Tag: God’s Word

CRAVINGS – PART 3

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Have you ever heard, the phrase “our entire life is worship,” or something to that effect?  My guess is, if you have been a follower of Jesus for a while, you have at least heard something similar.  It is taken from Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.

Of course I believe it, but it is entirely different to live.  To have every aspect of your life and mind focused on Christ.  To make decisions, not based on what “feels right,” but on what Christ said.  I know every Christian over the age of 25 probably still has a WWJD bracelet tucked away in a drawer.  Who stops to think, before every little decision, what would Jesus do?  For that matter, how many of us stop to think before the big decisions?  Many times we make decisions based on what our mind believes to be the best option, based on our or others personal experiences.  So many times, I hear Romans 12:1 read or quoted, and the person will stop at verse 1 or simply glaze over verse 2, with little attention.

However, there is a phrase in verse 2, which is coming to mean more and more to me over the last couple weeks.

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Over the past several weeks I have begun memorizing larger sections of scripture.  Right now I am working on memorizing the beatitudes as I teach through them.  We are going section by section through Matthew 5 through 7, so I am memorizing one section each week.  As you memorize something, it is amazing how much it is on your mind.  As I am driving down the road or cleaning the house, these passages will come to mind, I will begin to recite them.  They are constantly on my mind.

These passages are so familiar to me, but as I have been quoting them more and more, I have begun to see more and more in them; things which somehow I have always missed.  I am seeing how passages connect to other parts of scripture and bring new light to my understanding on God’s word.  What is amazing to me is how my mind is being renewed.  My mind is being changed and my life is beginning to see transformations.  Small transformations, but my life is being changed.

Our minds are powerful and we make a choice as to what we will fill them with; Facts, movie quotes, song lyrics, conversations, sports statistics.  And not that these are bad things remember.  Is it transforming your life?  Of course it is, in some way.  But, does it draw you closer to Christ?  I can’t answer that for you.  What I do know, is that God’s Word has begun to consume my thinking and His word has the power to change who I am!

CRAVINGS

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This Fall I am teaching a Sunday morning class of older adults in the auditorium.  I am really enjoying the class so far.  We are working out of the book of 1 Peter.  As I was studying this week for the class and preparing to preach something hit me.  I was reading in 1 Peter 2:2, Peter writes…

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.[1]

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 3rd child.  He is EXPECTED in mid October.  While we are so excited about his arrival, there is another side we are not so excited about.  The lost of sleep!  The first few months of a newborn are extremely daunting.  Late nights, early mornings, and little sleep, because your life now revolves around someone else’s schedule.  A newborn baby, whose only possible way to communicate with you, is to scream and cry until their needs are met.  Yes, there are upset stomachs, dirty diapers and more, but most of the time, it is simple, they are hungry and want to eat.

Peter tells the believers, just as a newborn baby craves milk, you as a follower of Jesus should crave the Word of God.  Think about this.  A newborn baby craves milk because that’s what it needs to sustain them right now.  They are not asking for milk, because they understand how important milk is to their development and growth, but because they are craving food right now.

Do you crave the Word, as baby craves milk?  Can you go a day without it?  If you do go a day with out, does it consume your mind in the same way it would if you messed an actual day worth of meals?  Does it completely consume your life, in the same way food does.  We have an obese nation because of the way we consume food.  Do you crave God’s word in the same way you do a burger from your favorite fast food place or a great pizza?

We live in a time when the Bible is more accessable than ever before in the history of Christianity.  You can read it anywhere you are, in any format.  Print, Kindle, YouVersion, take your pick?  So the real problem is not can we get our hands on it but how could we possibly keep our hands off it?  So if the Word is our source of spiritual nutrition, how are you doing?  My guess is a lot are starving, the more important question, are you really missing it?  When the word is not at the center of our life, we spend a great deal of time making decisions based on what we think and feel.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11 NIV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

What I crave most about God’s word is when He through His Spirit speaks to me.  When he uses His word written centuries before, to speak life into me today.  When He uses His word to challenge my thinking, to confront my indifference and rebuke my self-righteous attitudes.  His word is not just how we know about God, it is how we know HIM!  It is how He speaks to us.  Do you crave the word?

Part 2 will follow tomorrow!

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1984. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.