How can I know how to handle a situation biblically?

The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, shared a story in his book, “Feathers for Arrows,” about a Roman Catholic priest in Belgium who rebuked a young woman and her brother for reading that “bad book,” pointing to the Bible.

“Mr. Priest,” she replied, “a little while ago my brother was an idler, a gambler, a drunkard, and made such a noise in the house that no one could stay in it. Since he began to read the Bible, he works with industry, goes no longer to the tavern, no longer touches cards, brings home money to his poor old mother, and our life at home is quiet and delightful. How comes it, Mr. Priest, that a bad book produces such good fruits?”

The story reflects how some who should know the value of scripture completely miss it, and others have had their lives transformed because of it. Have no doubt, scripture is capable of impacting our lives in ways we don’t even imagine:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires,” Hebrews 4:12.

As Christians, we’re taught that God reveals Himself to us in scripture, and that the Bible is our guide for living out our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. What I’m often asked, though is, “How can I know how to handle a situation biblically?”

That question might mean different things depending on who is asking it!

For example, there are many biblically illiterate people who don’t open their Bibles outside a church service, or if they do, it’s only for a matter of minutes for a brief morning “devotional.” The average Christian doesn’t study and wrestle with scripture to any significant degree. So, when a matter arises in their life which they know they need biblical instruction for, they’re initially stumped on what the Bible might have to say on the subject.

This kind of Christian has to struggle trying to find something in scripture that speaks to their situation, and will often become frustrated and settle for responding from their own opinion.

The problem with living such a “Christian life” is that it is wholly unequipped biblically.

The best answer for how to know how to handle any given situation biblically is to have our minds so saturated with the Word of God that we’re then equipped to respond from a knowledge of scripture to whatever may arise in life.

Psalm 119:11 conveys the same idea this way: “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.”

“Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “Then you will tell a different story!”

It’s one thing to read a single verse early in the morning that you’ll forget before noon and think you’ve studied the Bible, or even to hurriedly read the entire Bible in a year without absorbing much at all because you’re on a push just to get all of it read. It’s another thing to develop a habit of study rigorous enough that you build a knowledge of the Bible stored within that you can draw from at any given time. It’s not easy to do this, and it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a lifetime of being devoted to consistent Bible reading and study to be adequately equipped for navigating this life.

So which will you be: the biblically illiterate Christian who has to pull out and dust off your Bible when issues arise and struggle to find biblical guidance, or the Christian who saturates their mind with the Word of God and, like the psalmist, hides the Word in your heart so that you might not sin against God?

Scotty