The title sounds like a great sales pitch, right?  And then you see the picture of the Bible.  Hard U-turn!

During a recent Sunday sermon, I was led to think again about the vital importance of God’s Word in our lives.  Not a real earth-shattering concept, is it?  As Christians, we know that reading the Bible should be a regular part of our lives.  I’ve been more diligent about this in some seasons than others, and I suspect that might be true for many of you.

As I’ve talked with many people grieving losses over these past nearly six years, it’s not unusual to find those who are angry with God, who feel abandoned by God, who question God’s love for them or their loved one, and who, consequently, have stopped praying to God and/or reading the Bible.

It’s understandable how someone could land there when their world has been turned upside down with soul-crushing grief.  And yet, working through this rough season with God can often bring them to a deeper, clearer understanding of who God is, and what role he plays in our trials.  God can work on our hearts even if we’ve chosen not to talk to him, or read his Word.

One of the main goals of this ministry is to help the hurting find ways and places that they see God’s hand on their life during this hard season.  It’s a way to find some level of balance when the heartache stares us right in the face.  Often hard to find the good during those times.

So I want to suggest one way that you can do exactly that.  It’s the opportunity I don’t want you to miss – and it’s directed to anyone who is currently struggling with a difficulty in their life, and finding it hard to partake in anything “spiritual.”

My advice is simple  Regardless of how you feel, pray to God, and read the Bible.  Here’s why:

When your heart is broken, or you’re feeling abandoned, or you question anything or everything about God, the scripture you read in the Bible will eventually become more than mere words in that book. 

If you commit to trying this, you will begin to sense those words, directly from the heart of God, resonate deep in your soul, in ways you’ve never experienced before.  They won’t just be words you memorized for Sunday School, or words that provided some level of comfort.  You will feel like you have truly lived out the truth of those texts.

That’s what it means when it says, “the word of God is living and active” (Heb. 4:12).  That’s exactly what God intended when the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of approximately 40 men of diverse backgrounds over the course of 1500 years resulting in the Bible in your home today.

The scripture about expecting “fiery trials” in this life (1 Peter 4:12) speaks deeply to me about how this loss feels, and why I shouldn’t be surprised by it. 

The scripture about the “eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor 4:17) helps me put my trial in a proper perspective. 

I could likely give you dozens of scriptures that have moved from head knowledge to heart knowledge.

God wants the Bible to be more than just a portion of a devotion, or the source of a Sunday sermon, or a nice little motivational spiel.

He intended it to change our lives.

I would propose that there is no more appropriate time to be changed by God’s Word than when we are going through some deep hurts in our lives.

So while our natural inclination might be to withdraw from God and the Bible because our hurt feels so all-encompassing, what he calls us to do is delve deeper into these inspired scriptures because God’s power to heal and comfort IS truly all-encompassing.

If that feels like an impossible change in direction for you, then let me emphasize the other part of my advice to you.  Go to God in prayer.

Pour your heart out to him.  Let him know that you don’t feel like reading the Bible, and you doubt there’s anything there for you right now.  Let him know if you’re angry or disappointed or hurt.

But then … ask him to change you.  Ask him to give you the strength to just open up that Book.  Or open your Bible app.  Or even do a Google search on how you’d describe your current emotions.  I guarantee there are scriptures to address it, and give you hope ((here’s a great source).

Don’t miss the opportunity for a deeper understanding of God and his character and promises.  He longs to share all that he is – with you.

You will seek me and find me,

when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13