The spirit of discovery has changed our world dramatically. Think about life without cars, phones, computers, airplanes, antibiotics…the list goes on and on.
I think back to Christopher Columbus “discovering” America. He gets all the credit, as he should, I suppose; but truth is, America was always here. The land, anyway. It may have been called by a different name, but the hills and valleys, rivers and plains that we call America were present long before Mr. Columbus sailed his ships here. Millions of years before he arrived, this beautiful place we call home was bursting with life. Just ask our Native American friends. America was right there, waiting to be discovered by inquisitive Europeans.
Here’s the reality, truth is truth; but the key to discovery is seeking truth with new eyes.
The Bible is the ultimate truth. It’s filled with life-giving teachings, deep spiritual insights, and its pages reveal the heart of our loving and gracious God. We simply have to choose to open it with new eyes, a soul willing to receive what it has to say…a heart ready for discovery.
The Good News is God’s Word guarantees success when we do!
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Seek and you WILL find. Not maybe, not only if you’re smart enough, not only if you’re in full-time ministry, pastors and the like. It says EVERYONE who asks receives. I love those kind of odds!
But let’s be real, the Bible can be intimidating. Just like sailing across the vast blue ocean must have made Christopher Columbus shake a little in his shoes, reading the Bible can be daunting. At times it’s hard to understand. We wonder, are these verses still relevant? Sometimes we simply don’t understand what they are trying to say to us today.
Here’s what I am learning more and more as I dig deeper and deeper: every single situation that we encounter, every heartache we go through, we can find answers, comfort and direction in its Holy Spirit-inspired pages. The Bible is our spiritual GPS to guide us in the highs and lows of life.
Are you willing to take the risk and open your heart to discover new truths? Some of the things you discover about yourself won’t be pleasant. When God convicts you of sin in your life, it’s going to hurt. And it should!
But you’ll also discover beautiful things like:
You are made new in Christ. The old you is gone forever! (2 Cor. 5:17-18)
You have the power of God living right inside you! (2 Corinthians 1:22)
You are free from the power of sin! (Romans 6:14)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:13-14)
God has GREAT plans for you! (Jeremiah 29:11)
I love the story of Thomas Edison and how hard he worked to make his idea of a lightbulb come to life. He knew he could, but the “how” eluded him.
After he finally succeeded, a reporter famously asked him, “Mr. Edison, how did you deal with so much failure.” You see, it took him 1,000 tries to get it right.
Mr. Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. I found 1,000 ways that didn’t work!”
I absolutely love that!
And I believe that’s a perfect way to approach our faith lives. We will fail. There’s no doubt about that. We will fail often, and sometimes that failure will be overwhelming. We may feel like there’s no grace big enough to cover our mistakes.
But we can learn from what didn't work and move forward. As we go to God with our failures, as we dive deep into His Word, we will discover the incredible truth that His grace is new every morning. We are not defined by our mistakes but by who He says we are: chosen, loved, redeemed.
I encourage you, my friend, don’t be intimidated by the Bible. Open it with a heart yearning for discovery. Seek HIS truth, and you WILL find!
Hugs and love,
Jill
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