Understanding God’s Word
Many times in teaching I have echoed the importance of prayer and getting into God’s word. This is crucial to living skillfully and in victory. God’s word is our source of strength! In this lesson it is my prayer that we begin to understand God’s word more and I hope to teach you some steps we can take to get the most from God’s word as we read and study it. If we take this approach and apply the steps, it will make God’s word come alive to us and we can be more effective in everyday life through Christ.
Handout: Understanding God’s Word
Teacher's Guide: Understanding God’s Word
As I begin to type this lesson. In my heart I am so thankful for God’s written Word. The Bible has been a part of my life since birth. I grew up learning God’s word. I realize there are so many people all over the world who did not. Some did not grow up learning God’s word because there wasn’t anyone to teach them, others around the world simply because there simply wasn’t a Bible available to them. To many of us, that have had God’s word can not understand that. If you were raised in God’s word, be thankful today. If you were not, then know that it is never too late. You can begin now. God will enlighten you and it will be a strong tower, it will be life to you.
In order to really gain what we must from reading and studying The Holy Bible, the first thing we must do is understand that it is God’s Word. Every scripture is God Breathed. It came from the very mouth and breath of God. It’s not just any book. It is God’s instruction and His communication to us. His letter to us if you will and it transcends all others. The first step in being more effective is to,
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The word used in the original Greek translation for quick is Zao, it means alive and active! God’s word is powerful. It is alive so therefore it is life to us. What does John say about Jesus? Let’s look and see.
John 1:1-4 “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
His word is alive, eternal, and timeless. It is sacred and we must approach it with the utmost respect. There is nothing else like God’s word. It is the warm breathe fresh from the mouth of Almighty God. His word is His communication to us. We have relationship through that communication. God wants relationship with His children.
Jeremiah 24:7 “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
He is Father to you and I who have accepted Christ. He speaks to you and I through His written word. When we read God’s word, we should read it with the understanding that He is speaking it directly into our ears from His own mouth. God wants to accomplish a good work in you and me. His word is not void. It is for purpose.
Isaiah 55:9-11 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My Word be that goeth froth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thin whereto I sent it.”
It is meant to accomplish that great work He has begun in His children. Remember Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
God’s word is result driven. Our Father Never has anything going on in our life that is haphazard. He is ALWAYS after a good result, and more than that, He is faithful to complete it! Praise You Father! Through His word, He equips us for the work He has planned for us! We must read it, study it and respect it and understand that there is nothing else like it.
The second step in effectively studying God’s word is:
2. Get a fresh approach through The Holy Spirit’s Enlightenment.
Have you ever been reading God’s word and it seems as if it is just making a fire burn inside your heart. You can hardly contain the joy it brings, then maybe some days later you open God’s word and it just seems lifeless to you? Why is that? We know that God’s Word is alive and it does not change. It must mean that we are not approaching it through His Spirit in us for enlightenment at those times when it seems we are just not getting it.
Insight and Understanding of God’s Word MUST come to us through the Holy Spirit.
Enlightenment from God’s Holy Spirit makes all the difference.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heart, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which god hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
If we are reading and trying to comprehend in our own minds, through our own ways, we cannot possibly understand God’s Word. I am reminded of the book of Luke where it records the events after Jesus had risen from the tomb. His disciples were trying to figure out what had happened to His body. Mary had told them that He had risen and that she had seen Him but they did not believe. Later that day two of them were walking to a town and they were discussing all the things that had been happening and Jesus came up to them on the road and begin to walk with them, however they were made not to recognize Him. He began to ask them questions and then to speak to them the scriptures that had been written. Later as they all sat down to eat together, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus and He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, our hearts burned in us as He spoke of the scripture! After that, He returned to them and taught them some more. Then it says that He opened their understanding that they might understand.
Luke 24:30-32 “30And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?
Luke 24:44-45 “ And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not My Word like as a fire? Saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
Without the Spirit’s enlightenment, and opening our understanding, we cannot possibly understand the things of God. We must pray for understanding and wisdom from the Spirit every time we begin to read God’s word so that it quickens our hearts and we can see just how alive it is. I want my heart to burn with passion within me each and every time I read and study God’s word. Don’t you? I want that enlightenment that only His Spirit can give me. I want it to break up the hard places in my heart and I want it to sow seeds inside me that will grow so that I can bear much fruit for the glory of God. It is what we are here for. I want everything He has for me! We can have that if we just ask!
I praise God for His Holy Spirit that lives inside every single one of His children. He is our empowerment and our enabler. Where oh where would we be without God’s indwelling Spirit? I NEVER WANT TO KNOW! I want Him to overtake me all the days of my life! He is everything to me.
Psalm 119:105 “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
The Third step we will look at in being effective in Studying God’s word is:
3. Know that God’s Word is an invitation for Conversation with Him.
As we learned before, God is interested in relationship with His children, through His Word. Reading God’s word is for us to have conversation and communication with Him, it is not just something for us to learn and memorize. Prayer and Reading God’s Word go together. Both are amazing, but we must learn to put the two together and utilize them, in order to be most effective.
We need to read God’s word, but we also need to respond to it. We understand now that The Bible is God’s Word. In relationship, communication is the key. So when we are reading God’s word and understanding that He is breathing those very words into our hearts from His own mouth, we need to talk back to Him. When God speaks, we speak back to Him.
We can do this with every scripture in God’s word. As you read, whatever you are thinking at the time, we need to express that to God. Yes He can read our thoughts and knows all of our hearts but relationship is not just God reading our minds all the time. He wants you to communicate with Him. How would you feel if you went to your friend and you tried to communicate with them, but they wouldn’t communicate back to you? That wouldn’t be much of a relationship would it?
You may be asking, how do I do this? I will show an example. I will use the last verse we used in this lesson to do it.
Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not My Word like as a fire? Saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
In reading this I would stop and say to God, yes Lord, Your word is like fire, it is alive and I ask that You use it to keep my heart softened so that You can sow Your seed in me that my life will bring You honor.
In reading Jeremiah 24:7
Jeremiah 24:7 “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
I would stop and say Father, I ask You to give me a heart to know You. I want to know All of You Father. I want to be like You, I want to be as close to You as I can be. Father help me to always desire You with my whole heart because it is Yours Lord.
Whatever it is that is on your heart as you read God’s word, relay that back to Him. He longs to hear from you. Do you understand what an honor that is? The creator of all, Almighty, All Powerful God longs to be with you and teach You of Himself. Wow!
Listen to His voice, learn it. Reply to Him, tell Him all that is on your heart. If you happen to be reading a scripture that you don’t understand, tell Him! Ask Him to help you get it. If you are having trouble believing, then tell Him! Ask Him to help you with that. God knows our hearts, so just tell Him. Let Him be Father to you, be His child. Draw close to Him through His word.
He has given us the most amazing gift through His word. What a shame to us if we go every day of our lives and never pick it up and see what He has to say to us. What an insult to Him and how much we miss if we do not receive this gift He has given to us. Thank You Lord for Your word to us that quickens us and keeps us alive!
Dear Righteous Father,
Thank You for who You are. Thank You for all that You have done and for all that You do for us every day that we live and breathe. Father today I thank You for Your written word. Thank You that You have given us this letter directly from Your own breathe and that it never changes. Thank You that it will last forever! Lord I praise You for Your Holy Spirit that gives us understanding into Your ways! Lord I pray today that You help me to always approach Your word with respect, and with an thankful heart. Lord enlighten us and give us the understanding that we need through Your Holy Spirit. Help us to draw closer to You in relationship through Your word and through prayer. We love You and Praise You. In the Lovely name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
~*cindygirl*~June 26, 2022