Jesus told him, "The Scriptures
say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4 Jesus
responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your
God.'" Matthew 4:7 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus
told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and
serve only Him.'" Matthew 4:10
In the Beginning
God has made an amazing universe. We
read that "the Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. ... When He spoke, the world
began! It appeared at His command" (Psalm 33:6, 9). In His account of the Good News, Jesus' friend John
declared, "In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God
created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The
Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to
everyone" (John 1:1-4). Jesus was no ordinary man, but actually took part in
creating the universe.
Power of the Word
God's people had been told long ago
about the power of His Word: "'It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it'" (Isaiah 55:11). Because of that power, God knows all about everything He
has made: "the Word of God is alive and powerful. It exposes our
innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all Creation is hidden from God. And
He is the one to Whom we are accountable" (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Trust in the Word
The Apostle Paul taught the young
pastor Timothy the importance of being grounded in Scripture: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to
teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It
corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore,
we rejoice in knowing that "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, the decrees
of the Lord are trustworthy. The laws of the Lord are true; they are more
desirable than gold" (Psalm 19).
“Learning God’s Word”
One of the main ways through which
God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) reveals Himself to us is through the Bible.
We believe that all Scripture (the words in the Bible) has been inspired by the
Holy Spirit, and can be read as if it is God speaking to us.
In today’s passage, we see that
Jesus quoted Scripture to satan when He was tempted, thereby refuting satan's
words. Finally, satan left Him.
This demonstrates that knowing what is written in the Bible
is critical for us as believers. The same is true for someone you may have led
to Christ. Do your best to ensure that the new believer has a Bible, in his/her
own language if possible. And, you can even help to make sure they know how to
start reading the Bible.
The Bible can be difficult and confusing for a new
Christian. This can happen if they start reading through the Old Testament --
it will be a long time before they get to the gospels, and start reading about
Jesus, who is central to their new faith.
Here are a few simple steps you can use to encourage your
new believer in getting to know the Bible:
• Suggest they start with the book of Luke
followed by the book of Acts.
• You can then follow with Genesis and Exodus, then Matthew.
• Then suggest a Psalm each day, and at the same time, the gospel of John.
• If possible, get together regularly to discuss what they are reading.
• Make sure the believer understands the abbreviations of the books and how to use the index to the Old and New Testament.
• You can then follow with Genesis and Exodus, then Matthew.
• Then suggest a Psalm each day, and at the same time, the gospel of John.
• If possible, get together regularly to discuss what they are reading.
• Make sure the believer understands the abbreviations of the books and how to use the index to the Old and New Testament.
You should also explain to your
believer the power of the Word in speaking and praying. Give simple but
powerful examples, such as Psalm 23 and John 3:16.
PRAY: "Lord, I pray that You will enable me to explain Your
Word in a clear way to any new believer You put in my path. Speak through me as
I explain Your Word. In the Name of Jesus. Amen"
( Adapted from godlife.com)
