Counterfeit or Genuine? Know the Difference ~ by @ShelleyHendrix

Photo by Shelley Hendrix

                                                                                                                                                               “I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name For Your loving-kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” 

Psalm 138:2 NKJV

  

God speaks to us is through His Word. Scripture says that God has elevated His word even above

His Name.

But, if our reading and study of Scripture is merely to check off our daily list of good deeds, its power in our lives will be minimal. But, if we can get past that motivation and become motivated out of our deep romance with the One who wrote the love letter to us, it changes the whole thing. Just like any other meaningful, significant relationship, it doesn’t happen by itself, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and commitment from both involved. God has done and continues

to do His part; I get to respond to Him. He has initiated the whole thing; I simply accept His gift of relationship through Christ’s atonement on the Cross.

There was a time when I was a teenager that my church was beginning to experience a lot of growth, both in numbers and depth of relationship with God. During those early days of growth, under the leadership of our very dynamic leader, many people became quite interested in learning more about the occult in order to be better equipped to handle those

false teachings. Well, I wanted to be knowledgeable too, so I started reading about witchcraft, black magic, and the rest. Rather than be informed and prepared, I was becoming

fearful and intimidated. Then one day Pastor Johnny talked about how the Bible needs to have the preeminence in our lives above any other books we might be reading. Christian

literature definitely has its place and I am an avid reader, but the Bible must come first. He gave the illustration that you may be familiar with, but it makes a very good point. He said

that when bankers are being trained, those who are training them do not bring them every counterfeit they can find in order for the bankers to know all of the counterfeits that may

or may not come their way. Think about it; they would have to be trained daily because counterfeits are constantly being manufactured. Rather, they are trained to memorize the real deal—that way, whenever a fake comes across their desk, they can spot it immediately! Realizing the wisdom of that, I began to really delve into the Bible, and I can honestly say

that putting Scripture to memory has guarded me from false teachings on many, many occasions. I don’t have to rely on someone else’s relationship with God, I have my own!

What about you?

* How has God's Word made a difference in your life?

* In what ways would you like to see God's Word become an even greater influence in your life?

*Why do you think people, including Christians, struggle to find/make time to spend in God's Word?

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Today's post is an excerpt from On Purpose For a Purpose-A Study of the Book of Esther, and can be purchased online at www.Church4Chicks.com as well as wherever books are sold online.