Why This Matters | Love Letters

All Scripture is God-breathed…useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16

Dr. Haynes frowned and set his instruments aside. “Have you been flossing?” he asked. James closed his mouth and sat up. “Well, not often. But I brush three times a day and use my favorite mouthwash.” Dr. Haynes lifted a brow. “You’ve got several cavities between your teeth because your brushing isn’t reaching those places. Brushing the fronts and backs is good, but by neglecting to floss, you’re missing some very important parts. Skipping those places is hazardous to your health.”

We often read the Bible the way James brushed his teeth. We focus on the parts we like and skip the rest. Unless we are dedicated Bible students, we build our theology around our favorite verses and ignore important parts. When the books of the Bible were penned, they were not divided into chapters and verses like they are now. Those were added later. While chapters and verses are helpful, they have a downside. Verses let us snatch single thoughts out of their contexts and apply them willy-nilly to our personal situations. We tweet, post, and create memes out of the cheerful ones and zoom right past the rebukes, corrections, and calls for holiness. ALL of God’s word is beneficial. Skipping those places is hazardous to our spiritual health.

Final Thought:  Are you allowing God’s word to teach, rebuke, correct, and train you in righteousness?

Prayer: Father, I do focus on a handful of encouraging verses instead of pursuing all of your word. Like James, I don’t notice the problem until I’m off the track and can’t seem to find you. Help me discipline myself to pursue all of your word. Amen.