Deere Droppings, #3

An excerpt from Jack Deer in his book, Surprised by the Voice of God :

“

Treasuring the Bible

In order to experience the power of the Scriptures, our attitude and desire to obey them is crucial. Yet the main reason the Bible is ineffective in the lives of so many Christians is that they simply don’t read it. Make up your mind to set aside a regular time every day to meditate on the Scriptures, so you can hear the voice of God and see the glory of the Lord Jesus. When you do, you will find that the voice of the Son of God is indescribably sweet, and the face of the Lord Jesus, indescribably lovely (Song 2:14).

Anyone who wants to hear God’s voice on a regular basis will have to become intimately acquainted with the written word of God. I have been treasuring the Word of God in my heart for over thirty years, and I don’t regret a moment of the time I have spent reading, meditating, and memorizing the words of Scripture. If I could turn back time and do those thirty years over again, I would spend even more time meditating on the Bible and less time reading of other Christian books.

Many times the Holy Spirit has brought the words of Scripture to my mind, not only to guide me, but also to save me from disasters. He has used the words of Scripture to guide me in serving others, to keep me from hurting them, and to increase my love for his Son and his people.

(p. 112)

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Although I haven’t been a Christian (or even alive) as long as Jack Deere, the words he speaks in this passage tell very much the same story as what I’ve come to understand about the Bible, God and my (our) relationship with Him. I’ve never once regretted spending time reading my Bible or studying it diligently. Like Jack Deere, the one thing I would change if I were to re-do the past 25 years of my Christianity, I would also spend more time reading the Bible & I’d also try harder to apply what it says to my life—for of the little I have applied to my life, I’ve seen amazing results. Too bad I’ve wasted so much time not following to & not listening closely enough to the Word of God.

 

The great thing, however, is that the future and the rest of my life indeed can be changed with a simple decision today.  We all choose our own paths and our pasts.