The Power of God's Word: A Journey Through Scripture

As we embark on a new year, many of us are seeking ways to grow, improve, and find deeper meaning in our lives. While resolutions and self-help books abound, there's an ancient source of wisdom that offers transformative power: the Bible. Far from being an outdated relic, Scripture continues to speak profound truths into our modern lives, offering guidance, comfort, and inspiration.

The concept of a "Rule of Life" provides a framework for ordering our days around values, practices, and relationships that keep us open to God's transformative work. At the heart of this approach is a fundamental truth: there is a fixed human nature. Just as a high-performance car like the Ford GT is designed for specific purposes and functions optimally under certain conditions, we too have been created with intention. There are ways of living that align with our design, leading to flourishing, and others that work against it.

Reading, particularly engaging with Scripture, is a key practice in developing a healthy Rule of Life. Science backs up the benefits of regular reading:

1. Stress Reduction: Just six minutes of reading can lower muscle tension and heart rate.
2. Improved Sleep: Reading before bed eases stress and promotes better sleep quality.
3. Mental Sharpness: Regular reading may help prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

However, what we read matters immensely. Jesus taught that "the eye is the lamp of the body" - what we take in through our senses affects our whole being. Our brains are wired with mirror neurons that cause us to internalize the content we consume. This makes the choice to engage with uplifting, truth-filled material all the more crucial.

The Bible offers unique benefits as we read:

1. A Source of Knowledge: Scripture provides testimony about who God is, who we are, and our purpose in the world. It addresses the universal human recognition that something has gone wrong - that there's a gap between where we are and where we're meant to be.

2. A Record of God's Redemptive Plan: The Bible isn't just a collection of disconnected stories. It's a cohesive narrative spanning 1,500 years, showing God's consistent work to restore and save humanity. This plan unfolds through a series of covenants - divine agreements that showcase God's faithfulness even when humans fall short.

3. The Centrality of Christ's Resurrection: The entire biblical narrative points toward and finds its fulfillment in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This event is the lynchpin of history, offering the solution to humanity's deepest problem and the bridge across that gap between our current state and our intended purpose.

The Psalms beautifully capture the transformative nature of engaging with God's word:

"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."
(Psalm 19:7-8)

Notice the passive verbs - refreshing, making wise, giving joy, giving light. Scripture works on us as we engage with it! This Psalm goes on to describe God's word as "more precious than gold" and "sweeter than honey." While this may seem like poetic exaggeration, it points to the profound impact regular Bible reading can have on our lives.

However, it's important to recognize that this transformation doesn't happen overnight. The person who can genuinely say Scripture is sweeter than honey has likely cultivated that appreciation over years of faithful reading and reflection. Jesus often compared faith to a tiny mustard seed - something with enormous potential for growth, but requiring patience and nurture.

Consider the mighty sequoia tree. From a tiny acorn, it can grow to over 200 feet tall, with a trunk circumference of 30 feet, weighing a staggering 11 million pounds. Similarly, when we become followers of Christ, we're born again of an "imperishable seed" (1 Peter 1:23). The Holy Spirit dwells within believers, but like any good farmer, we have work to do in cultivating that seed.

This cultivation begins with two simple practices:

1. Reading the Bible consistently
2. Expecting to receive something when we read

That expectation is crucial. As we approach Scripture, we should anticipate that our souls will be refreshed, our minds made wise, our hearts filled with joy, and our spiritual eyes opened to new insights.

An encouraging analogy comes from an unlikely source - a waste management facility in Pennsylvania. Employees there, while separating metals from incinerated trash, began collecting the loose change they found. What started as pennies, nickels, and dimes in a bucket grew over time. Astonishingly, this facility now collects over $10 million annually in discarded coins!

Similarly, reading the Bible might sometimes feel like we're only gaining small, seemingly insignificant insights. There may be days when it feels like a waste of time. But as we faithfully stack those "pennies and nickels" of wisdom day after day, we end up with an invaluable treasure - a year spent in God's presence, learning from Him directly.

As we step into this new year, consider taking up the challenge of reading through the Bible. It doesn't require hours each day - even 10-15 minutes of focused reading can yield profound results over time. There are numerous reading plans and apps available to guide you through the process.

Remember, this isn't about checking off a religious duty. It's about positioning ourselves to hear from God, to be shaped by His truth, and to grow in our understanding of His great love for us. It's about developing deeper roots in our faith, becoming more firmly grounded in Christ.

What might God want to say to you this year? What work of transformation is He longing to do in your life? The answers await in the pages of Scripture. As you embark on this journey through God's word, may you discover its life-giving power anew, finding it truly more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.