He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3 HCSB
Charles Spurgeon once said, “A Bible that’s falling apart probably belongs to someone who isn’t.” A bible should not just be used for decor, it should be read. It should be studied. It should be memorized and quoted and cherished. Then, it should be handed down to be used some more.
I’ve often heard it said there’s no instruction manual for marriage, raising kids, or life in general. None of these are true. The Bible serves as our instruction manual for how to live our lives in all situations.
In order to be successful at this thing called life, it is imperative that we read the instructions. Yes, even those of you who do it yourself and figure the instructions will be used as a last resort, you need to read His manual.
The devil tempted Eve by twisting the words God had said to her. She didn’t have a Bible, but she had talked with God herself. The devil twisted God’s words and confused her. If only she’d listened more closely to God and had truly believed in Him.
In Matthew 4, the devil tried to tempt Jesus, but Jesus quoted Scripture including our Scripture passage for today. The devil tried three times, but each time Jesus quoted Scripture and the devil finally left Him alone. We are told in James 4:7 to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Satan still uses the same tactics on us today. If you’re a real man, you will talk like everyone else. If you’re a real man, it’s okay to watch porn. If you’re a real man, you can have that affair. And the list of lies goes on and on.
Don’t worry ladies, he won’t leave you out. The devil’s got plenty of lies in his arsenal for you as well. The only way to counter the devil’s lies is with the truth from God’s word.
In Ephesians 6:17 it is described as the Sword of the Spirit. In Spiritual battle, God’s word is the only thing that will defeat the devil. Do you have it? Do you practice with it daily? Are you proficient with God’s word.
My friend you can’t use God’s word if you don’t know God’s word. The Bible is a beautiful love letter from God to His children. It is filled with historical narratives of the struggles of God’s chosen people. The New Testament tells us of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. It also describes the new churches and the persecutions Christians faced.
It is very relevant to our lives today. And yes, you can read the Bible online, but I encourage you to get out the actual book. Dust it off. Start putting it to good use.
Some of you are going to argue with me that you have your Bible on your phone, so do I. But just last night I forgot to bring my Bible to prayer meeting. I pulled out my phone to use my Bible app. Before I knew it, I had a couple of text notifications and found myself checking them. I had become distracted. The devil loves to distract us from studying God’s word.
When I pull out my Bible and read it, the phone is silenced off to the side, so no distractions. I can highlight passages in my Bible. I can underline Scripture. Yes, it’s okay to do that. It’s okay to write notes in your Bible. It’s okay to really use your Bible. You should use your Bible every day.
If you’re Bible is not well worn, maybe you feel well worn. If you’re Bible is not falling apart, you may feel as though you are falling apart.
Where is your Bible, do you know? When was the last time, you pulled it out and studied it? Why not start today. If you pray, but do not study your Bible, do you know your conversations with God are one-sided? You are talking to Him, but you are not listening to Him.
You ever had someone talk to you but not listen to you? It can be annoying. Don’t annoy God. Read His word, listen to what He has to say to you. Engage in daily conversation with Him. There’s no one you will talk to who is more important.
Have a great day!