11.06.2025 | More Than Pages Full of Words | HEART ANCHOR
When the Bible Points to Christ
John 5:39
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Bible Text
โYou diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.โ
โ John 5:39
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ย Devotional
Many people read the Bible to find answers, plan goals, or fortify themselves morally. But Jesus reminds us: the Scriptures primarily bear witness to Him. If we merely accumulate facts and stories, we miss the true treasureโthe encounter with the living Christ.
Genuine Bible study begins when we donโt just collect information, but open our hearts to meet Jesus. Then Godโs Word takes on a new dimension: it becomes a source of life, a guide for our path, and a comfort in times of need.
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Story โ The Spark in the Old Papers
Jonas was seventeen and known among his friends as โthe scannerโ: he knew every fact, every YouTube tutorial, and had a quick Internet answer for any question. Yet his heart was empty. One afternoon he helped his grandmother clear out the attic boxes. Among yellowed letters and dusty photo albums he discovered an old, leather-bound Bible with brittle pages. Curious, he opened itโnot for homework, but simply to look.
On page 397 he found a handwritten note: โHere I found Jesus โ E.G., 1946.โ Who was E.G., and what had they experienced? Jonas wondered as his eyes fell on John 5:39: โYou diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.โ
That night he lay awake for hours. A new melody played in his mind: What if these pages held not just facts, but a living invitation? The next morning he stood in his room holding his phone in one hand and the old Bible in the other. He pressed the pages to his ear, as if trying to hear Jesus speak to him.
He began reading the verses out loud, slowly, with no phone beside him. When he reached John 6:35โโI am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never go hungryโโhe felt a strange tug in his chest, a mix of longing and comfort. Suddenly the world grew quiet: the coffee machine in the kitchen, the hum of the lightbulb, the bicycle bell outsideโall receded into the background.
Over the following days Jonas continued his Bible reading, but differently than before. He read the Psalms and Gospels not to impress others, but to discover whether someone was truly speaking to him in those lines. And indeed: at Isaiah 41:10โโDo not fear, for I am with youโฆโโtears welled up. For the first time he sensed that Christ was not merely a historical name, but a Friend who stood with him in his fear.
His friends were puzzled when Jonas skipped their nightly gaming sessions. He simply replied, โIโve met someone who wants to change my life.โ They laughed, but Jonas stood firm. When they teased him, asking if heโd become a โBible Boy,โ he smiled: โCall it what you like. But my life finally has purpose.โ
One evening his best friend Mika invited him to the skate park. As Jonas watched Mika attempt risky tricks, he felt uneasy. He remembered how Jesus spoke to the fish and filled their nets to overflowing. A thought flashed: โMaybe He can fill this place too.โ He pulled the old book from his pocket and quietly read Matthew 4:19: โFollow me, and I will make you fishers of men.โ
Mika shot him a mocking glance. โReading your book again?โ Jonas handed it over. โRead Psalm 23โjust a minute.โ Reluctantly Mika turned the pages and read, โโฆand lead me beside still waters.โ When he looked up, he saw Jonasโs faceโcalm, certain, alive. A real curiosity stirred in Mika, a longing of his own. He nodded and sat down beside Jonas on the curb. In the silence of that moment, Mika too sensed there was more than the next skate trick.
That week Jonas helped prepare materials for his church youth groupโnot to display his knowledge, but to help others encounter Christ. He shared the story of his attic discovery and how John 5:39 challenged him: Scripture is not primarily a lesson, but a signpost to Jesus.
At the end of the school year, Jonas and Mika organized a small street outreach: they handed out bookmarks bearing John 5:39 and invited passersby to download a free Bible e-book. Many smiled as they took a bookmarkโfew read immediately, but three young people asked where they could learn more.
One evening Jonas sat on his bed with the old Bible in his hands and whispered, โThank You for being more than words on paper.โ He knew that his life had been transformed by that spark of encounterโa spark owed not to study or quizzes, but solely to the living Christ.
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Thoughts ย โ What Does John 5:39 Mean for You?
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Purpose in Reading: Are you seeking mere facts, or do you truly long to meet Jesus?
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Heart Over Head: Godโs Word is meant not just to expand your knowledge, but to transform your life.
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Testimony: Scripture doesnโt point to itself, but to Christ as the source of life.
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Impulses for Today
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Read with Openness: Open your Bible and invite Jesus to meet you personallyโnot for a test, but for your heart.
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One Verse, One Prayer: Choose a verse, write it on a card, and pray it today as your own prayer.
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Share Your Encounter: Tell a friend about a moment when you experienced God in Scriptureโbeyond just passing on facts.
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Prayer
Lord Jesus,
open my eyes and my heart so that I may discover You in every verse. May I not merely collect knowledge, but sense Your presence and find life in You. Grant me courage to follow Your voice and to share with others the power of this encounter. Amen.
Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/11-06-2025-more-than-pages-full-of-words-heart-anchor-youth-devotional/