Same Scripture, New Meaning

by | Nov 18, 2021 | Best of the Blog, Devotional | 4 comments

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“I’ve read that scripture 100 times, and I never saw THAT before!”

One Sunday during our testimony service, a sister stood up and said, “There are large portions of God’s Word which we can receive only when we come into the places for which the words were given.” 

Please…take a moment and read that again! 

It was SO profound and true (in my life) that it stopped me right in my tracks! 

(The above quote is attributed to J.R. Miller.) 

Let’s open the Word: 

Luke 4 speaks of the 40 days that Christ fasted in the wilderness. It then states that He “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee…” 

Christ soon finds himself back in his hometown of Nazareth, and on the Sabbath day, He goes into the synagogue. The attending minister hands The Son of God the book of Isaiah. Jesus finds His place and reads this aloud to all present: 

The Spirit of The Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of the sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of The Lord.

He hands the book back to the minister and then sits down on the floor. All of their eyes were then fastened on Him! They were in shock! Jesus was trying to open their hearts and minds to a scripture they’d probably read over and over for like 37 years! They were FINALLY going to have a chance to hold onto its “revelation” and true meaning! This prophecy was about JESUS! 

Jesus, now 30 years old, was starting His earthly ministry, and it was the time appointed for them to get clarity! Jesus then said as He was seated there on the ground: 

This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” 

This simple blog post is to encourage you to dive deep into God’s word! Feast upon the pleasing word as stated in 2 Nephi 31:20. 

To me, the Bible and Book of Mormon are miraculous. Just like the Liahona, the writing upon that brass (metal) ball changed according to their faith and the needs of their journey (1 Nephi 16:29)! 

The Word is ALIVE and we can pull things out of it both old and new (Matthew 13:52)! 

Many times, we just might have to get to that special place in our life, or maybe even come through the other side of a trial, and then, “WOW, thank you, Lord! NOW I understand that scripture even more fully!” 

The more we are in the scriptures, the more we will experience those wonderful moments! As stated earlier, both the Bible and The Book of Mormon are miraculous! “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

Here are few other similar examples to enjoy and read today. Maybe with a cup of coffee. Have a blessed morning!

  • Acts 8:26-40: Philip and the man of Ethiopia. This man was given complete clarity of exactly who Isaiah was talking about—JESUS! This clarity drove his chariot straight to the waters of baptism!
  • Acts 18:24-28: Apollos of Alexandria, a man who was “mighty in the scriptures,” was a disciple of John the Baptist when we first meet him here. After he came in contact with a couple of saints, they expounded unto him the way of God “more perfectly.” He THEN understood what he had read for many years! After his conversion, he was used “mightily” to reveal Jesus through the scriptures to many! 
  • 3 Nephi 23: Those on this land visited by The Resurrected Christ, hear Jesus expound on the scriptures they had been holding onto through the years (from the Plates of Brass) and He also taught them from the records they kept themselves (from the Plates of Nephi)! Just think about that! What a day of clarity! 

Editor’s Note: We hope that today’s article breathes new life into your daily scripture reading habit! Even if you’ve read through the Bible and The Book of Mormon many times before, there are new things waiting there for you right now. How amazing that God uses the same words to inspire us with new meaning at the exact moment we need it on life’s journey. 

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

4 Comments

  1. George P Katsaras

    Now I understand! Meaning now I have clarity about something I didn’t understand before! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Christina DiCenzo

    Truly what makes the scriptures so alive is when they speak to me right where I’m at!
    Love Gods word!

    Reply
  3. Brother Gary Thompson

    Amen and Amen. GODS Word, amazing and life giving.

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Blackburn

    Over the last few weeks, the missionaries and I have been teaching my sister who, after my membership of 45, is ready to hear the gospel. As we were reading in the new testament, 1 Cor. 15:40-42, about the three glories of Heaven, her eyes grew wider and mouth fell open as she realized what these verses meant. She said she had read those verses many times and never knew what they meant. I hope she has more of these moments of clarity as we continue to discuss the scriptures and the restored gospel!

    Reply

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