lead me not into temptation

Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”



this passage seems to get at, at least indirectly, one reason why many people find it so difficult to read their Bible consistently. so apparently, the Bible lets the intents of our hearts be known. and when that happens, God is in a position to do crazy-awesome things in our lives. conviction is ridiculously powerful and it brings people closer to God. our relationship with God is strengthened when we confess those innermost evil thoughts and the outward sins we often deny.

according to this passage it is the Word of God that has the power to bring us to this point of confession. when are we closest to God? when there is nothing between us. nothing to get in the way of our relationship. (not that we can keep anything from God anyway.) the last thing Satan wants is for us to read the Word of God so that we can be close with Him and therefore, farther away from Satan (the screwtape letters comes to mind). didn't Jesus teach us to pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”?

personally i have found that the times when i do end up reading the Bible even though i don't feel like it, are the times that i really needed to be reading it the most. it is during the time i am pondering “read God’s Word, don’t read God’s Word” where Satan has the potential to get a foothold in my soul.

when a person first makes a commitment to Christ, it is always the first suggestion to the new believer that they keep in the Word of God often. i think it is important to look at passages of Scripture like this. it is helpful for me not just to know that i should read the Bible, but to really understand why. i wish scmeone would have explained this to me in my youth. i was such a legalist, a dualist. i love knowing that reading the Word of God is about building a relationship with Him and not about figuring out what the "good" things are to do, and what "bad" things i should stay away from. Godwhen i was younger, I always understood reading the Bible as something you just should do. we should not underestimate the power that the Word of God has to transform lives.

to summarize: reading the Word of God leads to conviction, conviction brings us closer to God, Satan hates it, we should know why it is important to read the Bible, then it can really change us.