“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life”. John 5:39-40 (spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees).

I have to say that I wish I was more like the Pharisees (the religious leaders of Jesus’ day) in the aspect that they “diligently studied” the Scriptures. How many of us can say that we don’t just read God’s Word, but we study it diligently?

But the real issue here is why they studied the Scriptures so thoroughly. They mistakenly assumed that by studying God’s Word they would inherit or earn eternal life. They were trying to get something from God in return for their hard work. But instead of receiving eternal life, they missed the very person to whom the Scriptures point – Jesus Christ – the very One who could give them eternal life! In fact they had such intense hatred for Jesus that they were responsible for his death.

The questions for each of us are the same. Do we diligently study the Scriptures or simply read them? What is our motivation for studying God’s Word? Do we desire to get things from God or are we seeking the Person to whom the Scriptures point? Our goal should be to deepen our relationship with God by studying the Scriptures that reveal His character and nature to us. How often are we spending time in God’s Word?

This same issue can be applied to our prayer life as well. What is our motivation for prayer? Are we spending the majority of our time asking God for things, or for help in a particular situation? What percentage of our prayer time is spent on praise, confession, and intercession for others vs. focusing on ourselves? The goal of prayer is the same as studying the Scriptures – to deepen our relationship with God.

May our hearts be pure and our motivation sincere – to grow closer to God and become the people He desires.