Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly... his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psalm 1:1-2, KJV

 

We talked yesterday about the first key to changing your life being that of beginning to pray. The reason for that is evident: we need God's help and we therefore need to communicate those needs with him. But simply praying will not be enough for, as you know, genuine communication has never been a one-way avenue. We must also listen to what the one to whom we are talking to has to say in response. Now I know that a lot of people fancy that God speaks back to them by placing a message on their heart, and no doubt God does have a way of prompting us when we pray, otherwise we would not be praying for wisdom in the first place.

 

However, there is something everyone who feels that God speaks to them should be aware of: Your thoughts are not God's words!

 

I don't know how often I have heard someone say something along the lines of: "I needed a job, so I prayed to God and God told me to go talk to Joe Jones, so I did and God told Joe Jones to tell me that he had a job, and God told me to accept it, and that is how I got the job at Joe's bar and strip joint."

 

I don't think that is how God communicates to us!

 

God communicates to us through His Word - the Bible! The Bible is an amazing work of literature, history, and practical advice. But if that's all it was, it would just be one more book in a large library of works of excellent literature, history and advice. What sets the Bible apart is that it is the inspired and preserved message of God to His children. It contains 66 separate books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, and it contains the whole will of God. You don't have to worry if He left something important out, because the One who loved you enough to allow His only begotten Son to die on the cross for your sins would not do that. You do not have to worry that men have somehow corrupted the message through something as innocent as a copying error, or by something as diabolical as adding their own opinion that was opposite of what God wanted to convey, because the Creator of the universe is not incompetent! The Bible we have is the Bible He wants us to have. Otherwise, God would not be giving us a fair chance. 

 

Another important understanding that we must have at the start of our reading the Bible is this: God did not make it too difficult for you to understand, nor did He make it so that you would have to consult specially trained people to convey His message. God loves you in a similar way that a good parent loves their children. He would not give us a life-saving message that we could not readily understand.

 

So, now we are ready to approach the Bible as the infallible Word of God. By understanding this, we can understand that His Word can and will accurately communicate His message to us. 

 

And this is a vital understanding, because we need God's communication so that we can know what to do.

 

Many people have messed up their lives to the point where they are ready to just give up. Perhaps they had an abundance of help in getting to that messed up point, but the fact is that they are there and they need help to get out of that mess. Yesterday we spoke of the importance of prayer that we might humbly ask God for the help that we need. Now, we need to continue that prayer that He will lead us through His holy word and give us the guidance we need. And the Bible, you must know, is designed for that very purpose. It tells us who God is and who Jesus is. It tells us the very best way to live. It gives us guidance for difficult times, as well as guidance when times are good. It tells us what we must do to have our sins forgiven, and what we must do in order to be saved. It tells us of God's love and grace, and Jesus' love and sacrifice.

 

And it tells us how to get out of the messes that we sometimes get ourselves into, and how to stay out of those messes once we escape them. It tells us how to forgive those who have harmed us. In short, it tells us everything we need to know to navigate the dangerous passages of this challenging world in which we live.

 

It tells us of the narrow path that leads to Heaven.

 

It's a big book, and it will take you the rest of your life to understand it to the best of your ability. God will help you with the wisdom you pray for, but you must seek the knowledge from His Bible, for while He freely gives wisdom to those who ask, He requires that we seek the knowledge from His Word, without which, this wisdom will do us little good. 

 

One word of caution - it will be hard! Everything worthwhile is! But remember, you are trying to change your life so that it will become bearable again - and more than just bearable, but filled with joy. God has all the answers we need for whatever challenge life may have given us. Are you ready to change your life for the better? It begins with talking to your heavenly Father through prayer and then listening to your loving Father by reading His word.

 

You might be getting a late start at this, but that's okay. If the soonest you can begin is now, then by all means begin now! It will change your life, if you will let it.