THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN TO TEACH US TO ENCOURAGE US AND TO GIVE US HOPE

Proclamation:

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in The Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.  May The God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Romans 15:4-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in Rome.  Paul states that The Scriptures were written for them and for future generations to come in order to teach and to encourage believers.  Then he prayed that God would give them the same attitude towards each other as Christ had towards them so that they could glorify God in unity.

Application:

The Bible was written and passed down through the ages for us and for future generations to come.  It has been translated into almost every language so that all people can be exposed to it.  However, we are not only to read it but we are to behave as it teaches. (Romans 2:13 and James 1:22)  It also encourages us and gives us hope because it tells us that in the end we will win because The Lord God is with us.  Another reason for reading The Bible is that we can learn more about The God we serve and The Christ that we identify with when we call ourselves “Christians.”  If we don’t know who He is, then how can we know who we are?  The Bible is also the instruction manual for living a Christian life.  It teaches us how to treat fellow believers and how to treat others.  The more you read it, the more you will learn from it.

An Invitation To Take Up The Yoke Of Jesus

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew, the former tax collector, recorded these words of Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to the crowd of lost sinners and extended to them an invitation to follow Him.  The invitation was to all those who were weary from life's labor, and those who were weighted down with the burdens of life.  Jesus said that He would give rest to the weary, and He would lighten the load of those carrying more than they could handle.  He said that the yoke that they carry was heavy, but His yoke was easy and light weight.  If they would learn of Him, and from Him, they would find that He is gentle and humble, and the He could save and give rest to their lost souls.

The invitation which Jesus extended was to all of the lost souls then, as well as to those who are lost today.  To those of us who would follow Him, He offered to take the heavy load of our burdens from us, and to carry them for us.  Although all were invited, only a few of us will accept His invitation and follow Him.  But those of us who take up His yoke, who pick up the cross daily (Luke 9:23) and follow Him, who learn that which He teaches us, will find rest for our souls.  This invitation contains three commands, "come", "take", and "learn".  If we obey these commands and come to Jesus, take up His yoke and follow His ways, and learn from Him who is the Master Teacher, we will be rewarded with relief from our burdens; rest for our bodies now and eternal life our souls later on; and we will learn the Truth and gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  This is an invitation to trust in The Lord Jesus, and to develop and intimate and personal relationship with Him.  The yoke of Jesus is becoming one of His disciples and making a commitment to follow Him.  The benefit for doing this is the forgiveness of our sins, (1 John 1:9)  the gift of eternal life,  (Romans 6:23) and everything that happens to us in this life will end up being for our good. (Romans 8:28)

From Him Who Sent Me

"Jesus answered, 'My teaching is not My own.  It comes from Him who sent Me."  John 7:16  (NIV)

The Apostle John, who addressed the gospel to all believers so that they would know that Jesus is God, here records the words of Christ when He was teaching in the temple during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.  Jesus was answering a question by one of the non-believing Jews who wanted to know how Jesus knew so much about the scriptures without going to school and receiving formal training.  His answer was that what He taught came from God, The Father, who sent Him.

Jesus said that the man who speaks his own thoughts "... does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth..." (John 7:18)  He was not putting forth His own thoughts, ideas, and opinions to call attention to Himself.  Whatever He said and taught came from our Heavenly Father.  Jesus did not come to earth to seek glory and honor for Himself, He came give glory and honor to God, The Father.  The lesson that we can learn from the example which Jesus demonstrated is that we are not to seek to gain honor for ourselves.  We are to speak, act, and live in such a way as to give glory and honor to God.  We can deliver the message that God told us to spread throughout the world by the way we live. (Matthew 28:20)  We can "teach" by example by letting the world see us living a good Christian life, exhibiting good Christian behavior, and hearing us engaged in good Christian conversation.  We may be the only "Bible" that some people "read" or hear.  Remember, "It's not about us, it's all about Jesus." (Unknown)

Pray For God's Instruction Guidance And Direction

"Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.  My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word.  Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law.  I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws ... do not let me be put to shame ... Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.  Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word."  Psalms 119:27-37 (NIV)

Psalms 119 is the longest of the psalms, in fact, it is the longest chapter in the Bible having 176 verses.  This psalm is thought to be a collection of King David's brief utterances to God.  Here he is praying for instruction and understanding, and for guidance and direction.  He also asks God to keep his eyes and his heart from evil, sinful, deceitful things.

We would do good to ask God for the same things.  We have chosen to follow The Lord, but we need His help in order to do so.  We need to read and study The Word of God more, but we need Him to increase our knowledge and understanding.  As we walk this Christian walk, we need His help, guidance, and direction in order to steer clear of sinful things.  Maybe we should pray this prayer.