It Has To Be Personal

From: The Upper Room Devotionals

John 15:5 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in him, will produce abundantly, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

In my home while growing up, I was exposed to the Bible early and often. I memorized the names of the books of the Bible, learned to locate scripture references quickly, and memorized many scripture passages. In my 30s, I attended church regularly and taught Sunday school, using the knowledge I had gained as a child.

But as I entered the fifth decade of my life, my faith was nonexistent. Though I knew a lot about Christ and the Bible, I did not have a personal relationship with the living God.
God was gracious. A personal crisis brought me to a state of brokenness. In desperation and through the loving counsel of a pastor and other friends, I committed myself to a deeper relationship with Christ.

I will spend the remainder of my life learning what it means for me to let Christ be Lord. Now the Bible holds great value for me. I study it as a hungering pupil who wants to know more about the One I love and serve.