It is amazing how many people are confused and perplexed, stumbling through life. One reason for this is their total ignorance of the Word of God. God speaks through his Word. How important it is! If we want to know the way to go, it begins with the Word of God.

Let me direct your attention to a wonderful Old Testament promise in Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the Lord, our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. There are so many things in this life that we cannot understand and in most cases God never intended that we should. However, He tells us in this verse that the things which are revealed belong unto us. What God has revealed, He has written in a book. That book we know as the Word of God, the Bible.

Often, because we do not take the time to read God's Word, we do not have the answers to our problems. We do not experience the comfort He would have us enjoy. We must bear our burdens and sorrows alone, simply because we fail to read about what He has told us to do with the problems of life. God has sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter, but He has sent us His blessed Word to be our comfort. The Bible won't do us any good if we keep it on a shelf. David said, Thy Word have I hid in mine heart. It is when we get the Bible into the heart that it really becomes of value. To get it into the heart, we must take the time to read it. I believe the happiest people in all the world are those who know the Lord and spend 15, 20, or 30 minutes in the morning, before they plunge into the activities of the day, reading the Word of God while allowing God to speak to their hearts from His Word. I followed this procedure for many, many years and I wouldn't take anything in the world for it. I couldn't begin to tell you what the Word of God has meant to me as a believer in Jesus Christ. I am sure many of you listening to me are saying, "Amen." You have found God's Word to be such a wonderful inspiration and help. But let me ask you, have you been faithful in reading God's Word? Do you take the time you should each day to let God's Word speak to your heart? I know some people read it just before they go to bed at night, but I always feel like that's a little too late. It's a little late to tune the instrument after the concert is over. You need to tune up the instrument of your soul the first thing in the morning by letting God speak to your heart through His Word.

Before I go any further, let me say, unless you really know the Author, the Bible will be meaningless to you. When I say "know the Author" I mean that you've had a real heart experience with Jesus Christ, having asked him to come into your life. Without this experience, you won't have any real interest in the Bible. If you read it as an unsaved person, you won't get God's message. You can read most any book written and understand it thoroughly without knowing the author. But this is not true of the Bible. Thus if you have never definitely received Christ into your life, do it right now. At this very moment, bow your head and say, "Jesus, come into my life." And then, after He comes in, the Bible will become a living book to you. You will say with Jeremiah, Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. It will be a thrill to read the Word of God. You will wish you could keep on going and spend more time in the Word.

An old Scotsman, known for his godly life and radiant face, was asked how he came to be such a dedicated Christian. The old saint loved his Lord too much to ever have any lofty thoughts about himself. He replied by saying, "Well, I didn't know I was such a dedicated Christian, but if it helps you to know how the Lord has brought me along, I will tell you. The person who led me to Christ said something that has stayed with me ever since. He said, "Sandy, my man, get up early in the morning, make it a rule and stick to it - read the Word of God and talk to the Lord before the day's work crowds in on you.' Well, the Lord gave me grace to keep that rule, though there was plenty (both of people and things) to try and make me change." Well, friend, that's a good rule for all believers to follow. If you are not in the habit of reading God's Word each morning, begin immediately. What a change it will make in your life. Discouragement, fear, resentment, and many other such evils will soon disappear as the Word of God floods your soul. Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

As you faithfully begin to read your Bible devotionally, you will find it to be just as important as the meals you eat at your table. It will become a Living Book to you. You will sense that God is speaking as you read. Your heart will be challenged but it will also be comforted. Take time for the Word of God.

George Mueller used to say, "Though I have read the whole of the blessed Word of God through more than a hundred times, I never tire of it. The more I read it, the more precious it becomes to my heart - the more delight still I take in reading it. It is always a new book to me when I begin it again from the beginning. Bible reading is the great means of nourishing the soul. If you neglect this, you will never make progress. Do not be discouraged if on your first reading you do not understand everything. Little by little you will learn as you read." These are wonderful words from the lips of George Mueller. I hope you will heed these words:

He is best who loves best,
God our Father's Holy Word.
He has delight day and night,
Listening to the Lord.
He'll not walk, stand, nor talk,
In the downward paths of sin.
God will bless, give success,
Give him peace within.
He shall be like a tree,
Planted by the flowing stream.
Leaves will grow, blossoms blow,
In the sun's bright beam.
Oh not so those who go,
With the wicked, day by day.
Chaff for these, which the breeze,
Driveth far away.

Oh my friend, stay close to the Word of God and the Lord will give you the wisdom to stand in the face of evil and temptation. Take time for God's Holy Word. And if you don't really know Christ, turn to Him now. Open your heart and say, "Jesus, come into my heart and save me for all eternity."

Bible Reading Guides are Free

Get your Bible Reading Guide free by asking. It is not a study. It is a complete listing of the Bible in 728 readings: 364 for the morning and 364 for the evening. You can use it to keep up with your reading. If you don't want to limit yourself to one year, that's fine - it is not dated.

A Dose of Encouragement

"Surrounded by the natural, the explainable, and the obvious, even the Christian is prone to forget that God...is supernatural."

J. Allen Blair

God's nature prevents failure. Be encouraged when you read God Will Not Fail You, the free printed message for this month...ask!

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Dr. Blair's book, Living Courageously, gives insight into the Old Testament book, Daniel. Without a working knowledge of Daniel, you cannot expect to fully understand the present world events, much less the future.

As a devotional study, it is a must-read to prepare for everyday life. As a commentary, it lays the groundwork for an understanding of the Book of the Revelation. Your free copy awaits your request during the month of January 2010 only.

Listener Response

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