The question is, “Can the Bible really speak? There are 2 important things we must remember and accept by faith about the Bible.
One, it is the inspired word of God, God breathed the words that we find in the Bible.
Two, it is a spiritual book and can be understood by believers who recognize that they are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own”? in other words the Holy Spirit lives in you! Show More
That is exciting news! God promised in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, that he would give us spiritual “eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart or mind to comprehend the things of God”.
So, how can a book thousands of years old be relevant and “speak to us” for our lives today? The Bible is not meant to be simply an intellectual book about times, places and people, but a guide for living life. Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. The primary purpose of the Bible is to guide you into living a peace filled, purpose filled, and joy filled life or in other words a blessed life.
Bible scholars use the term “illumination of the scriptures” to mean that as we read the bible certain verses or phrases come “alive” or seem to “jump off the page” and are relevant to what we are going through in life.
Let me illustrate this concept of “illumination” with an example from my own life. As a new Christian I used to have a problem with anger. I would get angry over the simplest situations and that created a tense environment in relationships especially with my family. Looking back, I would get angry over the silliest things. Now, my anger was such a part of my life that I was not aware of the “angry man” I had become. One day as I was reading in the book of James (1:19) the following verse “jumped out”, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”.
Immediately, through that scripture verse, I saw myself for who I was, a very angry man. I didn’t take the time to listen, I would speak rashly and become so easily angry. I also saw the impact I was having on my family. It was then I began a journey, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, to get to the root of my anger and deal with it. I knew enough that anger leads to bitterness and bitterness is an emotional poison. To make a long story short, God showed me that I had made a foolish decision as a teenager, I decided that I would not let anyone hurt me, emotionally, but that I instead of feelings of hurt I would get angry instead. The vow I made was forgotten but the decision I made had a long-term effect on me.
All of this happened because God didn’t want me to live my life hurting myself and others. You see “hurting people hurt people”! The Holy Spirit illuminated that verse in James and it had a profound and personal impact upon my life. Today I can say anger is not a part of my life, but love is and I can assure you those around me appreciate that!
In conclusion, the Word of God, the Bible has many interesting characters, places and events, but its primary purpose is to reflect who you really are, not who you think you are, but who you really are and then to show you, lead you and help you become the person God has always intended you to be, more like Jesus in every-way. Let me paraphrase 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we, with all our masks removed, looking into a mirror and seeing the Lord Jesus are being transformed into becoming more like what we see, by the working of His Holy Spirit in us”.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of developing the habit of spending time in the Word. The length of time is not as important as spending the time. Five minutes is better than zero! Don’t be concerned in the beginning that you don’t understand the characters, places and events… that will come. Just read the New Testament with an open mind and heart and you will see the scriptures illuminated for you personally. I am confident of this because I know that God loves you and wants to bless you in every area of your life… just follow Him.
