By now, if you have been following along, you should begin to see that these teachings are short, to the point, and following a path. That path is intended to lead us all into a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to demonstrate the power of that relationship by helping us to live it in our everyday, day to day lives. With that being said, our subject today is on God's Word---our Bibles!
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." Hosea 4:6
You read this twice and you think, "Wow! These are very harsh words." And, they are and they were intended to be. Many of us know that Israel was judged. We, hopefully, learn this from our churches, from our Sunday school classes, etc. etc. But, how many of us really understand why God judged Israel? The passage today is to the point. Lack of knowledge!
A statistic recently stated that 90% of all American households have a Bible in them. Some families even prominently display them on tables, or shelves. Question is, how often are they opened? How much dust has accumulated on them? This is a sad picture. Our society today is the society of the fast and the lost. No time for work, play, the family and, unfortunately, no time for God. We also experience being lost, in that, we are looking for quick and easy ways to fix our problems. Whether they be financial, marital, political, we are all looking to other solutions instead of looking to the One that has all the answers. Society today looks to medicines we believe will fix everything, to the reality shows and other programs, to jumping from one job to the next. We struggle with a lack of knowledge.
Israel had God's Word! They were God's chosen people. Chosen to reveal the majesty and power, but also the love and hope of the Living God to the rest of the world, and yet, they failed to retain God's law. They failed to keep their faith and trust in God and instead, turned to other "quick fixes." What a picture of our society today. How can a person, a people, a nation grow in faith, grow in strength, grow in trust and belief, if they do not do as James says:
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says." James 1:22
or again:
" Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17
I believe today that many of us are doing what Israel did in Hosea's day. We are rejecting knowledge. We are not "getting into" God's Word! How do we build our faith? How do we learn to use our gifts? How do we learn to witness, to love, to help, to minister, to have a more intimate relationship with God? The answer to all these questions is to get back onto God's path by returning to His Word, studying His Word, applying His Word, and living His Word. The only way we build our faith and trust is by following what God has told us through His book. He knows our needs, our thoughts, our desires, our sufferings. He understands! He made us! What a shame it is, what a dishonor to God that we have all we need through His Word and we fail to even open the cover.
Are you struggling today? Are you trying to make sense of what is going on in your world and yet you can't? May I suggest that you ask yourself, when was the last time you really sat down with your Bible and listened and looked for God? He is there, He will answer, He wants to lead and teach you, but it starts with you. Why not try blowing off the dust and spending 2o minutes a day searching the Scriptures to for life's answers. I promise you, you will find your spirit thirsty and hungry for more of the bread of life!
May God richly bless you today!!! H Trent!
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." Hosea 4:6
You read this twice and you think, "Wow! These are very harsh words." And, they are and they were intended to be. Many of us know that Israel was judged. We, hopefully, learn this from our churches, from our Sunday school classes, etc. etc. But, how many of us really understand why God judged Israel? The passage today is to the point. Lack of knowledge!
A statistic recently stated that 90% of all American households have a Bible in them. Some families even prominently display them on tables, or shelves. Question is, how often are they opened? How much dust has accumulated on them? This is a sad picture. Our society today is the society of the fast and the lost. No time for work, play, the family and, unfortunately, no time for God. We also experience being lost, in that, we are looking for quick and easy ways to fix our problems. Whether they be financial, marital, political, we are all looking to other solutions instead of looking to the One that has all the answers. Society today looks to medicines we believe will fix everything, to the reality shows and other programs, to jumping from one job to the next. We struggle with a lack of knowledge.
Israel had God's Word! They were God's chosen people. Chosen to reveal the majesty and power, but also the love and hope of the Living God to the rest of the world, and yet, they failed to retain God's law. They failed to keep their faith and trust in God and instead, turned to other "quick fixes." What a picture of our society today. How can a person, a people, a nation grow in faith, grow in strength, grow in trust and belief, if they do not do as James says:
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says." James 1:22
or again:
" Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17
I believe today that many of us are doing what Israel did in Hosea's day. We are rejecting knowledge. We are not "getting into" God's Word! How do we build our faith? How do we learn to use our gifts? How do we learn to witness, to love, to help, to minister, to have a more intimate relationship with God? The answer to all these questions is to get back onto God's path by returning to His Word, studying His Word, applying His Word, and living His Word. The only way we build our faith and trust is by following what God has told us through His book. He knows our needs, our thoughts, our desires, our sufferings. He understands! He made us! What a shame it is, what a dishonor to God that we have all we need through His Word and we fail to even open the cover.
Are you struggling today? Are you trying to make sense of what is going on in your world and yet you can't? May I suggest that you ask yourself, when was the last time you really sat down with your Bible and listened and looked for God? He is there, He will answer, He wants to lead and teach you, but it starts with you. Why not try blowing off the dust and spending 2o minutes a day searching the Scriptures to for life's answers. I promise you, you will find your spirit thirsty and hungry for more of the bread of life!
May God richly bless you today!!! H Trent!
I agree totaly. I, as you know, have recently "gone back to God" through His word. Without Him my life has been a shambles, and as I find myself getting closer to Him (through the reading of His word), I find myself more at peace. Granted it's not an over night process, it's a learning process. {and it's a fun process} God makes it a fun process just by watching how what I read is true in today's world. Open your mind and open your heart to the Word of God. Read the Word of God.
ReplyDeleteWe are only alive in or walk with God as wea llow God to fill us. The only way we allow God to fill us is through prayer,listening to God, and through studying and applying God's Word in our lives. How did we learn to be doctors and lawyers and such? We did the work! We studied, we had hands on. The same applies to our walk with God. we must study, have hands on.
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