Doctrine & Disciplines of the Bible II
Previously, in the study “Doctrine & Disciplines of the Bible,” the importance of spiritual disciplines, such as reading and studying the Bible, was communicated. The Bible is not just printed words on paper; it can sift, separate, lift, humble, convict, and soothe our souls. However, our selfish tendency is to use every Word to make ourselves the focus.
We indeed live in a time of rampant individualism. Today’s motto is, “It’s all about me: My life. My job. My family. My plans. My rights. My happiness.” This mindset has crept into the church and our Bible reading. The perfect posture for reading Scripture is Godward. We must put God at the forefront of our Bible reading and study. Ephesians 2:10 states that we were made to fit into God’s plan, not vice versa. Although the Word applies to us, it is not centered around us. It’s first about God.
Kevin DeYoung writes, “We are all righteously indignant when someone else holds in little esteem what we know to be precious. Extreme delight in someone or something naturally leads to extreme disgust when others consider that person or thing not worthy of their delight. No one who truly delights in God’s Word will be indifferent to its disregard.”
Christians often make excuses for not spending time in the Bible. We may not have the energy or see the necessity of why we should study. We may lack motivation or need help prioritizing our time. We may not know how to read well or do the hard work of Bible study. Or, we may be preoccupied.
In this series, we have often considered the praise of God’s Word in the Psalms. In Psalm 119:17, we are reminded that to serve God rightly, we should seek to open our eyes to behold His truth and earnestly desire to understand it. We must humble ourselves enough to set aside our agendas, opinions, and emotions and give the Spirit space to work.
The Bible is truly magnificent and awe-inspiring. Our posture must reflect this truth. David Dockery summarizes the need for a correct biblical posture: “The Bible is the most relevant Book on the planet, but its message is a God-centered message, not a self-centered one. The Bible is about knowing and loving God as He wants to be known and loved, coming into His presence, and having your mind renewed to think about life the way He does. Once you understand that the Bible is about God and not primarily about you, it takes on a different priority in your life – and a new relevance.”
With perfect posture, we, as His children, are supernaturally renewed moment by moment, day by day, as we read, hear, learn, and live out the Scriptures. Whether our posture is kneeling before God or standing before Him, it is not the posture of our bodies but of our hearts that is important. Thus, as we apply our posture to Bible reading and study, we would remember that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.
In 2 Chronicles 6:7-9, we see God’s attention to the heart of David. In 2 Chronicles 6:39, we know the importance of posture in this context. In Psalm 51:1-17, we see essential heart postures that can draw us closer to God. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to guard our hearts, which is significant to our posture in Bible reading and study. Charles Spurgeon penned, “The words of Scripture thrill my soul as nothing else ever can…The words of God have more power over me than ever David’s fingers had over his harp strings. Is it not so with you?” The key to perfect posture is having our hearts set on God, not ourselves.
All sources for this series are listed here: https://debbieswindell.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/excited-to-share/
Debbie Swindell 