Question:: I find it difficult to read and study God's Word, yet I want to, I feel lost and perplexed when I open the Word and try to study, can you help me.I stopped reading for a while.
Answer: Pray before you open your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it. Just read your Bible to begin with and the gospel of John is a good place to start. Read through the New Testament, then Psalms and Proverbs first. Keep a journal, note down what the Lord is saying to you as you read the Word each day. Relax for the Lord wants to reveal more of Himself to you. When you seek His face He will be found by you.
You need to know that you are not under condemnation, you are a blood washed child of the living God, you are accepted, you are adopted by your Heavenly father "Abba" He calls you His own, for Jesus has gone before you and reconciled you to His Father and He wants to reveal to you just how much He loves you. Jesus is praying for you right now, isn't that amazing?
So open the Word expecting that revelation, give thanks to the Lord that He wants to reveal Himself more to you and indeed He will. Enjoy His Precious Word. Jesus Himself is the living Word and He wants to beso real to yu. The past is gone, this is new day and it's one the Lord has made and He wants to speak to you today. Bless you. the Lord loves you and want you to know He has never left you, not for one second. Read from a place of resting in Him.
If your church has group Bible studies find one that suits you and study the Word with others.
A LOOK AT WHY WE AS CHRISTIANS SUFFER
Many times Christians face trials and suffering simply because we live in a world full of sin.
Jesus said I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Joh 16:33 NIV).
And in the Amplified
Joh 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
No matter what comes against us we can have confidence that our Lord has won the victory for us, He has overcome for us.
Rom 8:17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.
Ah, we like the idea of sharing in His glory but we are not so sure about sharing in His suffering. Jesus took care of the death penalty once and for all so we don't ever have to worry about that again. But the Bible teaches that we must suffer times of trial if we are to share in the glory.
Rom 8:18 [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us!
The sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory which is to come. We have a wonderful hope set before us. Often we think we suffer because of our circumstances. We believe that if our circumstances would change, we'd be able to act right. God wants us to become mature and steady in our walk so we act right even when none of our circumstances are good. It requires more faith than being delivered from a bad situation. Too often we thank God for His delivering power and overlook His keeping, strengthening and enabling power.
Hos 4:6 a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
The same applies to us today. Is our focus on knowing God better?
Paul said For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.(1Co 2:2)
Is that our resolve?
He also says, ...he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal 6:8)
See also: Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
Pro 4:21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
Pro 4:22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
Pro 4:23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
Are we really attending to Gods Words and being totally obedient to Him?
Isa 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
I have quoted this verse because it can be a reason. I am not saying that if you suffer in any way it is because of disobedience.
Sometimes people have been faithful to learn and obey the Word, and the trials still come. Sometimes trials come simply to test and purify our faith.
1Pe 1:6 [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,
1Pe 1:7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.
God wants to break off things like pride, rebellion, selfishness and independence. He wants us to be totally dependent on Him, and suffering seems to bring us to that point so that is another reason. I am not saying God wants us sick or to be in lack but that is a different subject, but we are not promised an easy road in all things. If we never had a problem we wouldnt know that God could solve them.
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Remember Jesus knew what it was to suffer in a way that we will never have to, for He suffered bled and died for us. Going through trials and experiencing God's deliverance better equips us to minister to others. Our pain is never wasted; it brings about compassion that reaches out to other hurting people by saying, "I've been there, and God brought me through it, and He'll do the same for you."
Php 1:12 Now I want you to know and continue to rest assured, brethren, that what [has happened] to me [this imprisonment] has actually only served to advance and give a renewed impetus to the [spreading of the] good news (the Gospel).
Php 1:13 So much is this a fact that throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest [here] my imprisonment has become generally known to be in Christ [that I am a prisoner in His service and for Him].
Php 1:14 And [also] most of the brethren have derived fresh confidence in the Lord because of my chains and are much more bold to speak and publish fearlessly the Word of God [acting with more freedom and indifference to the consequences].
God had a purpose for Pauls imprisonment and he was able to encourage others through his unwavering walk with God and his testimony. If were to minister to others, we too will have to face some adverse circumstances. We should stand in faith and confidence knowing that God will bring us through to victory, and we can encourage others in the process.
Sometimes we will suffer attacks from the enemy because of our faith, we in the west know little of that but our brothers and sisters around the world are facing persecution and even death daily. We need to ask ourselves would we stand strong in the Lord if we were facing the threat of death for our faith?
Mar 4:17 And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.
I pray that this will never be said of any of us. We need to draw close to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who will help us to run the race strong in Him.
Heb 12:1 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(1)
Heb 12:3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.
healing
healing