God’s Word never changes. However, the area in which we need guidance may not be specifically addressed in Scripture. For example, we may need to know the answers to some of the following questions: What is the Lord’s plan for my career? Whom should I marry? Do I need to consider further training? Where should I live? Should I buy a house or rent a house? This is the time to learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirit, and then confirm it by His written Word. It is extremely important to correctly interpret the original intent of what you read in the Bible so that you can apply God’s Word intelligently to your situation. When we read, we need to listen to the voice of God coming through His Word, and avoid taking Scripture out of context or misusing it for our own interpretation. The Bible never contradicts itself, but sometimes it can be taken out of context. For example, if we take no regard for context, Paul seems to contradict himself by saying at one place that we are not saved by works (Eph. 2:8-9) and in another place that we’re to work out our salvation (Phil. 2:12). Scripture, read in context, will reconcile these two seemingly opposing Scripture passages. If some Scripture passages are hard to understand, do your homework and study the meaning and context of the passage. Because our modern culture is different from that of Bible times, we sometimes have a cultural gap that needs to be interpreted. But God’s word can always be trusted. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (II Tim. 2:15)