Go into any bookstore, library or online search and you can find a self-help out there for just about anything. It’s shocking just how much I use Google daily. In fact, I actually just Googled, “how often do I use Google?” Like it or not, it has become a prominent information source by connecting users to what it finds as relevant websites and publications based on key words. But, have you ever found any one publication that tells you what you need to know about relationships, marriage, parenting, finances, leadership, employment, and even cleanliness, just to name a few topics, all in one source?  It also gives a history lesson and tells us what’s to come. What a gift God gave us! 

 

The Bible is not only our manual for life, but it’s God’s love letter to us. While prayer and worship are our communication to our Heavenly Father, the Bible is Jesus speaking to us. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” How do I feel knowing, more often than not, I rush out the door for work and leave our conversation on the table? What kind of relationship is built without communication? Or with a one-way communication?

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Committing His word to memory is bringing that conversation with us all throughout the day so that we’re equipped to serve. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” All, not some, of Scripture is inspired by God. Every word was designed for a purpose to equip us to do His will and He gives us opportunities to share this message of salvation to others.

 

Have you ever felt inadequate to carry out His purpose for us? Or even wondering what that purpose is? You are not alone; we all have or do. God says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.  He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” We don't need to know what His will is for us in 2 years, or even 2 weeks.  We only need to draw near to Him and He will reveal everything we need in due time. When Jesus was pressed by the Pharisees to answer the greatest commandment of what to do; He kept it simple in Matthew 22:37-39, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love God, Love People-simple as that! If you are feeling without purpose, if you are feeling inadequate, lonely, abandoned or loveless, make no mistake, those are ALL words of the enemy trying to rob you of joy and pull you to seek any answer but Jesus. Don't listen to the lies.

 

Remember, what we talked about in the last two weeks?  Not only can you take up God's shield to deflect those fiery arrows, but you can counterattack!  Scripture is also part of the armor of God to defeat the enemy. Ephesians 6:17 calls it the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. In fact, it’s the only offensive part of the armor. The Bible is the voice of Jesus giving you His training manual for life and the sword against the enemy.  It is “the”, not "a", sword because there is no other sword to fight the lies of the enemy.  You can search Google for several years but nothing on the internet can combat Satan's deception and lies, nothing but Jesus. As the spotless Lamb of God, He paid sin’s death penalty and then rose to life again after three days.  No one else has that resume qualified to save you!

 

Hebrews 4:12 also references a convicting sword, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Ouch! God’s word is truth and, just like the saying, the truth hurts when it isn’t what we don't want to hear. As it’s written, God’s word is actually “sharper” than a sword and one that never dulls. His word is just as relevant today as it was in the beginning. 

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For me, my Bible is also like a security blanket. I will admit that whenever my husband goes out of town, I tend to not sleep as well so my Bible is there beside me.  “It” is not a thing, “it” is really God’s word speaking to ME personally, that is when it’s open and I’m reading, otherwise, it’s a 5lb stack of paper (I do have the large print edition). 

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Years ago, a former pastor of mine who recently graduated to Heaven, made a list of verses and challenged his college students to memorize them. There were 99 on the list!  This weekend would have been his birthday so in honor of his memory, I’m sharing his list below and passing on that challenge. Anyone want to attempt this with me? This was published after I graduated so I promise I'm not ahead of you in this challenge.       

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Reflections for this week: 

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Do you have a favorite verse that you would call your “life verse”?  Why did you choose that particular one?

 

Do we ever find ourselves being afraid that we won't know what to say or even looking for excuses not to serve because we feel inadequate?  From the passages above, what does God say about our ability in Him? 

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