Make a Place for God’s Word

“He that desires to read the Bible with profit must first ask the Lord Jesus to open the eyes of his understanding by the Holy Spirit. Human commentaries are useful in their way. The help of good and learned men is not to be despised. But there is no commentary to be compared with the teaching of Christ. A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible, which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern.” (J.C. Ryle)

You can take the Bible anywhere. It is one of the great privilege and pleasures of the Christian life to be on a hilltop, or at the seaside (btw, Miri have a great seaside views!), or by the river (Kuching waterfront is good), or at shopping malls (the Hills is more quiet) or at the Starbuck or Ipoh White Coffee, etc. reading the Word of God freely – especially in Malaysia.

But for regular, disciplined reading a special place is needed as free from distraction and as conducive to study as possible. “Our Savior went to a garden”, writes Geoffrey Thomas, “Peter had a rooftop and Elijah an upper room. There is an advantage in reading the Scripture day after day in the place which is firmly associated in your mind with that activity. You can slip into the right frame of mind the moment you sit down to study once you are in that place.”

Beside a good place; a good light is very important for reading. It should also be properly ventilated [Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is not recommended – very cold; nor at open-air coffee shop – somewhat hot], just normal and comfortable place, neither too cold nor too hot. The less you are aware of your surroundings while reading the Bible, the better. Avoid any possible source of distractions such as your kitty or doggy, i-Pad, phone, teddy bear, foods and mirror [I once study facing the mirror, I tell you, it was soo distracted because I see an ugly man face-to-face]. In regard to your posture, lying on the floor or on your bed or kneeling while reading the Bible is not recommended. You know what will happen, don’t you? Thus, sit properly and straighten up is the best posture.

Now, I might sound very technical here, but the bottom-line of it all is that I want you to read the Bible and make a place for God’s Word in your life. Jesus exhorts us to “search the Scripture” (John 5:39), that is, we are to ‘dive’ into the ‘sea’ of God’s Word, ‘bath’ in it, investigate it (see CSI series if you’re not sure what does ‘investigate’ really mean), and to grasp its every shade of meaning. Geoffrey Thomas advised, “We are to be obsessed with a desire to understand it [the Bible]. This passionate concern is never to become incidental or secondary. It should be our priority in the Christian life, an activity around which our existence revolves. If man cannot live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God, then God’s Word must have an absolutely basic place in the whole of our Christian life. To its reading we must apply ourselves with the utmost industry.” (“Reading the Bible”. Published by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980)

Friends, Make a place for God’s Word

“Your laws please me;

They give me wise advice.”

(Psalm 119:24NLT)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.