S. "My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh." Proverbs 4: 20-22, ESV
O. It is my prayer that I will always be attentive to God's voice around me. My desire is to know him completely in my life and that requires that I listen and pay attention to what he is saying to me. A major part of that comes through the reading of God's Word and the truth found within His word. A few years ago, I didn't read the Bible much for my own personal growth and spiritual growth and maturity. I would study the Bible, I would read for sermons or Bible studies...I would spend a good amount of time in the Word, but it was only to give to other people. I was not taking it in for myself. I was challenged by another Pastor to change this seemingly good, but destructive pattern in my life. I was encouraged to read the Bible for me...to allow the truth of God's word to flow over me and mold me into the man that God has intended to be. I began a journey that is still going strong today...a pattern to reading for my own spiritual encounter with God has emerged in my daily routine that I really enjoy and desire like never before.
What I have found is exactly what the write of Proverbs stated...As I keep the Word of God...the truth of God within my heart, it gives me life and a fresh sense of God's holy, healing presence can be found in this place. God's Word is alive and active...there is a great mystery in this faith journey in God's Word...it is living in me and leading me in God's ways each an every day.
A. The application is simple for me today...to encounter God's Word on a personal level each day and to allow God's Word to mold me and shape me into God's desire for my life.
P. Lord, I thank you for your Word and for the live-changing, live-giving power of your Word. I open my life to receive your truth! Amen.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Victorious
S. "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." Psalms 3:3 (ESV)
O. This verse is so comforting to me. To know that I have a God who is a shield, defending and protecting me from the flaming arrows that this world will throw toward me is simply amazing. The entire verse points to being victorious in the Lord...we are protected, we have glory and our heads are lifted up as proud and confident warriors. I am so honored to be counted as one of God's own!
A. I am planning to live today in the victory that is mine in Jesus Christ!
P. Lord, thanks for your awesome presence in my life. I offer my live in the service of your kingdom today. Amen.
O. This verse is so comforting to me. To know that I have a God who is a shield, defending and protecting me from the flaming arrows that this world will throw toward me is simply amazing. The entire verse points to being victorious in the Lord...we are protected, we have glory and our heads are lifted up as proud and confident warriors. I am so honored to be counted as one of God's own!
A. I am planning to live today in the victory that is mine in Jesus Christ!
P. Lord, thanks for your awesome presence in my life. I offer my live in the service of your kingdom today. Amen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Seeking After God
S. My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find 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 watching over the way of his saints. (Proverbs 2: 1-8, ESV)
O. Here is the bottom line for me today from these words from God. I MUST be a follower...I MUST seek after God with all my heart...I MUST never be content in my spiritual state and in my level of understanding...I MUST continually seek a relationship with my God. There should never had a time in my life where I am content in my understanding of God and God's plan for my life. There will always be room to grow in my faith. Like anything else in my life, If I want to grow and move forward, I have to work at it. This has been so true in my running. I have had to make this a priority in my life...getting up early to run or go to the gym...making it part of my normal routine. The same is true for my spiritual growth. I must make it a part of my normal routine each day...If I want to grow, and I do, then seeking after God will be a major priority.
A. I know that there is so much more that I need to understand about God. I know that I have not reached a point in my Christian life where I know everything there is to know about my relationship with God. So, I must make my time in the Word of God and my availability in prayer a major priority in life. I will devote myself in the days ahead to being a student of God's Word...seeking knowledge and understanding from reading my Bible and through times of prayer with my God.
P. Lord, I seek after your face and I seek an understanding of your will for my life. Give me spiritual insight that I might be more like you. I offer my life to You today and everyday, that I might be more like you. Amen.
O. Here is the bottom line for me today from these words from God. I MUST be a follower...I MUST seek after God with all my heart...I MUST never be content in my spiritual state and in my level of understanding...I MUST continually seek a relationship with my God. There should never had a time in my life where I am content in my understanding of God and God's plan for my life. There will always be room to grow in my faith. Like anything else in my life, If I want to grow and move forward, I have to work at it. This has been so true in my running. I have had to make this a priority in my life...getting up early to run or go to the gym...making it part of my normal routine. The same is true for my spiritual growth. I must make it a part of my normal routine each day...If I want to grow, and I do, then seeking after God will be a major priority.
A. I know that there is so much more that I need to understand about God. I know that I have not reached a point in my Christian life where I know everything there is to know about my relationship with God. So, I must make my time in the Word of God and my availability in prayer a major priority in life. I will devote myself in the days ahead to being a student of God's Word...seeking knowledge and understanding from reading my Bible and through times of prayer with my God.
P. Lord, I seek after your face and I seek an understanding of your will for my life. Give me spiritual insight that I might be more like you. I offer my life to You today and everyday, that I might be more like you. Amen.
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