2nd.Timothy 2:15 " Study to show thyself approved unto GOD, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the WORD of TRUTH. "
(Correction: The verse in the picture above is from Nehemiah 8:1,5 a,c not Ezra)
Reading is a wonderful pastime that I learned to enjoy as a young child. It has continued to be not only a pastime but literally a way of life, for it is a necessity in the LORD's service to be well-read--especially so in the Scriptures. A beautiful picture is presented to us in the revival in Nehemiah's day when the people of the remnant in Jerusalem called for "Ezra the Scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses" (Nehemiah 8:1). Three times in the ensuing chapter and five times total in the book of Nehemiah we see "the Book [GOD's WORD]" being read in the ears of the people. How critical it is for each one of us, individually, to also read the WORD of GOD and to hear it read, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of GOD" (Romans 10:17).
But I now ask a pertinent question: In the reading of GOD's WORD, have we completed GOD's requirement for us, or is there more that HE expects of us ? Certainly we find value in reading the Bible, but we also must strive to have a clear understanding of the relationship between the different parts of the Bible. In other words, we need to follow the instructions of Paul to Timothy in today's text. The Apostle emphasized that the workman needs to be diligent in his labors in and with GOD's WORD and to "rightly [divide] (cut straight)" when dealing with "the WORD of TRUTH." The WORD of GOD is not simply an "easy read." In our Bible study, the Scriptures will always contain depths yet to be plumbed, truths that have not yet been fully appreciated, blessings that have not been properly understood or claimed, and intimacies with our GOD that have yet to be explored. Keep reading and studying the WORD and continue to grow (1st.Peter 2:2). JED
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.feasite.org
