“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
I was sharing God’s Word with a guy one time and in the process mentioned certain striking truths about the new creation which the fellow had never heard before. Stunned by the revelations of God’s Word that I shared with him, he said, “Our priest didn’t tell us that.” I smiled and said to him “Your priest didn’t tell you because he didn’t know it.”
It’s interesting to know that the reason many Christians don’t have information about God’s plans and purposes for their lives is that they don’t study the Word for themselves. For some, the most they know of the Bible is to recite the old rhyme: “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless the bed that I lay on!” But that won’t do you any good. That fellow I was sharing the Word with didn’t think there was any problem with his ignorance of the scriptures. What he didn’t realize was that God wouldn’t hold the priest responsible for his ignorance, for he ought to know the Word for himself.
I made up my mind many years ago to know God’s Word for myself. To achieve this, I decided to invest quality time studying and meditating on the Word, seeking to know the “What,” “How” and “Why” of the scriptures. Knowing the “what” means knowing your inheritance in Christ; knowing everything He has put in place for you. It involves knowing who you are, your rights, privileges and authority in Christ Jesus.
However, it’s not enough to merely know what God has given you; you have to know “how” to take advantage and enjoy your inheritance in Christ. Thus knowing the “how” means learning to take possession of what the Word of God says belongs to you—taking possession of what’s rightfully yours. Knowing the “Why” is coming into the full understanding and awareness of your inheritance in Christ, and why you should expect the blessings of the Lord to come to pass in your life. It makes you understand the purpose of the blessing so you can use it rightly.
When you make up your mind to know God’s Word for yourself this way, the devil won’t be able to cheat you out of God’s best! You’ll be armed with enough information to quell his schemes and frustrate his maneuvers. Study the Word today, for it pays to know the Word for yourself!
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for making your Word available to me. I declare that I’m increasing in knowledge and understanding, and the Word of God is producing in me what it talks about. I have the mindset of a victor because your Word is at work in me mightily in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 119:105; Hosea 6:3; Proverbs 11:9
(Taken by permission from Christ Embassy Church , aka Believer’s LoveWorld Ministries , Lagos, Nigeria. www.ChristEmbassy.org )
