Dare 36

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." --Psalm 119: 105
Love is God's Word. For some people, the Bible is impossible to understand, because the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in them. But as a Christian, you're not left alone to try grasping the major themes and deep meanings of the Bible. The Holy Spirit, who now lives in your heart by way of salvation, is an illuminator of truth. "For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" 1 Cor. 2:10. The Scriptures are now ours to read, absorb, and comprehend.
1) Be in it. Begin reading a portion of your Bible every day. Maybe that does not seem exciting to you, but the Word is busting at it's seams with life and stories and every word is applicable! The writer of Psalm 119 says "with all my heart I have sough You...Your Word I have treasure in my heart, that I may not sin against You." Be like the psalmist. Seek God with all your heart. You will come to agree with Psalm 19: 10, that the Bible is "more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb."
2) Stay under it. The Bible is deep and challenging, and in order to get the most out of it, we should be having it explained in sermons and in Bible studies. I once heard a pastor say that a message he had heard recently would have been a lot better had Scripture been infused to back up the sermon. Amen to that! Being involved in a church where God's Word is not only taught, but also read out of is huge. (I will never understand pastor's who write their sermons without a single verse involved...something major is missing...) Join with others who are on the same journey as you, hungry to be fed by Scripture. "Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them" 2 Tim. 3:14.
3) Live it. Kendrick states truth when he says that unlike most other books, which are only designed to be read and digested, the Bible is a living book. It lives because the Holy Spirit still resonates within its words. It lives because, unlike the ancient writings of other religions, its Author is still alive! And it lives because it becomes a part of who you are, how you think, and what you do. "Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers" James 1:22.
We must strive to be like the wise man in Matthew 7 who built his house on the rock. When your home is founded on the rock of God's unchanging Word, it is insured against destruction. (Kendrick) And wise couples build their houses on the rock of God's Word.
"Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction." Romans 15:4
Dare 36: Commit to reading the Bible everyday. Find a devotional book or other resource that will give you some guidance. If your spouse is open to it, read the Bible daily with them.
Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.
Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's "needs"
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's, "The Love Dare"