I cannot share if I do not learn. And I cannot learn if I do not actively choose to seek wisdom from His Word. I should yearn to learn!
A while back, I was approached by a young man who wanted to share with me why he did not believe the Bible to be true. He said he had been raised in a Christian home and in church, but at some point along the way, he had lost his faith. I listened as this young man explained his stance, and then he, respectfully and with an open mind, listened as I shared my faith, even taking one of my bookmarks as he left… not because he had changed his mind at that point, but because he said… “I had listened to him.”
I know without a doubt that the Bible is truth. Yet, sometimes I struggle in verbal situations and wish I could better express what my heart and soul long to share. But I continue to pray that God will use me to share His message and not let me mess up the opportunities He has given me to plant a seed. And through my prayers, I’ve felt led to read and study more of the Old Testament. I have never enjoyed learning about history, but as I have been digging into the books of Jeremiah, Daniel, and now Ezra, I have found myself fascinated at how these books overlap and yearning to explore the exact events and timeframe of everything happening. At the heart of it all, I am astounded at the concrete evidence of the Bible’s truth confirmed through the fulfilled prophecy contained in these books.
In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are told, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (KJV). In the last few weeks, through the enormous amount of understanding that I have gained by not just reading but actually studying these books, I have realized the importance and the need to spend time with the Word of God each day. Not only have I grown closer to God and added to my spiritual armor, but I am also better equipped to share the Gospel. After all, in the book of Acts, could Philip have explained the scripture to the man in the chariot, if he had not read and studied it himself?
“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him…. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” Acts 8:30-31, 35 KJV
