Discovering God's Awesome Word

By Rev. Tan Eng Boo

There is one place you must visit in Jordan —the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. I am always awed by this magnificent city each time I visit. The journey begins at the Siq. The 1.2km Siq, with its narrow, vertical walls, is undeniably one of the highlights of Petra. The walk through this magical corridor, as it snakes its way towards the hidden city, is one full of anticipation for the wonders ahead.

Each time, when you come to the narrow ending of the Siq and Petra’s Treasury can be seen slightly (as seen in this photo, which I managed to take with only two tourists standing at the end), most people would be awed by the sight. When they come out of the Siq, and all the “wows”, “ohs”, “amazing” etc., can be heard from almost every person in the group, when they see the full sight of this Nabataean city of Petra.

The Bible is also a Book of wonders. Search it thoroughly and you will discover its wonders. It will be a dynamic and enriching experience. It will bring us into a deeper relationship with Him and empower us to live in accordance with His Will.

Edwin Hodder wrote in his hymn:

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;

And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare

Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

May this be the prayer of all the saints:

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18)

How can I be an effective searcher of God’s word?

We must engage with the text. There is no simple way of beholding the wonderous things out of God’s law.

Read the Bible regularly. Make a habit of reading the Bible daily. Different translations can provide fresh insights into familiar passages.

This is the most basic task for everyone in church. We are busy people, yes! But we can’t miss this task. We should not miss it. We should treasure such a personal moment with God.

Grace church did a “Bible Reading Survey” some years ago. To our horrors, almost 80% indicated they do not read the Bible every day. Most people indicated “busyness” as the main reason for not doing so.

How busy can you be each day? You mean taking 30 minutes of reading and meditating on God’s word is going to eat into your routine? Look at God’s instruction for His people.

Firstly, let us see what the Bible says about the king of Israel reading God’s law every day.

Deut 17:18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

Church leaders (ministers, elders, deacons, etc.) especially need to read the Bible every day. Reading the Bible will keep us on the right path, and most of all, keep us humble.

Secondly, God warned of a famine of His word among His people. Today, we have great access to God’s Word. If you don’t read it, you create your own famine.

Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Take up your Bible and read it every day. It is more valuable than gold and silver (Psalm 19:10). When we truly bring the word of God into our lives and allow it to be written on our hearts, we find true peace and contentment beyond the rat race of this world.

Do not rush through the reading of God’s word. Reading the Bible should be the believers’ lifelong ambition. Share the lessons you learn. It will be a blessing to you.

Thirdly, walking through the Siq towards Petra can distract from the real Petra I want to see. The fascinating colours and patterns of the rocks and carvings are amazing. But there is before me my objective – the city of Petra.

The Bible is to be read and studied. We must read the Word. But to have the objective of finding real treasure that we can use for our personal lives, we will have to dig deeper, as Edwin Hodder said, “Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare, Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.”

Find time to study it, too (2 Timothy 2:15).

I can only encourage you to do so. The blessings will be yours if you do so