The Evidence: Revealed in Scripture
Recently, I was asked to speak at a youth event. The topic was the evidence for God. This is a topic I love – there is so much evidence found for God in nature, science, archeology, etc. But the question that kept returning to my mind was this: does knowing the evidence for God and His Word matter if you don’t know God and His Word? I decided to use that question to fuel my devotional, and I’d like to share my thoughts here, too.
Learning all this wonderful information on the evidence for God means nothing if we do not know God Himself.
How can we have lives that are changed by the Lord if we don’t know the Lord? How can we know the Lord if we don’t know His Word?
Scripture reveals to us the heart and nature of God. You cannot learn that from anything else.
The Holy Bible is God’s message to us. God reveals Himself through His Word. The Bible is living and active because the Holy Spirit is in the Scriptures. Scripture is God-breathed, inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness so that we may be adequate to do every good work (see 2 Tim 3:16-17).
God is revealed all through Scripture. We see His nature and His purpose and plan. We need to have a deep understanding of scripture that will transform our lives in order to show the outside world the evidence of God.
If we don’t understand the gospel as revealed in Scripture, then we cannot be effective witnesses for Christ.
I truly believe that when Christians start opening up their Bibles and truly digging into God’s Word, we will then be able to change the world for Christ. We specifically need to understand Genesis 1-11 and the gospel. Genesis explains why we were created, and why we are sinners and need Jesus. Genesis 1-11 is the basis for the gospel. The gospel is the account of Jesus’ life and ministry, His death to pay the price for our disobedience to God, and how He conquered death through His resurrection. The gospel is the message of hope and salvation and gives us the reason to be followers of Christ.
The best evidence for God to those who aren’t believers is the evidence of a changed life. When non-believers see how knowing the Lord has changed our lives, that impacts them the most.
I had the opportunity to attend the National Bible Bee Competition several times, and at that event I am always amazed to see how the Word of God can transform lives. When Christians are saturated in the Word, it is evident in their words and actions, and you can see Jesus in them. The love for the Lord that many of the believers at this event have is amazing and inspiring, and it truly grows when we know and understand the Word of God and choose to live it out.
But knowing the Word isn’t the same as knowing Jesus. For example, when I studied for my driver’s permit, I felt like I knew a lot about driving. But when I actually drove for the first time, I realized that driving is way different on paper versus actually driving!
In the same way, I’ve met people at Bible Bee who know a lot about Scripture, but they didn’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Yes, the Word of God is powerful, but it is not what saves you. Scripture points to Jesus Christ, and He is the only way to receive salvation and eternal life.
We need to take the time to pause and ask ourselves: do I just know about Jesus, or do I truly know Jesus?
My challenge to you is to get into God’s Word. Don’t let the pastor or a blog do that for you. It can’t, even if it’s a great resource. You need to personally get into the Word, read it, study it, and truly understand what God is saying to you.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is living and active – that means that God can speak to you personally through it! That’s the coolest thing ever!
I challenge you to get into the Bible. And I promise you, that any amount of time you spend in the Word will be worth it. God’s Word does not return void:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11
However much time you spend in the Word will give glory to God, and you will see His amazing work in your life. God’s Word is powerful, and I have found that the more time I spend in it, the more I love it.
We’re
all at different points in our walk. I’m
not going to tell you that you need to spend a set amount of time in Scripture
each day. But I want to challenge you to
take the next step. Some of us are ready
to start reading our Bibles more consistently.
Some of us are ready to dive deeper into scripture and start studying
in-depth. Some of you may not know Jesus
as your personal Lord and Savior. My
prayer is that each of us will be willing to take the next step in our walk
with God, whatever that is for you.
If you’re not sure about how to get into Scripture more, here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Listen to the Bible on your phone while getting ready for the day
- Schedule a time of day to study your Bible and stick to it
- Read a chapter of Proverbs each day according to the date (for example, on the 12th of the month, read Proverbs 12)
- Use an inductive study guide (this is a method of studying Scripture using historical context, the original language, and Scripture itself to gain a deeper understanding of what God is saying. This is my favorite way to study the Word!)
- Memorize a passage of Scripture each week and recite it daily (it’s amazing what God will reveal to you as you recite Scripture over and over!)
I encourage you to ask God what you can do to deepen your relationship with Him. Once you’ve prayed, write out a game-plan for how you are practically going to deepen your relationship with God.
Lastly, I encourage you to find an accountability partner that you can share your game-plan with. Find a friend who also wants to get into God’s Word more, and share your plans with one another. Encourage each other to stay on track with your plans and also pray for one another. Having someone to hold you accountable is very helpful!
I pray that we would all get into God’s Word, that we would know it and live it, and that we would be living proof of the evidence for God.
With love,
Kelsey
