Finding The Truth

Do you find it awesome how God leads us in the direction we should go? I do. Take reading & studying His Word, for example. In the year 2000, I decided to read the Bible through in a year. So I took a reading plan that our, then pastor, had made available. It was great. Using that plan, I read the Bible through each year for the next 7 years. Every year I would get new insight on Scriptures I'd read many, many times before. Each year I would see something that jumped out at me, almost like I'd never read it before. There was no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit was guiding me. I truly believe that God reveals His truths to us as we are ready to receive them. At the beginning of the next year, I just couldn't stay focused on the reading plan anymore. I knew it was time for more, and I began to start digging into His Word, to find a deeper meaning. Trust me, the Bible is deep. It is a fathomless ocean of knowledge, instruction, and love. As deep as you are willing to go, He is willing to show you. Never in my lifetime will I find everything God's Word offers. But I do love the search.
Recently a conversation with my young friend & pastor's wife rekindled my interest in Genesis. So I took my New Inductive Study Bible and started at the beginning - again. And I'm finding it absolutely fascinating. As I said before, I'm finding things that I have read, reread, & so on, but now I am actually seeing, understanding, and in some cases wondering about. Those that I wonder about are the ones that make me anxious to search for the meaning. You don't find it on the Internet. You don't find it in a commentary, although a good commentary can be very helpful sometimes in your studies. But the deeper truths are found only in Scripture itself. As Kay Arthur says, and the inductive study system teaches you to do, "Let Scripture interpret Scripture". It really does. You just have to be willing to look, not just with your eyes and your mind. It takes opening your heart to the Spirit's leading. Always start with the prayer that He will reveal to you what He wants you to know. I've been told that concerning Scripture, the Jews say, "Everything means something". I believe that is true. Be willing to look up the meaning of a word that stands out to you in an English/Hebrew/Greek dictionary of Bible words. I have found that to be the most helpful tool outside of the Bible itself. Something you previously thought to be insignificant, may prove to be the very thing that solves the puzzle.
When I was a freshman in high school, I fell in love with archaeology. Maybe that's why I enjoy 'digging' through Scripture. So if there is an armchair archaeologist or wanna-be detective in you, the Bible is the place to go, and why not start where it all began - Genesis 1:1.

The Birth of Yeshua Ha Mashiac

In a few more days it will be Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Yeshua ha Mashiac. I am so thankful for that babe in the manger, who became the man who died for my sins & yours. There are so many who have no clue what Christmas really is. They go through their daily lives without so much as a thought of the One who came to die. I, too, lived my life without Him. I went to church. I knew the Gospel. I even desired to be "good", but was never able to. Christ pursued me. He offered Himself for us all. It is our decision to continue running away from Him or to turn and run to Him. At the age of 15, I chose to run to Him. I wish I could say I never once faltered in my walk with Him, but I cannot, for that would be a lie. I stumbled so many times; I even strayed away for a while. I am so ashamed that I took my eyes off Him. The world will engulf you when you take your eyes off Him. He is a loving Father, and was willing to forgive me of my human weaknesses. When I fell, He picked me up. He still does, 46 years later.
I can tell you that my life is so different from what it would have been, had it not been for Christ. He has been the constant in a life of so many ups and downs. But His light has always been able to penetrate my darkest moments, and lead me out of the things that threatened to defeat me. So at this season, when we all want to kiss the face of the baby in the manger, my longing is to kneel at His feet. Yeshua ha Mashiac, Jesus the Messiah!