by David Brenneman
"My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil; whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways;" Proverbs 2:1-15.
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes." Psalms 119:9-12.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.
"Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go." Joshua 1:7.
When in training a runner ought not to get ahead of the one training them. It's never good to get ahead of the trail guide before they have the chance or opportunity to assist you in being sure your feet do not accidentally fall into a place you ought not to have gone. When learning how to walk again it's best to listen to the therapist.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2.
We will never be in the position of having arrived concerning our walk with Jesus in this mortal body we currently reside in.
One of the jobs of the Spirit of God in Christ is to teach us all things that Jesus commanded us. To teach us truth, God's truth.
He leads the way, He issues warnings and lessons, things we should know. He calls the shots if we but listen and believe.
How important are the things of God to you? Are you serious about hiding the word of God in your heart that you might not sin against God? David once said that it was against God and God alone had he sinned.
Peter's way of thinking on the night of his denying Jesus probably made perfect sense to him with regards to dealing with those he encountered that night. He quite probably thought his words didn't matter all that much if he could just be there for Jesus and to die with Him if he must. After all he opened his mouth first to say that he was ready to die for Jesus. Was he really or was he really trying to prove Jesus wrong?
We can oftentimes think we know what we're doing, what we're thinking, what we're needing and don't bother to pray about any of these things. We can be our own worst saboteurs to our walk with Jesus.
Are you trying to be a man or woman after God's own heart yourself or are you trying to prove to the world and yourself that you got this, that you're ok going where you are going, doing what you're doing?
We have before us always the path of life in Christ and the path we would choose ourselves. Sometimes they're one and the same, other times they are radically different.
It's actually a hard thing to learn this far into my life on the aspect of learning how to study God's Word by way of the Spirit of God. I never learned how to study. I am not sure if it's related to the material taught while I was in school or if it was because I should have been in a higher grade. I just never learned the habit of studying.
Memorization is another troublesome thing for me. Memorizing Bible verses has never been easy at all for me. Interestingly enough memorizing songs never has been much of a challenge. Old songs that I grew up with...hear the opening part and can still sing along with it.
How much time, energy and effort have you put into considering how you will feel, how you will react, when you stand before Jesus, KNOWING that the real truth about your life is about to be tried by fire?
Do you really really strive to live life in Christ in obedience to God's Word? Are you really making every effort to live a life approved by Jesus? Does hearing Jesus say "Well done!" matter to you?
When you realized your need for a Savior and gave your life to Christ it was to be the beginning of His workmanship of you into His character. Are you displaying the character of Christ? Would those in your life say that they see Christ in you?
Heavy thoughts to think for sure.
We apply our hearts and minds to either a better understanding of God's word and His will for our lives. To the end that we keep pace with Jesus, not going ahead of Him, not falling behind, not stopping unless He says so.
"Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:28-30.
We either follow after Jesus or follow after the world.
We either believe Jesus or we believe this world.
Mark includes the truth that we're also going to see persecutions. Think about that.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16.
Your light is to shine for Christ at all times. It's not a pick and choose thing. It's not a separation of home life and work life thing. It's a 24/7 365 thing. Who cares if the world calls something fun to do...if it at all soils our chances that someone sees something other than the character of Christ in us...stop doing it. Who if the world is for something be sure to scrutinize it. Be sure that you put your obedience to God's Word above your thoughts on the matter.
We are told to run the race in such a way as to win the prize.
The prize is to be told by Jesus "Well done!"
Are you living life with this in mind or are you spending life on your own pleasures instead? Are you trying to skate by in obeying God?
Is that going to get you a "Well done?" Honesty...is a half-hearted attempt at living for Jesus what you think of all that Jesus did for you in dying on the cross for you?
Is your all on the altar?
Think about your why's behind what you do, say or think.
Our lives are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Do your priorities reflect a life devoted to Jesus?
Are you applying yourself to growing in Christ? In paying attention in the classroom of the Holy Spirit? Of keeping pace with Jesus along the way?
Think about that today.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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