Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. –Romans 12:2
One day, after not feeling well for some time, a man went to see a doctor. The illness was nothing serious, but the doctor felt that the man needed to take some medication in order to address the problem. The doctor wrote a prescription for the medicine and gave it to the man. The man went home and tacked the prescription on his bulletin board where he could see it anytime he wanted. He never filled the prescription — and his illness never went away.
You would never do what the sick man did, would you? Of course not! Looking at a prescription for medicine can’t help anyone get better. One must have the prescription filled at a pharmacy and then actually take the medicine for it to do its healing work.
Still, how often do we live our Christian lives in a similar way? The Bible provides us with God’s “medicine” for living spiritually healthy lives. It shows us how to live. It provides us with the ultimate framework for living out God’s will. But, we’ll never know if we are doing the will of God if we don’t know what it is. So too often, we cut corners in this one very important aspect of spiritual life — letting our time in reading, studying and meditating on the Bible — become reduced for any number of reasons.
By spending time in God’s Word on a regular basis, we take action to make sure we’re filling the prescription and taking the medicine that will make us whole.
Do you want to live a more fulfilling life as you follow Christ? Do you want to live more confidently by having a greater understanding of God’s will for your life? It’s all in the Word! Bring it into your life today!
GOING DEEPER:
1. How high of a priority does spending time in the Bible have in your life? Does the amount of time you spend interacting with the Scriptures reflect that priority? If not, why not?
2. What action step can you take this week in order to spend more time in God’s Word?
FURTHER READING:
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12-13