“Alive and Active”
Reflection on the message of Ptr. Peter Tan-chi
[Grow in Love]: Delight in God’s Word, Be Blessed
I am a bookworm. As such, I have read and encountered so many beautiful love stories over the years, countless action-packed novels, and a myriad of books that spoke to my soul. But never has there been any book that has touched me to the core, and has spoken to me on so many different levels; never has there been anything that has convicted my spirit to the point of repentance; never have I encountered a book as beautiful, as extra-ordinary, and as hard-hitting, yet as comforting, as the Bible.
I went to two different universities and have been exposed to God’s Word during Theology classes, particularly the Pentateuch. But I admit, I never fully appreciated reading the Bible then. To me it was tedious, time-consuming and boring. Only when I started to have a relationship with Jesus a few years back, did I start realizing the value of reading God’s Word. Suddenly, the words leapt out of every page and every verse took a whole new meaning. Gone were the days when I’d fall asleep in the middle of reading the Book of Numbers. Back then, my general reaction to Leviticus and Deuteronomy might have be summed up as 'ho-hum'. But after my encounter with Jesus, I found myself delighting in reading the Torah, desiring to know His plan of redemption, and discovering the amazing backdrop to everything in Scripture that would follow.
As I began to see and taste the Lord’s goodness in my life, my desire to read the Bible increased. I began to understand the heart of God for me, the wisdom He wanted to impart to me in order to live a life pleasing and worthy of Him. In God’s Word, I found comfort to my pain, answers to my questions, healing to my spiritual sickness and teachings to my ignorance. As I immersed myself in and meditated on His word day by day, my delight increased and my spirit thirsted even more. Why would it not, when all I read continued to fill every crack, crevice and void in my life. All I longed for, I read in His promises in the Scripture: peace, joy, love, and prosperity. The the more I read, the more God became real in my life! I came to understand who the Father was, to feel first-hand how much He loved me, His beloved. Not only did the Bible rebuke me, but it taught me that God’s plans for me are way better then my own and burdened me to be an effectual doer of His Word and not merely a hearer.
Today, the Bible continues to speak to me. God’s Word continues to deliver comfort and assurance in my darkest times, continues to give hope and strength when I feel weary and discouraged. It is indeed, alive and active! I delight in the freedom I have to read the Bible and I desire nothing more but for people I know, to read, taste and see God’s richness and goodness.
Reflection on the message of Ptr. Peter Tan-chi
[Grow in Love]: Delight in God’s Word, Be Blessed
I am a bookworm. As such, I have read and encountered so many beautiful love stories over the years, countless action-packed novels, and a myriad of books that spoke to my soul. But never has there been any book that has touched me to the core, and has spoken to me on so many different levels; never has there been anything that has convicted my spirit to the point of repentance; never have I encountered a book as beautiful, as extra-ordinary, and as hard-hitting, yet as comforting, as the Bible.
I went to two different universities and have been exposed to God’s Word during Theology classes, particularly the Pentateuch. But I admit, I never fully appreciated reading the Bible then. To me it was tedious, time-consuming and boring. Only when I started to have a relationship with Jesus a few years back, did I start realizing the value of reading God’s Word. Suddenly, the words leapt out of every page and every verse took a whole new meaning. Gone were the days when I’d fall asleep in the middle of reading the Book of Numbers. Back then, my general reaction to Leviticus and Deuteronomy might have be summed up as 'ho-hum'. But after my encounter with Jesus, I found myself delighting in reading the Torah, desiring to know His plan of redemption, and discovering the amazing backdrop to everything in Scripture that would follow.
As I began to see and taste the Lord’s goodness in my life, my desire to read the Bible increased. I began to understand the heart of God for me, the wisdom He wanted to impart to me in order to live a life pleasing and worthy of Him. In God’s Word, I found comfort to my pain, answers to my questions, healing to my spiritual sickness and teachings to my ignorance. As I immersed myself in and meditated on His word day by day, my delight increased and my spirit thirsted even more. Why would it not, when all I read continued to fill every crack, crevice and void in my life. All I longed for, I read in His promises in the Scripture: peace, joy, love, and prosperity. The the more I read, the more God became real in my life! I came to understand who the Father was, to feel first-hand how much He loved me, His beloved. Not only did the Bible rebuke me, but it taught me that God’s plans for me are way better then my own and burdened me to be an effectual doer of His Word and not merely a hearer.
Today, the Bible continues to speak to me. God’s Word continues to deliver comfort and assurance in my darkest times, continues to give hope and strength when I feel weary and discouraged. It is indeed, alive and active! I delight in the freedom I have to read the Bible and I desire nothing more but for people I know, to read, taste and see God’s richness and goodness.