Read The bible
While cleaning off a bookshelf a few weeks ago, I came across a notebook that had some letters in it that my wife had written to our children in 2003 while she and I were on a trip. Our children were 3, 5, and 7 at the time. I could have followed that finding with a call to our present day adult children and explained what my wife had written to them 21 years ago. Or I could have made copies or pictures of the letters and sent them to our children so they could read the letters themselves and interpret what their mother was saying to them. Clearly, the better option is for them to read the letters themselves.This is very similar to what we are confronted with every day as Christians. Do I read the bible myself or do I rely on learning what the word of God is telling me by funneling the information through other people?In the past centuries, people were confronted with a reality of illiteracy or no access to bibles (still a situation with an estimated 1+ billion people). It is such a blessing that most of us do not have those challenges to read the word of God today. Yet, many people still make a choice each day to not read the bible.Several thoughts:- Prayer and the bible are the most direct communication with/from God that I know of.- Sermons, theology books, devotionals, discussions with “solid Christians”, etc. are great ways to learn, grow in, and search, our faith as Christians.- The bible warns us multiple times of false teachings.- Do you feel equipped to identify false teaching if you are not reading the direct message from God yourself?But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3 ESV As our Christian journey moves us from children in our faith to adults, let’s encourage each other to read the letters from our Father ourselves, seek to understand what He is telling us, and continually build our trust and faith in Him.The Five Day Bible Reading Plan https://www.fivedaybiblereading.com/ and the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/ are great resources to support your Bible reading habits.But he answered, It is written, ‘”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” Matthew 4:4Have a blessed week.Darin Zehr