We want to hear the Word of God truly, and that means seeing Jesus more consistently in the Scriptures. Today’s excerpt from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is found on pages 130 and 131:
“Every Christian understands that the Bible is central to the life of faith. The Bible is God’s Word, His revelation of Himself and His will, to guide and empower us so that we may know, enjoy, serve, and glorify Him. Every Christian understands this.
“To gain the benefit God intends for us from His Word, we need to learn how to get the most out of Scripture, how to handle the Bible through reading, meditation, and study so that we may apprehend and internalize God’s Word. This is what the apostle Paul refers to as ‘rightly dividing the word of truth’ – interpreting Scripture so that the glory of God we encounter there can do its transforming work in our lives.
“The place to begin…is in submitting to the Word of God as such, as the inspired and authoritative Word of our Creator, Redeemer, Lord, and King.
“Jesus is to the Scriptures like the hidden image in one of those Magic Eye pictures. On the surface, you can recognize some familiar images – interconnecting flying birds, for example, or threads in a tapestry, or looping bubbles and swirls. These are interesting and fun, but they aren’t the whole story. Embedded within them is three-D image which, if you concentrate long enough, and stay focused, will gradually emerge with great clarity and surprise.
“Looking for Jesus in Scripture is like this. He’s there, and you won’t ‘get’ what your passage intends unless you wait, concentrate, look, and wait some more, until the Spirit of God leads you through the surface meaning of your passage into the deeper reality of Jesus Christ Who dwells in it. Then, when you see Him there, you can draw close and embrace Him as He reveals Himself in that passage and enter more fully into the joy and rejoicing He has for you there.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Apart from the gospels, what are one or two Scriptures that speak to you of Jesus?
2. In what ways do you think you are growing to be more like Jesus?
Paul wrote that the Spirit of God, leading us through His Word, shows us the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus. As we behold that glory, we are transformed to be more like our Lord. This is what we want out of our time in God’s Word—to be more like Jesus! Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss what you are learning about Jesus. Your copy of The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is waiting for you at The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
