Scripture Reading:John 8:32, "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free."
In the 1840s, America experienced what was called "The California Gold Rush." Thousands of "prospectors" stormed over the Rocky Mountains into California. Any stream they could find they started mining near and they would dredge the streams for gold. With a sieve they would shake a large group of gravel substance. The sediment would fall through the sieve leaving the gold behind. The only problem was that many sites did not reveal gold. In fact most of the mines in the early days turned out to be flops. The hype was that there was gold everywhere, which there was not. Men spent their lives and fortunes digging constantly for something that, where they were located, never existed.
In life, people are panning for "gold." Gold in this sense is not the physical metal, but its answers to life's questions. They take a bunch of opinions and philosophies and shake and shake till whatever is left over must be the answer they are looking for. Gold to a searching person comes in the form of truth. Truth sets us free as we find in the words of Christ in our Scripture reference reading.
As believers in Christ we do not have to "pan" for Truths. Truth in the Scripture is not obscure and hidden, but is very plainly seen. The Bible was written for us to mine out Scriptural gold to live by. At first reading though you may seem to find yourself wondering about how to prospect this truth from the pages of Scripture. Here are some helps to either get you started or keep you going.
1. Most Bibles have reference sections and sections that deal with issues that we face and list references to find passages that deal with them.
2. Study guides are available that shows you the Scripture and explains the passage to help your understanding. NOTE, understand, these are men's opinions, most of them are good, but prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to help you discern the Truth is the only way to know.
3. Search out other Scriptures by cross references. These are simply a related passage of Scripture reference found in the margin or center of many Bibles.
4. Good Online Bible study software can be found, many of them for free or a nominal price. These are invaluable for looking up things and cross referencing.
Now with these in mind, there are some hindrances that some believers face when looking for Scriptural Truth. These are with their remedies:
1. The Bible is such a big book, how can I even be sure where to start? Answer: Start in John's Gospel to learn about the Saviour Christ. Start in the book of Psalms to know more about the heart of man towards God. Read the books of Ephesians and Romans to find out about Godly Christian life.
2. What if I have trouble understanding what I read? Answer: The only way to understand anything in the Scriptures is to ask God for revelation. Even the most seasoned student of the Bible must do this. God's Word is not a puzzle for the believer, so ask Him in prayer for the understanding. Like Philip in the New Testament book of Acts, God will send someone your way to help you understand.
3. There are so many versions of the Bible out there, which one do I choose? Answer: In my neck of the woods, preachers will tell you to "stick with the original King James Version." That is not bad advice, but there are other good translations. The New King James and the English Standard Version are excellent choices with up to date language usage. I personally discourage the popular "The Message." It is a paraphrase version of the Bible which takes extreme liberties with the Scripture where there can be no room for such actions. I could elaborate more but what we find is people get their feelings hurt when their version is not listed. This is a shame. But the ones I have listed are great translations of Inspired Scripture. The word of God is inspired by God, not any translation though. Again prayer is the key for guidance.
4. What if I read Scripture that I don't agree with? Answer: There is no variance here. Our validation of Scripture is not at issue. We either believe it or not, we either receive it or not. The Scripture does not change. What we need to do is ask God to humble us and submit to His Word as the authority for our lives, no matter what we agree with or not.
5. Is it okay to ask for human help in understanding Scripture? Answer: Absolutely. In fact a Bible study group really helps grow a person. You need to find a group of like minded believers. Your church has one I am sure. People vary on their opinions of things in the Bible, but, the concrete foundations must be agreed on. Sometimes the best outlet is a good friend who has had more years of study than you, who would be glad to help you in your study.
God does not want us to be ignorant of His Word. God has not given us a desire to know Him and then left us on our own to find Him. We don't have to be like those early gold miners, hoping to find Truth somewhere someday. We have access to God right now, as sure and certain for every believer no matter who they are or where they are.
Start mining the truths today. One thing for sure, no matter where you read in the Bible, you will always know God better. from it.
Lord, take Your Word and place it in our hearts, so that we may know You and serve You more abundantly and with cheer. Thank You for being open to us and graciously provide what we so much need. In Your Name, Amen.
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