Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:14-17
Jesus’ mission was to take care of our sin problem once for all. He did it. He also prophesied that those who obey his Word will be helped by the Holy Spirit of God. This Spirit will lead us into truth that the world will not receive. And you’ll know him when you hear him.
Commandments…Spirit. Truth…Spirit. Knowledge…Spirit. Do you see the connections? The Holy Spirit will never lead us to confusion, error, or lasting question marks. He speaks only that which is true to us.
As Christians, we often harp on the need to read God’s Word. Yet since reading has become a mere task for some, we need to qualify what kind of reading we’re speaking of. The Christian should always read to hear from God. Every time we open the Bible, we should expect to encounter the Holy Spirit’s voice. Whether we’re reading for message preparation, evening or morning devotions, lesson preparation for a class, small group, or following along during a message, we read to encounter God.
Unfortunately, we have tended to segregate Bible reading into academic exercises and personal reading. The first we call study, the second we call devotions. During study we read for facts, during devotions we read for growth. But isn’t there something strange in this false dichotomy? Shouldn’t every encounter with the Bible be a studious act as well as one that pushes us to greater devotion with God? When I prepare for a message, don’t you expect me to wrestle with the meaning of the text as well as the Lord of the text?
Next time you open your Bible to read, consider reading to hear from your Lord. It is after all his revelation to you!
