Foundations of Faith: What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?Sample

God's Word: The Love Letter

God's will for you is that you love Him above all else. Just like with any person you love, you want to be closely connected to them and know them intimately. When you truly love God, reading and studying His Word becomes an integral part of building your relationship with Him as you learn more about who He is and how He says you should live.

There is no right or wrong way to interact with it, you just need to start. As discussed yesterday, there are 66 books that make up the Bible. God’s Word is a collection of historical truths designed to help God’s people know Him.

A fascinating aspect of God’s Word is that you can read Scripture at different times in your life, and it may resonate with you differently. As you read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit is planting seeds in your soul that grow and flourish as you grow in your relationship with God because God’s Word is living and powerful.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

- Hebrews 4:12

Before you begin, spend some time in prayer and ask God to help you understand His Word. Ask Him to clear your mind of any distractions and to help you focus on what it is He has for you to learn about Himself. The study of God's Word demands our best attention. The Holy Spirit teaches us, but we must apply ourselves as well. It takes careful study of the Bible to understand its deep meanings.

There will never be a time when you will need to stop reading it because you’ve learned it all. It’s a mystery of God how this works, but we can never learn everything about God. God’s truth is revealed through His Holy Spirit as we regularly read and meditate on His Word. It’s through this practice that we are able to apply the truth of His Word to our lives and experiences.

Below are some simple steps to work through while reading to help apply the Scripture to your life:

1. Take the time to meditate on what you’ve read.
2. How does this Scripture apply to you or what you’re going through?
3. Does this bring to mind someone in your life you’ve been praying for?
4. Ask God to reveal what you should learn from these passages.