A Great Treasure

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. ~ Psalm 119:162

Have you ever read a good book that you just couldn't put down? The more you got into it, the more it captured all of your attention and you couldn't wait to read the entire book. There are some books I've read that took many months for me to read but I've come across some that I could sit and read in one day!

This is how we should be about the Word of God. I read Psalm 119:162 in the Message Bible and this is what it says, "I'm ecstatic over what you say, like one who strikes it rich." Do we feel that way when we open up the Word? If we could only understand that the Word is our very life! It is vital to living a successful life. It is our instruction manual. It gives us wisdom and answers for every day life. It unlocks mysteries. It reveals what is ours as sons and daughters of God. It is full of precious promises that belong to you and me. It gives us examples of other great men and women who have already gone before us and prepared the way. We can learn from them, their mistakes and their victories.

We should have an excitement as we dig into the Word! It is a great treasure and the more we spend time studying it, the more we get to know God. We learn His character. We discover more about His goodness. We start being secure in His love and we begin to realize that everything He does is motivated by love.

Just skimming through the Bible is not enough. We need to understand what we are reading. We need to take time and let God speak to us through His Word. Look at the scriptures in different translations. Look up words that you may not understand. Go to a Strong's Concordance and see what words mean in the Hebrew and Greek. Use the cross references and look up the other scriptures that are referenced. Read the study notes if you have a study bible. Sit and reflect on what you have read. Pray and ask God to give you understanding and revelation.

It is not God's desire to keep His Word hidden from us. He wants us to understand His Word. He will give us the understanding we desire if we will ask Him. As our eyes are opened and we begin to get revelation, we must apply what we learn to our lives. We have to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22). As we study the Word and apply what we learn to our lives, we will be transformed in ways we never imagined! We will begin to enjoy life and experience the abundance that has been promised to us.

Remember, the Word is your life! You can't experience complete victory if you try to live apart from the Word. Getting saved is not enough. Going to church is not enough. You have to develop a relationship with God and make it personal. The Word will give you the answers you are searching for. It will shed light on those things that have been hidden. As you give yourself to sincerely studying the Word, you will begin to flourish and see life as you've never seen it before!