Mark 9:23-24 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believe.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!’”
Several years ago, I had a surprising experience that changed how I studied the Bible. It changed my faith and placed it on a faster track. It can make a difference for you, too.
While reading through one of the 66 Bible books, I came upon one of God’s promises and read right through it. I digested it with the kind of doubt that reads through a children’s Bible story and remarks. “What a creative story!” I didn’t even consider it a promise from God for now - for me, my family, and other Christians- much less applying it to lead others to Jesus. At once, the Lord pulled me up short with His resounding question, “Which of My promises do you believe?”
Ouch! With the sudden realization that my spiritual belief was perilously thin and offensive to the Lord, who suffered and died to redeem me, I began to search my mind for some of God’s promises. Yes, I believed that Jesus, the Son of God, had come as a miracle baby into the world to save all who would choose Him as their Lord and Savior. I believed in the Resurrection of Jesus after His death on the cross and the birth of the church at Pentecost when everybody spoke in other languages as a sign of the power of God. I believed in the exciting acts of the Apostles that translated Philip to a dusty highway where he met Queen Candace of Ethiopia’s special ambassador who was looking for help in understanding the scrolls of Isaiah. If I believed these things were true, then why couldn’t I accept that the Lord will always be there for me, will forgive me when I repent and discard my sin as far as the East is from the West, never forsake me, and always love and provide for me? It brought me face-to-face with the real question. Did I believe Him in His word or not?
You may have heard some people categorize various spiritual experiences with themes such as a “Mountaintop Experience,” a “Wilderness Walk,” a “Spring,” or “Winter Season,” etc., all related to what God did with the person through that experience. To categorize this one, I believe it falls under “Crisis of Faith,” where the Lord’s confrontation leads to going deeper or staying in the shallow waters. Don’t misunderstand. God was not and will not reject me for little faith. He was confronting me in a way that would cause me to overcome stumbling in the future and expand my trust in Him now.
Through this, I learned that I need to really study the Scriptures, reading them first for the story, then rereading line by line for the spirit of the message, and then reading the Bible’s notes and commentaries on the passage of scripture. Meditation, at this point, illuminates the scriptures in a more thorough way, giving greater detail to my perspective and possibly revising and correcting it. This is a particularly helpful benefit of group Bible studies but is useful in personal quiet times of reflection, too. Most importantly, I realized that I need to start my studies by asking the Holy Spirit to lead me in discovering the truth He wants me to understand and how to apply it in my daily prayers and activities. When I need greater understanding, the Holy Spirit is ready to guide me.
Sometimes, a preacher may spend weeks preparing his message from one Bible book or chapter. We’re tempted to be impatient, ready to move on, but we need to press into the nuggets of truth to be mined there. Research the passage and search the related scriptures for greater understanding. If your phone’s Bible app has multiple translation versions available, check the passage in several translations. If there is a key word, phrase, or theme that pops out, do a word search in your Bible app to increase your understanding. If God is revealing His character through a promise, review the names of God where the first revelation of I Am as that promise-keeper is written. (Search ‘Names of God’ under ’Journal’ on this media bar for blogs that list some of these.)Consider how He has been faithful in fulfilling His promises in your life already. With the hundreds of promises He has included in the Bible, possibly up to 800 per some Bible scholars, there are many more He would like to add to your testimonies.
Study the symbolism God has used in the Bible. The research will reveal how He speaks through numbers, colors, substances, and visual symbolism found in both the Old and New Testaments. Check out the detailed instructions the Lord gave Moses for the creation of the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 25-31). Each element used - metal, animal skin, thread, and color - had a purpose and particular placement as found in Heaven. They each had a meaning that was picked up in later passages, such as crimson thread in the Tabernacle curtains, crimson thread in Rahab’s window at Jericho as a message protecting the spies, and later, a crimson flow pouring from Jesus’ body at the cross. Even the directions for how the 12 tribes would camp around that Tabernacle created a cross when pictured from above. (See Numbers 2) Our God is sharing His character through His word to our eyes, and our senses. Trust that He wants to communicate with you more deeply!
Take the initiative and become a real student of the Bible. It is so enriching to learn cultural clues, symbolism, the variance in word meanings in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic and how they translate to your modern-day language. You will begin a greater understanding of the Lord who redeemed you and has good plans for your future. He desires a deep relationship with you, and a richer Bible study will draw you closer. It’s worth the investment of your time!
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