Reading the "hard books" of the Bible

Recently I had the opportunity to visit with another believer whom I hadn’t seen in some time. As we talked, questions came up that are beautifully and articulately addressed in the book of Hebrews. I asked this friend if she’d ever read Hebrews. She confessed she hadn’t and carefully shared her intimidation of the book. I encouraged her to push through the avoidance and to consider listening to the book as she read along and to pray that the Lord would help her know what He wants her to know. 

I then shared my own avoidance of Hebrews just after becoming a believer. I was intimidated by it even while knowing that the Holy Spirit illumines the words and teaches us what He wants us to know. Like so many others, I avoided “the hard books”. I told her how I’d been encouraged to read Hebrews by those God had given to disciple me. I decided I would listen and read along to increase my focus— and perhaps even my retention. By the time I was done I was in tears; I understood! 

It’s time to take back the Word of God. Scripture is a living and Holy gift for the people of God. We cannot allow the lingering deception of false teachings to rob us of the blessing of its pages or to prevent us from obeying and abiding in Jesus. We cannot let the distractions of life—whatever they are— prevent us from taking responsibility for our own commitment to obey the Lord. Further, we cannot give in to the temptation to over-rely on teachers for our spiritual growth while neglecting to abide in the Word on our own. When we do this, we risk deceiving ourselves into thinking we are abiding when in fact we are finding vicarious contentment in someone else’s relationship with Him. 

Whatever it takes, I pray you persist in the Word of Christ and that you grow in knowing Him personally on His terms through His Word. It’s in this abiding that we will grow, and it’s here where we will find ourselves rapidly shedding the questions and fears that will otherwise lie dormant in our minds and covertly hinder our walk of faith.

—Nicole Stevenson (Former Adventist, homemaker, staying home to raise her children, and with her husband Carel, was on the launch team of Redeemer Fellowship, an evangelical church in Loma Linda, California).