5 Bible Verses about the Bible

Many people have a lot of things to say about the Bible, but what does the Bible have to say about itself? Today we are going to look at 5 Bible verses written specifically about the Bible from the Bible.

Many people debate the validity of the Bible and question whether or not it is written for our time or whether or not it contains errors. Although that is a deeper discussion for another time, we can look closer at what the Bible has to say about itself and in the process maybe answer some of those questions.

While I don’t have any question, that the Bible is inerrant and 100% contemporary based on my experiences and study of God’s Word, I believe that God’s Word speaks well for itself.

The Bible speaks clearly of itself. It presents its own validity. It is the living and breathing Word of God.

I can attest to countless times that I have needed nothing more than a whisper from the pages of Scripture and God has given me exactly what I need.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12.

You could quickly argue that I was just reading what I wanted to hear or needed to make myself feel better. That by no means is the case. Although reading God’s Word is uplifting and encouraging, there are many times that I am convicted of my wrong thinking or doing. My soul is divided and my innermost thoughts, sometimes not very nice ones, are exposed and laid wide open for examination.

A Lamp for My Path

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

I can often time find my way. North, South, East, and West, forget it. But when I need to get to a new place, I am able to navigate the streets and the land quite well. I use landmarks and physical features of the land to get where I am going. When I lived in Hawaii, I was easily able to navigate my way by following or looking toward the ocean or the mountains. I was confident in not getting lost because I paid close attention to my natural surroundings.

But life isn’t the same way. I am a mom of three busy kiddos. There are so many times where I mess up and fail and need good guidance. I need to be able to find my way and back from selfish desires and turning to the needs of those around me with a servant’s heart.

There are so many times in my life when I feel lost.

I feel like I am wandering around in a dark world and my navigation becomes skewed. So quickly, I can become inward focused and near-sighted in my circumstances. I can easily become consumed by the pressure of taking on one more task that is not in my playbook.

But then when I sit down with God’s Word, my perspective and reality don’t always line up. The story I tell myself and sometimes put on replay in my head is not always the truth that captures the moment.

God’s Word guides me back and illuminates my path. It helps me take the focus off of myself and what only lies in front of me. It lights my days with the truth that God seeks for me to indwell in my heart, mind, and soul.

My path becomes clear. My days become brighter. Not because they are without trials and troubles of their own but because I am walking in the light and my focus is clear.

I can see that my days are sprinkled with hope. Hope for the present and a future. I can see the heart of a Father who so desperately wants a relationship with His children and hurts when they want to let go. My path and purpose are clearly lit when I am in the presence of The Word.

The Word of the Lord Stands Forever

The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of the Lord stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

I love flowers. In fact, every year, I go to the store and buy seeds and new plants. All with good intentions. To make my yard look beautiful and my heart to feel happy from taking in the beauty that would surround me.

The problem is the only one with a green thumb in my house is my husband. In fact, my last gift few plant gifts sat by and withered away. One of them was even an air fern, which is really hard to kill. I was sad for its loss because it is so pretty.

I water them. Most of the time. When I think of it. Apparently, every couple of weeks isn’t often enough. especially in the summer when they are being scorched by the sun. My husband insists that he is not buying me anymore every time he has to water them. I can’t blame him but I truly love their beauty. I just remind him that the kids are still alive because I do remember to water and feed them.

The reality is that flowers and plants are temporary. Mine plants are just a bit more temporary than most. Maybe it’s because I don’t put my greatest love in things of this world and I can’t quite bring myself to remember the temporary.

So I put my hope and faith in something greater.

God wanted us to remember that seasons and time comes and goes. The beauty in something may only be there for a season. But there is something greater. Something that we can hold onto even as the seasons of our life seem to be fading away.

His Word is truth and reality that we can stand on. It is eternal, just as we are. God’s Word offers hope and confidence in something more than the temporary. It offers us the eternal life through Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. A message that is timeless. A message that doesn’t and hasn’t faded with time and anything that we contribute to it. God’s Word will stand the test of time and will never fade no matter the season that this creation goes through.

Man Cannot Live on Bread Alone 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

When I go to a buffet or have a meal over the holidays, I just want to eat the bread. Literally, I could have a whole meal of delicious rolls. Why? They are so delicious. Why can’t I have just that?

If I only engorged on warm and did I mention delicious roll, I would be missing so many nutrients that would be sufficient for my body to stay healthy. And at some point, I may look like a roll.

I love the story of the woman at the well. The disciples go away to get food as Jesus speaks to this woman. In the process of Him telling her everything he knew about her, He also declares that He is the Messiah her people had been waiting for.

When the disciples return they try to get Him to eat and He says I have food which you do not understand. Jesus feeding truth was satisfying Him more than any amount of food they could have brought Him. Likely some flatbread.

He knew that the only way would ever truly be satisfied in life was not dining on delicious warm rolls but dining on the truth that He has to offer us. So not we couldn’t physically or spiritually live on just the bread because we need the substance that is given us through His Word.

All Scripture is the Breath of God and Useful

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

As we were reading through Job tonight at the dinner table, my son shouts out, “Where is all this coming from?”

Confused I asked him, “Where is what coming from?”

“All these words. Who came up with all these words?”

Even at a young age, we wonder about the words poured out in the Bible.

There are so many of them. Where did the words come from? Who wrote them? Where did the people come from? How did they all come together? How did they know what to write?

The short answer is, there at least 40 authors of the Bible. It spans the writings of around 1400 years from people spread out over what we would call today, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and Northern Africa.

Those are great facts if you like details, like me, but the Bible is more powerful than mere facts. That God could orchestrate such a symphony is writing is beyond our comprehension. He could breathe life into the pages and words that each author poured onto their scrolls or writing pages this vast is a pure miracle.

The Bible isn’t just for our viewing pleasure, to collect dust on a shelf, or to hold us in any position of high esteem. The Bible, like Jesus, has a purpose. It is to teach us the words and way of the Lord. It is for rebuking the sins that enslave us. His Words are for correcting that sinful behavior and steering us toward righteousness.

We are not to end there. We are given all of those gifts from God so that we could be properly equipped to accomplish His good works and point people to Him and His Kingdom.

Where is this coming from? The very breath of God.

Men Spoke from God as They were Carried Along

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For the prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)

Seems possibly far-fetched? That the very breath of God breathed life into the words and pages of Scriptures.

Well, I don’t think so, but I also wholeheartedly believe in the miracles that are poured into those pages. But we don’t need to just take my word for it.

The writer of 2 Peter, Peter. One of the over 40 authors of the Bible. A disciple of Jesus and close confidant who would have been privy to more information than the average person.

Peter was also more privy to more information than most of the disciples and Jesus’s closest friends. He had the insiders scoop.  Jesus often took him aside and spoke only to Him.

He ascended the mountain and saw Jesus transfigured in His glory. Peter sat by the garden while Jesus prayed inside. He was the first to enter Jesus’ empty tomb.

You couldn’t get any closer to the Son of God than Peter probably did.

Yet

Peter himself writes no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.

He gives all credit to the Holy Spirit, who inspired the words that authors had the privilege of holding the pen for as they sketched God’s Word onto scrolls. God’s will put pen to parchment and the result was a Book that has become the eternal Word of God.

Thank you for joining me, I hope you will stick around for Sitting Among Friends Blog Party.

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Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. It would be a blessing to visit another friend in the linkup and enjoy their posts.

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This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

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Raising Kids With Godly Character

Sending my kids off to school is tough. Not just because I will miss them desperately but because I want them to be prepared. I want to be raising kids with godly character so when they go off into the world, they can shine His light. 

Trusting God to Take Care of My Kids

Showing Our Fruit

Courage

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong. (BSB)

Compassion 

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

Humility 

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (BLB)

Integrity

 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you. Psalm 25:21 (NIV)

 

Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. Psalm 41:12 (NIV)

Obedience

 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good. Titus 3:1 (NIV)  

Sincerity

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. 1 Peter 1:22 (NLT)

Holiness

 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Personal Reflections:

Who has been the most influential in teaching you godly character in your life?

How has that affected how you teach your own kids? 

Are there any on this list which you would like to do better at teaching your kids? 

Are there any that you need to lay before Christ today so He can change you to be more like Him?

I am glad you are here. I would love for you to join us at Seeking God Daily. Because a couple friends and I are passionate about sharing God’s Word we have joined forces to bring together a Facebook Group called Seeking God Daily.

 

Seeking God Daily is a group that offers hope, encouragement, and support in learning God’s Word and applying the truths to our walk with Christ.

We want to encourage one another through authentic, honest and respectful conversation as we earnestly seek God daily.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

 

We’re doing life together so come and join in the conversations. You can join this group by clicking HERE! While you are there feel free to invite some friends along for the journey. We would love to have them!

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party. Please make sure to visit another friend in the linkup!

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please be sure to visit other blogs to comment and share*

I would appreciate you linking back to Seeking God or #SittingAmongFriends somewhere on your page. (You can also use the SAF picture with a link)

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will also be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post Raising Kids with godly Character & Sitting Among Friends #89 appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorite Scriptures. It says “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (ESV)

When I first heard this verse, I thought to myself, “I would love for the LORD to give me the desires of my heart! But I’m not really sure what it means to delight myself in Him.” So the LORD began to show me and teach me what that means.

Delight, according to Mirriam Webster, means to take great pleasure in. Here is a word picture the LORD showed me to help us understand better…

Think about how a young woman who is recently engaged delights in her fiancee. Or how a parent takes great pleasure in their child. And especially how a grandparent delights in their grandchildren. (As a new grandmother, I am well qualified to describe this.) What do they do?

1. They notice the little things their loved one does that others may not notice. And these things bring them joy, even though the same deeds might frustrate others. For instance, a grandmother absolutely loves it when her grandchild sings, dances or performs in some way for her, even if the performance is far from perfect. Then what does the grandmother do? Of course, she claps and thanks the child for performing for her.

2. They notice the little things about the person they love that make them unique, like a bride who notices the way her “man” walks, or a mom who notices that her baby always sleeps with her hands above her head. And they praise them for those traits.

3. They notice the likes and dislikes of the person they delight in. And they seek to please their loved one by giving them what they like. For example, my mom is so great at picking out gifts that me and my 3 siblings will love, because she knows what each of us like and don’t like.

4. They give that person they delight in their time and attention. Think about how young couples in love just cannot get enough of each other. They just want to be together all the time. They pay attention to every word their loved one says, and every deed their loved one does.

5. They use their creativity to show the person they delight in how much they love them. Consider the elaborate and extravagant lengths some men go to in order to propose to their bride-to-be. This also reminds me of all the silly (and creative) things my husband did with our children when they were little, just because they enjoyed it, and because he enjoyed hearing them giggle and squeal in delight.

6. They don’t care what other people think. I can promise you, I don’t care what anyone else thinks or says about my grandchildren. I think they are wonderful and no one can convince me otherwise. Furthermore, I don’t care if anyone thinks I am silly or foolish for making funny faces at my infant granddaughter or for wearing the bright, glittery eyeglasses my 9-year-old granddaughter and I made out of paper.

So let’s take these things we observed about how people delight in another person and use them as keys for how we can delight in the LORD.

Key #1 – Notice things God does & thank him for them
● Don’t just notice the BIG things God does, like healing someone from cancer or delivering someone from an addiction to drugs.
● Notice all the small things he does too.
● When a song comes on the radio and ministers to your heart exactly what you need at that particular moment, take notice. And thank God for it.
● Notice the fact that you were able to remain calm when that person cut you off in traffic this morning. Then thank God that he is working in your heart and helping you walk in peace.

Key #2 – Notice things about God’s character & praise him for who he is
● Make a list of God’s character traits.
● Whenever you are reading the Bible and come across a verse that says, “God is…”, add that to your list.
● Spend some time just praising God. Use words from your list to praise him for who is is.

Key #3 – Notice what God likes and what he doesn’t like. Then do what he likes.
● Search God’s Word to find out what he likes and doesn’t like. Here’s a couple Scriptures to get you started:
● God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV)
● There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him… (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Key #4 – Give God your time and attention
● I used to think that I could not really hear God very well or discern what he was saying to me. The problem was not in my ability to hear but in my ability to listen. I needed to learn how to listen and to pay better attention.
● I have found that writing things down, and even drawing or doodling on paper, or creating Scripture graphics on my phone, helps me to pay better attention to the things I find God saying to me through His Word.
● I have also learned that God loves the times when I have “quiet time” and give him my undivided attention, but he also loves when I look for him and talk with him throughout my day, noticing the little things he does and paying attention to the little “nudges” he gives me.

Key #5 – Don’t be afraid to get creative
● Being creative doesn’t mean being a talented artist. It means using your imagination to come up with new ways to love and serve God.
● Look for ways to use activities you already enjoy to help you delight in the LORD. For instance, I enjoy drawing, and coloring, and writing down my thoughts and prayers. So I created a devotional coloring book and journal so that I (and others who also enjoy these things) can enjoy coloring Scripture art while meditating on God’s Word.

Key #6 – Don’t be intimidated by how others delight in the LORD
● Maybe you have seen some of the creative ways that some women are “journaling” in their Bibles and you would like to try that. Don’t feel like your pages must look just like the amazing photos you have seen on Pinterest. The goal is not perfection. The goal is an enhanced relationship with Jesus. If your version of Bible journaling helps you achieve that, that’s all that matters.

To be clear, these are not rules or commandments. But they are keys that have helped me to delight myself in the LORD. I hope they will help you too.

I am super excited to share this link with you! JoDitt is giving Seeking God readers a sampling of her new coloring book. Before you go, follow this link to download a sampling of her new book! Delight In the Word of God! 

You can also find JoDitt here at JoDitt Designs and connect with her on social media

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JoDitt Williams is an author, speaker, licensed artist, blogger and Etsy shop owner with a goal of brightening her little corner of the world and helping others do the same. Whether she is creating art using traditional methods or digitally, her style is always colorful, cheerful and charming. She hopes that her Scripture art will cultivate delight in the LORD and in His Word. JoDitt has a passion for encouraging, uplifting and inspiring women to live a life full of joy, while gaining victory over fear. That’s why she teaches a weekly Bible study class for women in her community, and blogs at joditt.com about hiding God’s Word in your heart. JoDitt and her husband of 28 years are empty-nesters, who have traded their house for an RV and their horses for a Harley. They, as well as their two married children and three grandchildren, call Texas home.

The post Six Keys to Delighting In the LORD by Guest Blogger JoDitt Williams appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.