Women, the Bible is for You
We are on our third year of our Women’s Leadership Cohort, which is a seven-month course of developing women in their leadership skills and knowledge of the gospel. Our topic this month was the bible and the fact that it is one big story of God’s redemptive plan. We also discussed the bible’s authority, necessity, clarity and sufficiency. One thing we all agreed on is that most of the time, we don’t treasure God’s word like we should.
Of course, I know women who really do love Scripture, and they memorize it and study it often. They want to know God and his word. I love to hear the way they quote Scripture in conversation, because his word is truly written on their hearts. Those women are an incredible encouragement to me! I’m writing this for the women who are struggling with the idea that the bible is necessary and profitable for every day and every part of our lives.
This struggle is evident in the way we read it, or don’t read it, or in the way we turn to so many other sources before we crack open our bibles. When we need encouragement, wisdom, or simply to make sense of the world, we often turn to family, friends, our favorite author, or google. It seems we have come to believe that most of the time, we don’t really NEED the bible, or that it has little to offer for our lives these days.
The way that we do read the bible also reveals our view of it. If we approach the Word of God simply looking for some little nugget of truth to get us through the day, or for a magical answer to a problem, we are missing the point as well. God did not intend for us to use Scripture as a vending machine of knowledge that we only come to when we have a need. Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (emphasis added) The bible isn’t just for when we have a problem. It is for ALL of life.
I believe the two main misbeliefs regarding our view of the bible are misplaced priorities and fear. Many of the reasons I hear for why we set aside our bibles for other things could fall into those two categories.
Our lives are so busy. Most of us have an ongoing to do list that is ever-growing and never completed. We have so many distractions from the internet and social media. There are SO MANY THINGS vying for our attention, so much noise from every direction, and our bibles sit quietly on our nightstands. Instead of making it a priority to know God more, and to be saturated in his word, we have become satisfied with what we know of Him now, and in doing so, we neglect the most important relationship in our lives.
And fear. Women, Satan will absolutely use fear to paralyze you, to keep you from knowing God more, and to plant doubt in your hearts. One way that we battle the lies he feeds us is by feeding ourselves truth. We see that in this prayer of Jesus:
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:14-17
If you don’t read your bible because you’re afraid it’ll be too hard or that you can’t understand it, I’m telling you now, that is a lie. Will some things be harder to understand than others? Absolutely. But if you’re in Christ, you have been given the Holy Spirit, who is working in you to make God’s words clear:
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13
It’s ok if you read something and don’t understand it at first. You can pray. You can check cross-references. You can even use a trustworthy commentary to help you. But don’t ever give up just because something isn’t immediately clear to you. And don’t ever be afraid of somehow disappointing or upsetting God with your momentary lack of understanding. You can ask Him for wisdom; He loves to give it freely.
The bible is such a gift to us. It is God’s words for us! In it we see the gospel, we see the character of God, we see his plan for the world, and we see his great love for us. Women, I pray that you will love the Word, spend time in it, memorize it, and be transformed by it as the Spirit works in you. I pray that you will grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus through it and be more in awe of our great God. Do not neglect it. The Bible is for you.