Bible Studies Can Show You God at Work in Others
Today I was encouraged by how God is at work in other people’s lives. I’m currently 6 weeks into an Old Testament study of the book of Nehemiah. A book that, if I’m going to be honest, I have never read all the way through. Each time I open up God’s word to Nehemiah and study it, I am learning new things! So today when I went to discuss this past week’s passage and study questions, I was curious what takeaways the other women would have noticed.
As with any group, things can be a little slow starting out, but we have built a level of trust and comfortability over the last 6 weeks. We started working our way through the first few questions. As we got to the 3rd or 4th question, almost everyone was sharing what God was revealing and teaching to them. You may have experienced a similar rhythm.
What we were Studying
This particular night we were in Nehemiah chapter 8. The people were at a place where their hearts were eager to learn what God had to say, and they went as far as to ask Ezra, the priest and scribe, to read the Book of the Law of Moses to them (Nehemiah 8:1). The people lifted up their hands, bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (Nehemiah 8:6). We even see their repentant hearts as they were morning and weeping (Nehemiah 8:9b-11).
Now you probably didn’t come here to read about the book of Nehemiah, although I’d encourage you to go read it on your own! I did want to share some context so you can understand the reverence and awe for the Word of God that we are talking about today.
Noticing God Working in Other’s Hearts
Bible Study’s offer a sweet opportunity to see God at work in changing people’s hearts. Compared to at home when you’re studying God’s word on your own, when you gather with other believers you get to listen to what God is doing in other people’s lives. How encouraging is that?! God is so powerful and able to work on not just your heart, but in the hearts of all who call on his name. What a blessing to see another woman change to be more like Christ!
So on this night of our Bible Study in Nehemiah, our study guide had a particular question. Something along the lines of, “Share some ways that we as believers today can practice gathering to hear the reading of Scriptures together.” Everyone in our group shared ways they see scripture read in groups in our modern day. One woman shared what seemed like a simple answer to the question, yet it caught my attention and I’m still pondering it.
“Scripture can be read with others every night before you put your kids to bed.”
I think we all know the value and importance of family discipleship, of reading God’s word to our kids. But it was in light of studying Nehemiah 8 where the people had an appreciation for the Scriptures, a reverence for God’s word, that shown new light on reading God’s word with my children.
This friend shared her thankfulness for a husband that faithfully opens the Bible in their home. She also shared how God had been at work in her own heart to be faithful to that nightly routine, even when her husband was away for work. She was open and honest about the struggle to hurry through bedtime routine, or even think “maybe we can skip this tonight.” I resonated with those thoughts she shared, as I too can be tempted to hurry through the bedtime routine so that I can have a break sooner. The reverence the Israelite people had for the reading of Scriptures was the same reverence she wanted to echo in her own home to her kids.
How can we glorify God in this?
We can thank God that His word is alive and at work in us! (Hebrews 4:12) When you are hearing someone share what God is teaching them in the Bible (whether in a Bible Study setting or just in conversation), say a silent prayer in your head. “Thank you God for revealing yourself to (NAME). You are so kind and powerful” This takes the information someone is sharing simply from “details” to an opportunity to praise God for what he is doing!
God speaks of his word being truth (John 17:17). We can praise and glorify God for his word having the power to save, change, and guide us. A simple prayer like, “God your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path as Psalm 119:105 says. Thank you that Nehemiah 8 is shining light on the realities of our daily life. God, your word deserves to be read with reverence and awe, help me to do that even with my children.“
Are you at a place where you are eager to read God’s word and be transformed by it? God created his people to praise Him (Isaiah 43:21) and there is no better day to start than today.
