Needing the Scriptures and a Heart for Christ
Every page whispers His name—come, taste and see.
Devotional Credit: eManna
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Witness Lee brings to light a sobering truth: knowledge of Scripture can coexist with a heart that resists Jesus Himself. The religious leaders in Jerusalem knew the Scriptures thoroughly. They could even quote where the Messiah would be born. But when that long-awaited moment arrived, and the magi came seeking Christ, none of these well-informed leaders made the short journey to Bethlehem.
They had correct doctrine. They had prophetic insight. They had theological training. But they didn’t have a heart to pursue the living Christ.
This distinction isn’t just historical—it speaks directly to us. We can search the Scriptures, teach them, and even defend them passionately, yet miss the Person they reveal. The Bible isn’t an end in itself. It is a divine testimony pointing us to the life-giving Person of Jesus. If we are not coming to Him in love, we may be standing near truth but far from Life.
The call today is not to discard the Scriptures but to allow them to draw us into intimate union with Christ. The goal is not just to know about Him, but to know Him—to have a heart stirred toward Him, to be moved by the Person behind every passage.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You have My Word not merely to inform you, but to lead you into Me. Every line speaks of Me. Every promise finds its fulfillment in Me. But I am not a doctrine to master—I am the Living One who calls you by name.
You can study truth and still resist My presence. You can search diligently yet never come. But I have made Myself near, even as near as your own breath. I do not hide from you. I long for you to come—not as a scholar, but as a child, trusting, yearning, open.
The religious knew the verses. They taught them with conviction. But their hearts were unmoved by the very One those verses foretold. Do not settle for information when I offer you intimacy. Let your study be worship. Let your reading be a doorway to communion.
Bethlehem was not far from Jerusalem, and I am not far from you. Draw near—not with pretense, but with the simplicity of love. I will meet you. For I am the Life behind the Word, and I dwell with those who seek Me.
Scriptures referenced: John 5:39–40, Matthew 2:1–6, Hebrews 4:2, James 4:8
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like standing outside a bakery, reading the menu in detail, admiring the descriptions, and discussing ingredients with others—yet never going inside to taste the bread. The words were always meant to lead you in. But unless you step through the door, you’ll never be nourished.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Jesus, thank You that You are not hidden from me. You’ve given me Your Word so that I might come to know You, not just know about You. I rejoice that every Scripture whispers Your name and draws me closer to Your heart. I don’t want to settle for study without encounter. You’ve already opened the way to intimacy through Your Spirit within me. I rest in the assurance that I am already Yours—and that as I draw near, You draw near to me. Let my time in the Word today be a communion with the One I love.