The Bible is inexhaustible, and studying it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can reveal truths and make connections someone had never noticed before. Throughout God’s Word He reveals bits and pieces of what is known as the Christmas story.

Plenty of Bible stories feature wine, but what does the Bible say about drunkenness? Can Christians indulge in alcohol without sinning?

But it is important through the tinsel and the shopping to remember that Christmas is time to think about the birth of the Lord Jesus. Meditating on who He is, and what His life and ministry meant at different points reveals more about who He is, and prayer is an important way of preparing the heart to spend time thinking about God. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Kevron2001

Fasting safely and appropriately is one of the ways the Bible encourages believers to connect with and grow closer to God. It increases dependence on the power of the Spirit, and proves that man does not live on bread alone.

There is now some evidence in the modern world that certain kinds of fasts or diets can be physically healthy, and not just spiritually strengthening. One kind of fast with Biblical roots that has become more popular in recent years - the Daniel Fast - is one based on the actions of the prophet Daniel.

Trying to maintain God’s laws and his identity as a Jew, Daniel ate cleanly for a period of time in order to show that the God of Israel’s ways was better than the decadent and indulgent ways of the Babylonians.

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Whether it is an old-fashioned hymn or a contemporary and up-beat tune, song-writers have expressed their gratitude to God for their life, for Creation, for their salvation, for blessings, and even for the lessons learned during trials and tribulations. 

There is so much to be thankful for in this life. God blessed humanity with a beautiful world to live in, the opportunity to have meaningful relationships with others, and the offer of eternal salvation for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. People can be thankful when there is needed rain, or sunshine after lots of cloudy days.

Having gratitude in the small things is important, but sometimes God moves in a powerful and big way that remind His people of how incredible He is. This requires a reciprocal response - an outpouring of praise and Thanksgiving. Throughout the Bible, there are moments like these, where God’s intervention and blessing results in a great response. Whether it is the Lord restoring a nation to their homeland, or the Lord Jesus revealing Himself to those around Him, the Bible shows the various blessings of God as worthy of worship and praise.

Understanding these moments can help believers identify them when they happen in the world today, and can help inform how the Lord wants us to respond to Him.

Here are six powerful moments of thanksgiving in the Bible.

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Lot’s wife was perfectly content to go on living in two cities that so thoroughly rejected God, that her husband was the only righteous man in a valley filled with thousands of people. Her attachment to the comfortable life they built for themselves was such that she could not obey one simple command from the Lord - do not look back.

Part of living life as a modern adult includes making important financial decisions, some of which can have long-term ramifications for an individual. The choice to take on debt can have positive and negative ramifications in an individual’s life.

Debt is a financial situation where someone borrows money in order to make a purchase in the present because they cannot currently afford it without assistance; the money has to be paid back later to the lender, usually with interest, or additional cost, added to the total borrowed.

Modern life puts people in a place where many feel they must take on debt, but the Bible cautions people about this. Debt means an individual is not free to make all their decisions autonomously, because they owe money to someone else. It also means people have difficulty saving, and much of their money is not their own while they pay off the debt. While biblically, there is no overt ban of taking on debt, it is discouraged so the believer can make decisions based on God’s will, and not on owing another person money.

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Typically, seeking godly counsel from the Holy Spirit can help with big choices like moving, witnessing to a neighbor who may not be saved, or making other big life changes. Going to the Lord should be a Christian’s primary source for guidance, complemented by Scripture, and consulting godly brothers and sisters in the faith.

The Word of God is full of history, wisdom, poetry, warnings, and truth. When approached with a heart open to the Holy Spirit’s whispers and a mind focused on understanding, the Bible can be one of a Christian’s greatest resources and treasured objects. But it also takes time. It can be confusing. It can feel like a chore and an obligation sometimes, particularly in seasons of spiritual difficulty or when life gets busy.

For some people, they never had an opportunity to build in the habit to have daily quiet time to invest in studying the Bible, and struggle to start. There are many ways the world can serve as a distraction as well.

God wants us to be in His Word, spending time with Him, and getting to know Him through that time and study; one of the Psalms reads, “More to be desired are [God’s precepts in the Word] are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). Studying the Bible should be a sweet experience, so finding ways to make it a better experience can help someone enjoy their time in the Bible more.

Here are 10 ways to better enjoy reading the Bible.

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Speaking in tongues is such a gift. It causes controversy among believers, with different groups seeming to make different claims about the ability. What is the goal and the purpose of it? Can people still speak in tongues today?

Part of having a relationship with God is having reverence for Him; the Lord is omniscient, omnipresent, and yet loves His creation enough to reconcile them to Himself after they sinned against Him. Those who know God understand this fact, and seek to give Him respect.

There are people who reject God, and do not pursue Him. Some feel neutral about religion and choose not to engage with it. Others want their disdain for God to be known and will commit acts that are irreverent and disrespectful. Sometimes believers will do similar things due to a misguided understanding of their faith.

Committing acts that violate, disrespect, or misuse things considered sacred is called sacrilegious. Believers and non-believers alike can commit sacrilege, disrespecting images, symbols, or God Himself.

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If Jesus had not lived a perfect life, His death would have been in vain. Instead, He lived without sin, rose from the grave after His sacrifice, and paved the way for all who put their faith and trust in Him to go to be resurrected one day alongside Him.