Taking the Bible Personally

Personal application is a step we don't always take in reading the Bible.  We can observe what a Bible passage says, understand what it means, but never make it personal and consider how God's timeless truth ought to impact our present perspective on what we are going through.  Too often the wisdom of the Bible rattles around in our heads without ever reaching our hearts.  We have been apprised of facts that never wielded the transformational power God intends to impact our lives with because we are unbelieving or unwilling to receive God's word ourselves.

On Good Friday at Calvary Chapel Sydney, one of the passages we considered is found in Psalm 34:17-20:  "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. ²⁰ He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken."  The apostle John cites this passage from the Psalms in relation to Jesus Christ fulfilling it in His death, thus identifying Him as the righteous Messiah:  the body of Jesus was broken but every one of His bones were preserved intact.  Unlike the other men crucified on either side of Him, the legs of Jesus were not broken because He was already dead.  His decease was confirmed when a Roman soldier pierced His side, and this fulfilled another prophecy in Zechariah 12:10.

It is good that we take personally the fact we are sinners and God has provided atonement through the shed blood of Jesus Christ who forgives and grants eternal life to all who trust in Him.  For all those born again by the Gospel, Jesus is righteousness for us.  The aforementioned verses from Psalm 34 suddenly hit differently as Christians because of all Christ accomplished on Calvary.  These verses can now be taken personally as promises by God's grace.  Every Christian can know, based on the unchanging truth of God's word, when we cry out to the LORD He hears and delivers us out of all our troubles.  God is near and saves us when we humble ourselves, and the LORD delivers us out of all of our afflictions.

As Jesus lay dead in a grave behind a massive stone, there was no tangible evidence Jesus was going to rise from the dead--unless one hearkened back to what the prophets and Jesus previously said to His disciples as His hour approached.  In the same way, it may seem like deliverance from troubles and afflictions is never going to come for us.  There may be no hint based on our circumstances anything could possibly change.  Yet as sure as Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death, we can know God hears, delivers and saves us of all our afflictions.  Faith in God causes us to cling to Him, for the word of God stands sure forever.  Taking the Bible personally prompts us to answer questions:  am I troubled today?  Have I cried out to God for deliverance?  Do I believe God is near and will save me out of all my afflictions?

Blessed are those made righteous in Christ who take to heart God's word, trusting the LORD to fulfill all His promises in due time--as sure as Jesus rose from the dead and lives.