This is the abiding life, to seek the life-giving strength of the Vine and to walk in His presence always. Rather than seeking (worrying, wondering) what we should do about a thing, seek God’s strength and presence. Where is God in this? How can we join Him there? Not laboring in the flesh, but resting in the Spirit.
The Bible is not just some old, hard-to-read, leather bound book. It is living and active. It is like a scalpel in the hands of the Great Physician when we submit to His Lordship, allowing Him to cut away the flesh and give us a new heart. Don’t handle this Book flippantly. It’s not a coffee table book or coaster. It’s not just a wedding or graduation gift. When unsheathed, it’s sharper than any two-edged sword that never needs sharpening. Handle it with care.
Hearing and listening are not the same. Our ears may hear a sound without tuning in to understand. But listening goes to the heart and produces understanding. This understanding at the heart level makes it possible to respond to God’s voice. What causes hard hearts? Hearing God’s voice without leaning in to understand and reply with obedience. This continual turning away instead of turning towards results in callused hearts and spiritual deafness.
Praying to Jesus, we do not pray to One who is distant and unaware of our feelings and temptations. He has suffered and been tempted, yet without sin. He is well acquainted with our griefs. Do not try and overcome temptation alone. Cry out to the One who cares. He understands and will help.
Regardless of our circumstance we can “call to mind” the Lord’s love and mercy, reminding ourselves of His steadfastness and faithfulness. While the night may seem overwhelming and dark, the Lord’s mercies are new every morning. Remember the Lord and have hope again.
There is a connection between sharing our faith with others and our own spiritual understanding. Answering the questions of faith for a seeker or new believer reminds us of what we believe. Often they ask a question we can’t answer and so we search more diligently than we would even for ourselves in order to help them. Sharing your faith causes it to increase in you!
“Know” – in the imperative, it calls us to acknowledge that the Lord is God and to seek an abiding understanding and a foundational grounding that He is both Creator and Owner of all, including us. This knowing is not just transcendent, but immanent, for it calls us to not only know that He is Lord over all, but also personal, familial and shepherd to us. We can know about Him, but better yet, we can know Him personally and relationally.
How to live in this “present age” while we wait for the One who will inaugurate the next. Paul lived with an awareness that Christ could appear at any time. This gave him a holy urgency to live in view of Christ’s return and of the coming age. Although much has changed since Paul’s day, much remains the same. We still live in the age before Christ’s return. When? Soon, and very soon.
Paul viewed his role as preacher as being both a trust to steward and a calling to obey. I’m often asked, “How did you know that you were called to preach?” My answer? How does a woman know that she is pregnant? There is a growing awareness that something new and different is taking place within. Ultimately, there is a state not easily ignored and a message that cries out to be birthed. As Paul also said, “Woe to me if I do not preach!” (1 Cor. 9:16).
The Psalmist calls us to sing, bless, tell, and declare the Name, salvation, glory, and works of God to all nations. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19). So, which one(s) are you doing (singing, blessing, telling, declaring or discipling)? I like doing them all!