Friday

Greetings Internet Campus, Welcome to Friday!

It's been a fun and challenging week as we've learned the first 4 steps in seeking God's will for our lives: Let's review: 1) Be obedient to what God has already shown us 2) Pray and seek God's wisdom 3) Make glorifying God a priority

Here's step 4

Step 4: Saturate yourself with the Word of God.

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

There is no better way of knowing what’s important to God than by reading His Word. The Bible clearly states God’s position on a large number of issues and a systematic Bible study will reveal many of these to you. Picture a wheel on an old cowboy wagon. The hub keeps the wheel centered on the axle. The stronger the hub the greater pressure the wheel can withstand and still be correctly centered. The "hub" in our spiritual wheel is the Word of God. The more we saturate ourselves with the Word of God, the better we can stay centered.

Why does God want to us to read His word? Simple. It's His love letter to us...it contains instructions on how to live...deal with others...find comfort when we're down...even how to pray. As a Pastor, I am often asked two key questions about reading the Bible:

1) Which translation is the best?

2) How long should I read it for?

Here's the short answer. Choose a reliable translation of the Bible that you can understand and apply to your life. Some that are commonly used at Flamingo Road Church are: New Living Translation, The Message (paraphrase), and the New International Version. If you don't understand your translation...don't get frustrated...find a reliable, well-researched Bible version that you can understand. If we're challenged by scripture..let's be challenged by the verse's application to our lives and not by the translation.

The other answer is: as long as you need to. Some have time to read the Bible for 30 minutes to an hour or longer...some only a few minutes. The keys here are consistency and communication. Read consistently each day no matter what. Set aside a special time to get together with God reading His word. Maybe that time is right now. This blog/devotional may be helpful in your walk...but shouldn't replace the actual Bible reading that God wants us to do. The communication piece is this: read until God tells you something. That could be in your first verse. God may stop you and lead you to reread a passage...or paragraph...or chapter. Read expecting God to reveal something new and fresh (even in verses you may have read many times before).

Reading and studying God's word is critical if we want to grow in our walk with God. If you are truly seeking His will...and want to discover it in your own life...stay consistently connected to the source. See you Monday for the final step!

Pastor Brian