Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is very knowledgeable about the Bible but doesn't seem to be applying it in his or her life? Some Christian leaders are like this. And there seem to be many political leaders—on both sides of the aisle—who are also like this. They might be able to quote something from the Bible says but when it comes to the way they treat people or speak about people or vote on issues, they don't seem to think the Bible has anything to say about their conduct. So, we can sit in Bible studies all of our lives, but how does the Bible get into us and change us? Today, let's take a moment to consider a short passage from Psalm 119:

Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. (v.73)

Psalm 119 is a series of meditations on God's Word and invites us to consider it, meditate on it, and commit ourselves to obedience to it. In today's verse, the psalmist asks God, "…give me understanding that I may learn your commandments." This is the truth of our situation—you and I can’t get God's Word into our lives and into our actions unless we let Him give us understanding. Many years ago, I heard teaching on a particular subject. In fact, it really bothered me. At first, I resisted it, because it was different from the way I’d been taught. And, it was different from the way I thought about God. Then, I began to study and asked God to help me to see it differently, which he did, and has done, many other times over the years.

There’s an old saying that goes like this: “You don't know what you don't know.” Perhaps you’ve heard it. I'm talking to someone this today. When was the last time you changed your mind about something you believed as part of your Christian experience? Are you open to God changing your mind and giving you fresh and maybe even a different understanding? When God begins to change our minds, His Word can get into us and change us to become more like Him...and that is very Good News!