Persevering Effort in Bible Study
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Christ says, You must become meek and lowly in heart if you desire
to become wise unto salvation.
Do not read the word in the light of former opinions; but, with a
mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as
you read, conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions
are not in harmony with the word, do not try to make the word fit these
opinions. Make your opinions fit the word. Do not allow what you
have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding.
Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous things out of the law.
Find out what is written, and then plant your feet on the eternal Rock.
The Knowledge of God’s Will
Our salvation depends upon our knowledge of God’s will as it is
contained in His word. Never cease asking and searching for Truth.
You need to know your duty. You need to know what you must do to
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be saved. And it is God’s will that you shall know what He has said to
you. But you must exercise faith. As you search the Scriptures, you
must believe that God is, and that He rewards those who diligently
seek Him.
O search the Bible with a heart hungry for spiritual food! Dig into
the word as a miner digs into the earth to find the veins of gold. Do
not give up your search till you have learned your relation to God and
His will concerning you.—
The Youth’s Instructor, July 24, 1902
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Reverence in Bible Study
We should come with reverence to the study of the Bible, feeling
that we are in the presence of God. All lightness and trifling should
be laid aside. While some portions of the Word are easily understood,
the true meaning of other parts is not so readily discerned. There must
be patient study and meditation, and earnest prayer. Every student, as
he opens the Scriptures, should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy
Spirit; and the promise is sure that it will be given.
The spirit in which you come to the investigation of the Scriptures
will determine the character of the assistant at your side. Angels from
the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for
divine guidance. But if the Bible is opened with irreverence, with a