“For the word of God is living and powerful.” (Hebrews 4:12)
My love of reading began early in life. My grandmother taught me to read when I was five years old. She and my grandfather lived right across the street from us when I was growing up. Many times I would grab my pillow, walk through our yard, rock-jump across the creek, look both ways before crossing the street, then run down my grandmother’s gravel driveway, across her stone bridge, through her back porch, and into her kitchen. I can still hear her voice welcoming me into her house. In fact, I can never remember not being welcomed by her. She taught me to love books by reading them to me.
Looking back, I believe those reading times with my grandmother were divinely inspired. While I can’t remember the specific year that I confessed my sin, claimed Jesus as my Savior, and invited Him to live in my heart, I do remember that after that decision I began to have a strong desire to read my Bible. So I did. All the way through—from Genesis to Revelation. And that began a lifelong love affair with God’s Word, strengthened by my years in Bible Study Fellowship.
My love of reading, studying, applying, and obeying my Bible has led me to the deep conviction that it is more than just great literature. It’s supernatural! It’s God’s living word! It pulsates with life! How could that be? What makes the Bible so unique? The answer to those questions leads us straight to the Holy Spirit, who makes God’s Word come alive as He speaks to us through its pages.
My love of reading, studying, applying, and obeying my Bible has led me to the deep conviction that it is more than just great literature. It’s supernatural!
Peace through grief
While the Bible is a manual for possessing a fully blessed life, it’s more. Although I don’t hear an audible sound, there are times when God speaks directly through the printed page into my heart. His Word has comforted, encouraged, directed, rebuked, strengthened, and sustained, while giving me peace and hope.
For example, on August 19, 2015, my husband of 49 years moved to our Father’s house. While I knew with sweet, blessed assurance he was safely in heaven, my heart had a hard time letting go. I had been his caregiver 24–7 for three years. It was extremely difficult to have that role come to a screeching halt in a single moment. As ridiculous as it sounds, I was worried about him. Was he really, truly okay?
The Spirit didn’t let me struggle long with these emotional thoughts before He intervened. He brought Philippians 1:21 clearly to my attention: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Of course! Death for Danny was gain. Of course, he was better off!
I felt somewhat foolish for worrying. But then my next unspoken query was, What about me? The Holy Spirit led me to the next verse: “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” A strong sense of purpose seeped into the depths of my being. I knew without question that God had taken Danny to something much better and that I still had work to do. Even with tears on my face, I was filled with peace.
His Word has comforted, encouraged, directed, rebuked, strengthened, and sustained, while giving me peace and hope.
Peace through change
Getting adjusted to living by myself after 49 years of marriage included putting my children at ease concerning my safety. Even though my husband could not have protected me during the last few years he was in the home because of his physical decline, somehow his presence gave my children a sense of peace. Not too long after I started living alone, the Spirit whispered a promise to me from Hosea that I shared with them: “I…will make them lie down safely” (Hosea 2:18, NKJV).
When my doorbell rang at two in the morning, I knew God would keep His promise. While it was unsettling, I was not afraid. My dog started barking wildly, adding to the chaos and confusion. I threw on a robe, went to the door with my dog growling and lunging, and found a sheriff’s deputy standing on my front porch. He had received a false alarm and wanted to make sure I was okay. I assured him I was.
Peace through uncertainty
There have been other times when the Holy Spirit has seemed to speak, giving me a promise that has not been fulfilled, which has challenged my faith. I reexamine and pray over the promise, asking, Did I misread it? Did I read into it? Was it a promise God truly gave me or one I had just named and claimed?
Recently I had a crisis of faith triggered by a promise I thought God had clearly given me but that proved over time to be unanswered. I felt foolish and spiritually naive. Then the Spirit seemed to whisper to me, “Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you” (Isaiah 30:18, NKJV). I knew His promise would be fulfilled, just not according to my time. My faith rebounded as I chose to trust His way and His time.
I knew His promise would be fulfilled, just not according to my time. My faith rebounded as I chose to trust His way and His time.
The Spirit’s whisper
The previous examples are just a few of the Spirit’s whispers to my heart. Would I have made the same decisions or received the same comfort without what He said? Would I have had the same perseverance, courage, guidance, and wisdom if I had not read my Bible, listening for His voice? I don’t think so.
Yes, I would have survived. But like many others, I would have been just guessing my way through life, afraid I would take a wrong turn and very probably doing so. Instead, the Spirit’s whispers have enabled me to live with energetic confidence, making very few costly mistakes.
The Bible is God’s living word. He speaks today through it, but how many of us are listening? As you read God’s Word in BSF this year, would you choose to open your ears and listen for His voice?