Part 2 - The Understanding of the Word
It was at this point in life, after reading the entire Bible through in a month, of which fact I don't look back with any pride, my I began to memorize scripture, and attempted to memorize the entire book of Colossians. It is shameful to tell you the actual reason why I did so. We Chinese have an attitude and way of life called the "Kiasu Spirit" - literally "the fear of losing". "Kiasu" means an attitude, a way of life bent on not losing, literally "I will fight, I will kill, I will give all my money, I will work until I drop dead, I will trample on everything and anything," soasmuch as to attain my goal, because it is important to me. I was very "kiasu" to outdo every one in Sunday school at Bible Quizzes, "Kiasu" to read the entire BIble through in a month, and now "Kiasu" to outdo every one at memorizing Scripture. Of course all "Kiasu" is of the flesh and is carnal, and the very word breathes a spirit of pride and haughtiness, that "I can do better than anyone else". What a motivation.
I threw myself wholeheartedly into memorizing Colossians. I wrote it out, twice. I read it many times through. I read it every day until the pages started falling out.
I would like to say that I never really had a "wonderful" "lifechanging" particular experience with God that I could date. But I can tell you for a fact, "God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11)
At this point, I would like to quote a "short" testimony I wrote awhile back, for perhaps you may find it helpful and it fills it some gaps in my story.
Why Couldn’t I Understand the Bible?
A lot of people, I’m sure, were like me at one point or another, and perhaps still am. The Bible once seemed a complete mystery to me. It didn’t make any sense. It didn’t seem to apply to my life, or change me, or anything. I knew the facts, I knew all the “stories”, I could answer all the questions that the Sunday-school teacher asked. I knew the Parables, I knew the Gospel, and I knew who created the heaven and earth, so what?
Even after reading through the Bible in three months NOTHING seemed to penetrate. I felt like I was just scratching the surface over and over again, like someone searching for gold but only uncovering soil and soil.
Now I believed God in His word, and I believe that He was God, and He was Creator, and He saved me from sin, but I only knew that God did this and God did that, I didn’t know God as the God who IS, who WAS, and WHO IS TO COME. I didn’t know GOD, and who HE was. I only knew what He did.
It usually starts like that.
Hebrews 11 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Our journey must begin on the basis of faith, even if it just believing that God Almighty is the creator of heaven and earth, etc. We must have FAITH to begin with. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17)
But when our journey progresses, works MUST come after us. Faith saves us, but is inside. Works are the things on the outside that show evidence of what is inside. Sometimes people may have only the outside and lack the inside. Then those works are dead. We must have a living faith in the living God for our works to be living.
James 2
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does I tprofit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[d] works, and I will show you my faith by my[e] works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[f] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[g]And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Notice James repeats again and again that faith without works is dead? So works without faith, I believe is dead also. My father quoted from somebody once, that faith and works are like two oars, without one or the other we simple go round and round in circles in our walk with God. Belief/Faith is not enough! Even the demons believe in God – but they are trembling!
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child[b] when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
By faith Abraham obeyed (Works). He obeyed and went out. If he simply said he had the faith but didn’t go out to the place God called him that is not faith at all. So also Sarah.
Hebrews 11 verse 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
By FAITH Abraham OBEYED, hand in hand. Without faith we cannot please God, no matter what we do. We MUST have faith. Faith is what saves us. Works are what show that we are saved. Here we come to the Key of my sharing – God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
I had faith in God, I didn’t know Him personally yet, but I believed Him to be the rewarder of those who diligently sought Him. And so I continued to try and read His word, which seemed dry and boring to me. I struggled to memorize it, to meditate on it, and for months I seemed like nothing was happening. I had the faith, I obeyed Him by trying to read His Word, though it seemed fruitless, and then over time God rewarded me.
God WILL reward you, no matter how hard it is, no matter how tiresome it seems, no matter how boring you think the Bible is, no matter how you struggle and struggle and struggle, because GOD is faithful, you must be faithful too. You be faithful, you diligently seek Him –He will reward you. It doesn’t happen overnight. It doesn’t happen suddenly, or the first time we pick up the Bible and decide to read it. Infact, the first time you try to read it you probably wouldn’t “get anything down your system”.
Do you know that God’s Word is a living Word, and it is God speaking to you? Do you want to hear what God is saying and not what the world is saying? Of course! But of course it is very difficult. When all your life you listen to the dead words of a dying world that is all that you are accustomed to then of course you will not be able to take the living Words of a living God so easily. You have been trained, your sense have been trained, your mind has been filled with the wisdom of this world.
God revealed Himself to me slowly, it came not all at once. Through memorizing His Word, I came to understand more and more. I copied the Book of Colossians in the beginning because I found reading tiresome and sleepy. Copying helped me stay awake, and to concentrate instead of skimming over words. My handwriting was terrible at first, and as my writing progressed, so did my spirit. I ended up memorizing it, and these words here.
When God gives you understanding and revelation of His Word, it doesn’t come over night. He doesn’t give it to you all at once, otherwise I probably would have become a proud know-it-all, like before. The understanding of God’s Word comes over time, and even experienced Christians still receive more and more revelation as they continue to seek God.
Slowly, I actually began to enjoy God’s Word, and learn more and more every day. Ps Susan always says that God’s Word is a requiring Word, and God never wastes His words. God became to require from me things which I never dreamed off before. He led to me learn obedience, and diligence, and showed me what a wretched sinner I had been and still in a way was. He showed me the narrow way, a way so narrow you can’t even lean one way or the other without falling. The ways is so straight and narrow.
Matthew 7
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
See here is the promise. Ask. I heard in a CD by David Pawson, that the verb is in present continous tense, in the originally Greek. The last thing this verse is talking about is monetary and physically gifts from God, nay! Keep asking, and it will be given to you; Keep seeking and you will find; Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. Even a simple passage like this a great treasure to me. What do you think Jesus is talking about – doesn’t it speak something to your spirit? Yes, my heavenly Father gives good things to me, blessed wonderful things! The chapter goes on to say:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
So narrow, so difficult, and that’s where the grace of God comes in. I heard this illustration from Aunty Dorothy, and read it in Wiersbe’s Bible Commentary too. The narrow road’s entrance holds a banner which says, “Whomsoever will”, and once you step in, and turn around, behind is written “Chosen”. Indeed we are all called to the Way, which is Christ, those who enter are chosen, but we MUST remain faithful, for God IS the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
What a joy the word of God is – I do not enjoy it in a way that is fleshly, or carnal, for in the third chapter of James it says,
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct tha his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The word of God will become like a sword that will pierce you, a mirror that shows you how dirty you are (Hebrews 4, James 1), YET IT IS LIFE! IT IS TRUTH! Amen.
I will continue this article in a series of articles I write for my blog. If you truly struggle but seek to love God’s Word, please read the Psalm 119 and Joshua 1:8
Joshua 1:8 (New King James Version)
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
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