Every year it seems we make New Year’s resolutions to better our lives. Or maybe you are one of those who thinks resolutions are useless and decide that “if you don’t make them you don’t have to keep them.” However, making resolutions is a good thing and I have learned that I need to have some discipline in my life. For instance, a goal you may have is to not drink soda, exercise more, eat more healthfully, read more books or have a deeper relationship with God. Even though each goal might seem impossible and maybe insurmountable, in fact, you may fail trying to achieve them, but the fact is that God loves you no matter how you are and He will help you to become more like His Son through your accomplishments and failures. My goal here is to share with you a goal of mine that I pray will be a challenge to you and also to be a use of accountability.
One of my goals this year is to not skip a day of devotions. This goal has been hard to keep in the past. Of course, life gets busy and things you never planned seem to come up, but a lot of the time, and I know this because I am guilty of it, we seem to get lazy. That’s when we start getting off the path that God wants us to be on. We start going down our own path thinking that we can live off of the small amounts of God’s Word that we have picked up in church services or just the passing verse. Truthfully, God’s Word does not return void and He will use everything for His glory. What men mean for evil God means for good. However, think about this: what are we on this earth for? If you go back to the beginning you will see that God made us for His glory and for a perfect relationship with Him. Our sin has made us the enemy of God (Romans 3:23) and has sentenced us to death (Romans 6:23) , but to the praise of His Son, Jesus who was sent to die in our stead, conquered death and hell for us so that we might dwell with Him someday for eternity. And by faith, if we ask Him to forgive us of our sin, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). Saved by grace, but still sinners, and until we die or until Jesus’ return we are here on this earth. So, while we are here on earth God has given us a special gift; His precious Word. First of all, God’s Word is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Secondly, it is our weapon against the devil and our own flesh. Thirdly, it is our comfort, our light, and our lifeline to our relationship with God.
For a while now I’ve been studying out 1 Peter and I’ve been using Elizabeth George’s study Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit: 1 Peter which has been a great tool. In the beginning of the 7th lesson I have now come to chapter 2:1-3 where it states, ” Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” She goes on by asking what we must lay aside; which when we look at the beginning of verse 1, it tells us clearly. These are behaviors and attitudes, as Peter says, that we must discard. Next, Peter tells us what we are to desire; which is God’s word. I can tell you that I am convicted of my lack of desire for God’s Word. I have gotten so tangled up in my own world that I have become blind to the fact that I even missed reading God’s Word or even taken God’s Word lightly. I am lazy and weak! God is showing me, that I am starving for His Word. There are many mistakes and sins I have committed because I have not sought it out through Him. I need to desire His Word as a baby desires for milk. No matter how dry my spiritual life may seem, I still need God’s word. I want to long for God like the deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God”). And as Elizabeth George said, “To study God’s Word should never be a labor, but a delight instead.” In closing let me challenge you to dive into God’s Word and grow closer to Him. That is why He created you in the first place! In James, it says that if you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you. Of course, you and I will not be able to do it on our own, but with God all things are possible!
It is Truth sent down from heaven;
It is much to be desired;
It is perfect, pure and cleansing;
It is every whit inspired.
It is manna for the hungry;
It is milk to make us grow;
It is light for every traveler;
It is Truth that all should know.
-Anonymous
Beyond the Road Less Traveled 