"I wanted to say, 'You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn't know that it had
died. In fact, I never even heard that it was ill. who was the attending physician at the
Bible's demise?' No, I can't make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive.
It makes me come alive."
Wow. Conviction.
How many times have I been down and thought to myself, 'If only I could go to this conference, or find this great book to read, then I might learn how to apply new Biblical truths to my life.'
Yikes Rhoda.
The truth is that it is easy to want to sit in a cushy chair and listen to someone who is animated and tells funny stories and has a great take home lesson. The truth is that it is convenient to read a book that is relevant and fresh and modern and promises to give you a new taste of old doctrine. Sure, these things in themselves aren't bad at all, but they cannot be the only source a Christian seeks to grow in Christ.
How silly of me to think that I need to learn some secret to make Scripture come alive? It is me who is dead in my sin, and the truth of Christ found in this living and holy word is the only source to bring me life.
Towards the end of the chapter, God used another quote by D.L. Moody (and a verse from Romans) to further press on my heart.
"I prayed for faith, and thought that some day
faith would come down and strike me like lightning.
But faith did not seem to come.
One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans,
'Now faith comes by hearing,and hearing by the Word of God.'
I had closed my Bible, and prayed for faith.
I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since."
Okay. I get it. I will open my Bible and begin to study.
What? Everyday? Even when I am not excited about it? Even when I don't feel like I can master it?
How beautiful it is that the only cure for my brokenness is found in His wonderful Word. How devestating the sin that tells me the Word is not sufficient and pleads for me to seek elsewhere for truth. How gracious the Father to send His Holy Spirit to intervene.....again...to send me to the very words spoken by Him.
