Theme:   Elevate: Next Level Spiritual Growth - Getting A Grip On Your Bible

This eDevotional was written by a volunteer from Timberlake Church.

Read: Isaiah 55:8-9; John 14:9-11

Think: This past weekend Pastor Ben taught us about the importance of Getting a Grip on the Bible to Elevate to the Next Level of our Spiritual Growth. It made me think about how much the foundations and culture of our nation are centered on faith and the Bible.

I found a site online that listed over 300 city names taken from the Bible. Teresa Watanabe, a feature writer for The Los Angeles Times, said, "The [Bible] is a cornerstone of Western civilization, inspiring the art of Michelangelo, the plays of William Shakespeare, the novels of John Steinbeck and the films of Hollywood. Its prose has enlivened our language: Salt of the earth. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Drop in the bucket. Skin of my teeth. Woe is me!”

The Bible is all around us but do we believe?

A 2011 Gallop poll indicated that 80% of Americans believe that the Bible is the word of God but only 30% believe it is the literal word of God.

In my life, getting a grip on the Bible only happened when I joined that 30% who accept the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. When I didn’t believe in the Bible as such, it allowed me to pick the parts that worked for me and ignore the rest. That left me on a very shaky foundation. After learning more and experiencing the power of God’s truth in the Bible, I came to believe and trust that it is indeed the Word of God! There are parts I don’t understand, but I put those parts in what I call my Isaiah 55:8-9 folder. If there weren’t things about God that I can’t understand then He and I would be on the same level… And what would I need Him for then? Why would I worship Him?

In John 14:9-11 Philip wanted Jesus to prove himself as the Son of God so that he would be satisfied. Jesus asked him to “just believe”. As the foundation of my faith, those two words allow me to get a grip on the Bible in a way that makes it critical and transformational in my life.

Do:  Write down whether you are in; the 30% of Americans that believe the Bible is the actual word of God or the 50% who believe that it is the inspired word of God but that not everything in it should be taken literally. If you are not satisfied with the level of your trust in the Bible, go back and study the six evidences that Pastor Ben provided in his message outline.

Pray:  Father God, I want Your Word to be the firm foundation of my life. Teach me to search it out, love it, know it and believe it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.