Today's Insight with Chuck Swindoll

If I could have only one wish for God’s people, it would be that all of us would return to the Word of God, that we would realize once for all that His Book has the answers.

In those seasons when it's difficult to see God's purpose and promise, remember where your hope and encouragement are found.

Beth-le-hem means “house of bread” in Hebrew. Insignificant as a tiny loaf of bread... yet the Lord, through the writing of a minor prophet eight centuries earlier, puts his finger on Bethlehem and announces that this place will be famous.

It’s so important to know God—one of life’s major pursuits. Let’s consider the other side of the same coin—loving God, which is clearly our ultimate response.

You might have the idea that if you take pen in hand and open the Bible and start in Genesis and work your way through to Revelation, you’ll have it all put together. You’ll not only understand everything about God, you’ll understand all the mysteries, right? Wrong!

You want to know what people pursue when their eyes are on themselves? You’ve got it right in Jeremiah 9:23. They embrace a “counterfeit value system.” Human wisdom. Human might. Human riches.

Some of you are getting downright serious about Bible study. Good for you! Since that is true, you need to get hold of some tools that will help you do that. I call these tools abuse-busters!

How about five simple rules for accurately handling Scripture? Each includes a different word—what, who, why, where, and when.

The hope for such maturity is in God’s Word. You will have “understanding more than the aged” as you rely on this Book.

Knowledge doesn’t get emotionally involved. Knowledge alone lacks action. It lacks feelings. Knowledge has to do with the gaining, the gathering, and the relating of facts. And all of this can remain theoretical … if you let it.

Today, your life may literally face a blank wall, and the only thing you can draw on is the beauty and depth and color prompted by God’s Book. You need more than knowledge; you need a new infusion of creativity from the Spirit of God Himself.

Why is it so important to be well-grounded in the truth of God? Why bother to know the scoop? Why not leave that responsibility to the missionary and minister? Let me suggest six specific reasons.

What is true in the realm of general knowledge is equally true in the realm of spiritual knowledge. I am constantly amazed at the level of biblical ignorance in these United States. Aren’t you?

Each believer is independently accountable to God for his or her response to the Lord's specific leading, even though others don't understand or agree.

Understanding God's will for your life requires a deliberate approach that involves stopping to study His Word, looking around and within to sense His guidance, and listening to the counsel of qualified people. By combining these three essential steps, you can gain clarity on God's desires and walk in obedience to His will.