John: Putting Belief Into PracticeSample

God has given us something life-changing yet easy to overlook. It’s the Bible. But hang on, let’s talk about the Bible from a different perspective. Let’s start with President Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln is arguably the most recognizable U.S. president in history. His face is stamped on the U.S. penny and five-dollar bill. A massive statue of Lincoln sits on a throne-like chair in the nation’s capital. Since his assassination in 1865, Lincoln’s life has been examined in innumerable biographies, documentaries, and course studies. So, why did yet another biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, make such an impact when it was released in October of 2005—one hundred and forty years after his death? Surely, everything that could be said about Lincoln had been said already, right? Not really.

A poet who lived hundreds of years before Jesus walked the dusty roads of Judea taught readers that God’s words are life-changing and powerful in Psalm 119. In verses 33-40, the poet teaches us to expect that God’s laws will provide understanding, direct our paths, and preserve our lives. Yet the Bible remains easy to overlook. We are all guilty of forgetting to read it or reading it quickly without taking the time to seek understanding.

This brings us back to a modern biography of Lincoln. Team of Rivals was so successful (it became a bestseller and inspired a movie) because it helps readers understand an influential figure in a new light. In today’s video clip, pastor Kyle Idleman says that the Gospel of John offers followers of God something similar, a different perspective on Jesus. Specifically, Jesus is “the Word,” the living embodiment of God’s words written about in Psalm 119. Jesus is the culmination of God’s laws and wisdom, walking among everyday people and active in our lives through the Spirit.

There’s no doubt that the Bible is an ancient, challenging book. It’s often hard to read and understand. But the Bible and the four biographies of Jesus contained in it reveal an active, living God who loves you and offers to guide your path. Let your life be changed by meeting Jesus in its pages.

Reflection

What do you need to rearrange this week to read the Bible daily?

Verse 39 speaks to the spiritual and emotional freedom that can be found in a relationship with God. “Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.” Speak with God in prayer about the sin or shame that makes you feel disgraced.

Do you ever feel like you’ve read the Bible but missed God? Talk with God about that feeling. Don’t be afraid to pray honestly about why the Bible is sometimes hard for you to read.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for the Bible. Thank you for revealing your character, wisdom, and love in its pages. Help me, by the power of your Spirit, to connect with you when I read the Bible. Amen.