Bible Study

As I study this week I get to reflect on my short comings in the new series that is being kicked off. My short comings are many so for the series topic you could assume a lot of things. This is a topic however that is so crucial to our faith and yet something I so desperately lacked. It is something that reminds me of my greek professor in making a simile about one year greek students "a one year greek student is like a baby with a samurai sword". So it is with us as we try to grasp the Word of God with our own presuppositions and desires leading the way. A weakness of mine growing up was studying Scripture.

I remember quoting often, almost to an exhausting sense the famous verse from Paul's letter to the church at Phillipi "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil. 4:13. This verse was much more about me, however, than what Paul was intending. I would you this verse and get frustrated with its application as I could not bench press a certain weight or fail to do well on a test without studying because after all I had Christ-strength right? The focus was on what God could do for me through this verse missing the entire point of the climatic verse. Of course this adolescent thinking is funny looking back, but how did I miss the point. Was it lack of a theological base, was the Holy Spirit sitting out with His work in illumination that day?

I think it was more than that and yet simpler than that. I was approaching the Word of God as a self-help book. I was approaching the word of God like a magic 8 ball that I could just shake and everything would be sorter out. Presuppositions clouded me with every page turned. Entitlement was (and is at times..) my middle name. I was looking at the Word of God through an American lens instead of an open heart wanting to be more aware of this God that sent His son as the propitiation of my sins.

Paul was pouring out his heart saying I will do anything even die for the sake of making you known, although he had previously noted it was better for him to live Phil. 1:24. He wasn't saying I can fly because I am so special, he was saying I can die because HE is empowering me.

In kicking off a series on studying the God's Word I am both excited and humbled at the same time. It is only by God's grace that I am now on this end being used by Him to teach others to teach themselves.