As a child it was very important to my parents for me to learn God’s Word from the very start of life. As a preschooler I memorized Scripture but as a teenager it grew to chapters. Sunday night Bible drills were nerve wracking as we placed our Bibles by our side and waited for someone to announce a random Scripture reference. The first one to find and read it was the winner. Competition was tough as we were all lightening fast.
However, as an adult I realized I had heard the stories, knew the songs, could recite Scripture and the books of the Bible but something was still missing…application. In addition to applying God’s truths, Christians leaned more on New Testament studies than the Old by stating we are no longer under the law because Jesus fulfilled the law. But the question still remained in the back of my mind, “Is Jesus really who He says He is?”
Over 25 years ago I walked into a weekday ladies Bible study at my church. Not so much to study the Bible but to be around adult women. Free babysitting for my two preschoolers was a plus too. For 3 years I purchased the workbooks, signed my name inside the front cover, maybe filled in a blank or two but that’s where the effort stopped. Sitting down and reading the Bible for an hour to fill in blanks was not my cup of tea, but I hid it well.
As time marched on I began to complete a whole day, then a couple of days, a week and what I gained…WISDOM! The Old Testament became alive as I could not only see myself in every story but I could see Jesus too.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
Have you ever read Genesis? Why not start today and read a chapter per day? I challenge you to ask the Lord to show you how to apply His Words in your today then look for clues for the coming Messiah. They’re there!
