINT:

If you knew that Jesus was coming to your house this afternoon, would there be any cleaning you would need to do? Any magazines or videos you would need to trash? Any pictures on the walls you would need to take down?

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

A Message from Isaiah

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:2-3

One morning a few years ago, I woke up with the word “Isaiah” in my mind. I personally do not know anyone named Isaiah so I wondered why this name was on my heart. As I opened my Bible that morning, I literally turned to the first page of Isaiah. I immediately began wondering what message the Lord might have for me in this book. Since then, God has given me more messages from the book of Isaiah than I can count, and Isaiah now holds some of my most treasured sections of Scripture. One of my personal favorites is chapter 45.

When I first read that the Lord will make my “crooked places straight” and will “cut the bars of iron,” I knew these were messages of freedom. Then to hear that the Lord calls me by my name, this made the message even more personal, as if He was speaking to me directly. I have come to understand that He isspeaking to me directly. I took Him at His word and I began to pray:

Lord, please go before me and straighten out those parts of my life that are out of order or where I do not see the path before me. And please break the gates and cut the bars that keep me locked up, that have held me captive. I desire those treasures You have for me in the freedom that You want to give me. You are God and there is none other. I need You to be my God today and forever.

These verses are just a snapshot of this great book. Through Isaiah I learned how to pray God’s Word back to Him and through praying God’s Word, I have seen His personal touch on my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Maybe today is the day for you to open your Bible to the book of Isaiah. Who knows how many messages God has for you there? He knows and you will soon find out. May God go before you and bless you.

from Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc

The Devil In Your Tent

by Pastor Carter Conlon

This message is for those who wonder, “what can I do to make a difference in such an evil time?” If you are living in a house where there is compromise and the devil shows up at your tent, don’t run away, step out and face him and God will give you a revelation of the victory of the Cross. In Christ, women have spiritual authority and the power to drive a tent peg right into the head of the enemy.

God is Able

by Pastor Carter Conlon

Joshua chapter 10 part way through verse 13, “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.”

The Bible tells us that the heavens declare, or that means they testify, to the glory of God. Not only His power to create, but His power to subject all things to His will. He stopped the movement of the sun for a day because a chosen vessel of His had prayed in the midst of his battle. If you will fight for truth to be established in your life, God is able to suspend a myriad of things that have been set in motion to defeat you. Every promise written in the Bible is yours today. To silence every voice of opposition; simply point them to the Son.

It’s time to pray!

A Twelve-Year-Old, One-Eyed Dog

by Pastor Carter Conlon

Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 10 says this, “A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

I have a 12-year old, one-eyed dog called Rue. He’s getting shaky. He’s old, he’s frail, and he’s fearful when we go walking because his remaining vision is getting rather dim. You know, it just makes me love him all the more. He has no need to be afraid; my guiding hand, as we walk, will keep him safe. It reminds me of the care of Christ for you and I. Somedays, you and I too feel shaky, old, frail, and afraid, but the love of Christ towards us keeps us secure, and the tender strength of his hand promises to keep us safe, and guide us until we get home. It might be nice today to take a moment just to say thanks.

It’s time for you and I to pray!

Through the Fire

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. - (Isaiah 43:2)

Years ago my wife was cooking a steak, and as she often does, she threw it on and then went and did something else. But on this particular occasion, she forgot about the steak. Then she said, “Something is burning. What's that smell?”

Let’s just say it was well done.

I’m glad that when we go through fiery trials as believers, God doesn’t get distracted, forget about us, and leave us there.

David wrote in Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (verse 4 nkjv).

We must remember to cast our problems on the Lord, turning them over to Him in times of need.

When the people were griping and complaining about Moses, the Bible tells us that Moses cried out to the Lord. When Hezekiah received an intimidating letter from a king who was threatening to destroy him, he spread the letter out before the Lord. When Mary and Martha saw that their beloved brother Lazarus was sick, they sent word to the Lord.

When trouble comes your way, cast it on Him. Spread it out before Him. Call on Him. As the Scriptures say, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 nkjv).

Most of us would like to avoid the valleys of life, so to speak, but there are some lessons we learn there that we cannot learn anywhere else.

God doesn’t promise to keep us out of all trouble. But He does promise to be with us in the midst of it. It’s a great thing to know that when the Lord lets His children go through a fiery trial, He always keeps an eye on them and an eye on the thermostat.
Copyright (c) 2017 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org

Our Divine Teacher

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."

10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot * understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. 

 

One of the reasons that many people--including believers--don’t read the Bible is because they can’t understand it. We would expect that to be the case for those who don’t know Christ, but why do so many believers fail to comprehend the truths of Scripture? Maybe it’s because they haven’t asked for help from their divine Teacher. One of the Holy Spirit’s chief responsibilities is to enable Christians to understand the things of God.

When looking at believers who know more than we do, we’ll sometimes think, I will never be able to reach that level. The issue, however, isn’t how much knowledge you have right now, but whether you are growing in your understanding. The Spirit will teach you what you need to know, not necessarily what others know. Because He wants to make us godly people, He’ll give us enough truth each day to change our lives. He will interpret the meaning and give an application designed specifically for each person.

The Spirit’s goal is not to fill your mind with information but to bring you to a deeper level in your relationship with the Lord. He wants you to understand the truth so you will fall in love with Jesus. Then you’ll long to spend time in the Word, thereby getting to know Him even better.

But all these treasures of God’s Word could remain out of reach if you never ask the Teacher to unlock them. Each time you read your Bible, ask the Lord for understanding. A wonderfully intimate love relationship with Christ awaits those who let the Spirit reveal to them the thoughts of God.

from Dr. Charles Stanley