One of the biggest problems that I have as I study is that I make things much more complicated than they are. But please don't think that I mean to say that being a student of the Word of God is a bad thing. Being studious is something that I value and respect. But still what often happens when I see something or when something is revealed to me is that the real value of it is stolen from me in very subtle ways.
So there I am reading my bible and it doesn't matter what version and what I read, for instance, might be something that says that I am supposed to "study to show myself approved," and I'm marveling at that because I really like to study. So... yes. I do own a Thompson Chain reference bible and I also have one of those side-by-side bibles that have four versions all on the same page and I also own and treasure that JW bible -- but not because of the english -- I don't read that, it's because of the Westcott and Hort text and the original Greek and the transliterations and I also have a Strong's Exhaustive and just to be sure I have a Young's Analytical concordance too....
And... guess what? That's not all. On my bookshelf there are so many other well known works that it would be folly for me to list them here and that's just the tip of the iceberg because in my bookmarks of my favorite browser there are all manner of Reference bookmarks and I have downloaded entire encyclopedias to augment my collection because why? Well, because I like to acquire knowledge. That's what God said, right? I mean, we are commanded to study, right?
But then what happens?
The truth, the pure milk of the word, the intent and the will of our Father is thwarted. Because what He wanted was the result and not the process.
Let me say that again. Our Father wants the good result of our study of His word to become effective in us. That's what He wants. He wants the result. The process does not matter. That's why the bible also says, "Know a tree by its fruit." The 'fruit' is the result. It is what comes from the process. Because if I am a know-it-all and if I have attained so much knowledge that they are even thinking about making a new category of Nobel Peace Prize, just for me??? But if I don't obtain the result? If I don't love others like I love myself? If I don't understand that God is not only MY FATHER in heaven, but YOURS too?
Well, then knowledge itself has not helped me, now has it?
Is the Bible true? It is indeed. Do all men agree about what it says? Now there's the rub. Our God is a God of Peace.