Why am I suffering like this?

Barry Lawrence - Pastor of Adult Ministries of Discipleship

What is the purpose of suffering? Or more specifically, what are the purposes of suffering in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ? We know that suffering is a way of life and believers are not exempted. Suffering touches our lives in many different ways.

I recently had lunch with a Christian brother from another church to catch up with what was going on in his life. He shared with me various long term health issues, car problems, and updating me on continued health problems of his wife.

Most of us have heard about the suffering Jim Kelly, Buffalo’s Hall of Fame quarterback who is also a committed Christian, is facing. His oral cancer has returned with a pain-filled vengeance. He is facing more surgery and humanly the prognosis isn’t good.

Joni Erickson Tada has suffered most of her life after a diving accident as a teenager. Paralyzed from the waist down, she has continued to experience pain and limitations along with recently contracting breast cancer. In her excellent book co-authored with Steve Estes, When God Weeps: Why our suffering matters to the Almighty, she lists a number of possible reasons for suffering and trials in our lives.

Below is the list. Look it over, go to the passages, and remember that in the midst of pain and suffering, God is at work in your life and the lives of others.

1. Suffering is used to increase our awareness of the sustaining power of God to whom we owe our sustenance (Ps 68:19).
2. God uses suffering to refine, perfect, strengthen, and keep us from falling (Ps 66:8-9; Heb 2:10).
3. Suffering allows the life of Christ to be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Cor 4:7-11).
4. Suffering bankrupts us, making us dependent upon God (2 Cor 12:9).
5. Suffering teaches us humility (2 Cor 12:7).
6. Suffering imparts the mind of Christ (Phil 2:1-11).
7. Suffering teaches us that God is more concerned about character than comfort (Rom 5:3-4; Heb 12:10-11).
8. Suffering teaches us that the greatest good of the Christian life is not absence of pain, but Christlikeness (2 Cor 4:8-10; Rom 8:28-29).
9. Suffering can be a chastisement from God for sin and rebellion (Ps 107:17).
10. Obedience and self-control are the outcome of suffering (Heb 5:8; Ps 119:67; Rom 5:1-5; James 1:2-8; Phil 3:10).
11. Voluntary suffering is one way to demonstrate the love of God (2 Cor 8:1-2, 9).
12. Suffering is part of the struggle against sin (Heb 12:4-13).
13. Suffering is part of the struggle against evil men (Ps 27:12; 37:14-15).
14. Suffering is part of the struggle for the kingdom of God (2 Thess 1:5).
15. Suffering is part of the struggle for the gospel (2 Tim 2:8-9).
16. Suffering is part of the struggle against injustice (1 Pet 2:19).
17. Suffering is part of the struggle for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41; 1 Pet 4:14).
18. Suffering indicates how the righteous become sharers in Christ’s suffering (2 Cor 1:5; 1 Pet 4:12-13).
19. Endurance of suffering is given as a cause for reward (2 Cor 4:17; 2 Tim 2:12).
20. Suffering forces community and the administration of the gifts for the common good (Phil 4:12-15).
21. Suffering binds Christians together into a common or joint purpose (Rev 1:9).
22. Suffering produces discernment, knowledge, and teaches us God’s statutes (Ps 119:66-67, 71).
23. Through suffering God is able to obtain our broken and contrite spirit which He desires (Ps 51:16-17).
24. Suffering causes us to discipline our minds by making us focus our hope on the grace to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:6, 13).
25. God uses suffering to humble us so He can exalt us at the proper time (1 Pet 5:6-7).
26. Suffering teaches us to number our days so we can present to God a heart of wisdom (Ps 90:7-12).
27. Suffering is sometimes necessary to win the lost (2 Tim 2:8-10; 4:5-6).
28. Suffering strengthens and allows us to comfort others who are weak (2 Cor 1:3-11).
29. Suffering is small compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Phil 3:8).
30. God desires truth in our innermost being and one way He does it is through suffering (Ps 51:6; 119:17).
31. The equity for suffering will be found in the next life (Ps 58:10-11).
32. Suffering is always coupled with a greater source of grace (2 Tim 1:7-8; 4:16-18).
33. Suffering teaches us to give thanks in times of sorrow (1 Thess 5:17; 2 Cor 1:11).
34. Suffering increases faith (Jer 29:11).
35. Suffering allows God to manifest His care (Ps 56:8).
36. Suffering stretches our hope (Job 13:14-15).

Suffering is hard, but it is not without the guidance and purposes of a loving Father.

People of the Pendulum

The last few weeks, at Journey Christian Church, we have been going through 1 Peter, covering topics like the authority of God’s word, marriage and homosexuality.  Some pretty relevant issues that we wrestle with today whether or not we’re involved with the Church.  As I’ve been reflecting on what we’ve discussed, I realized that there is a trend that occurs both in history and today: we follow a cultural pendulum.

As human beings we tend to swing between extremes.  We have a predominantly “black and white” perspective.  People are categorized as being “pro” or “anti”, there is no middle category typically available and there is not much room allowed for compromise or even a civil conversation.

The unfortunate truth is that the Church has followed the same pattern and suffered the same affects as the rest of the world.  Moral confusion, rampant divorce, chaos due to the rejection of absolute truth, identity crisis etc.  The thing that I have been investigating and thinking about the last few weeks is why.  Why do we typically on deal in extremes and what causes a “swing” of our cultural pendulum?

The simple answer to “Why” is, ever since sin entered the world through Adam, man-kind has been in a constant state of confusion and brokenness.  All the issues that we see today follow Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes: there’s nothing new under the sun.  The same old issues are just packaged differently in different eras.  

For example, in Romans chapter 6, Paul addresses the problem that the Church is taking the grace of God as a license to do whatever they want with no accountability or reverence for God.  Identical to what’s happening today for the majority of the American Church, where Jesus has been pushed out of personal lives and is only involved when blessing is desired. But, Paul early on in his ministry confronts the early trends of legalism in the Church as gentile believers were being forced to abide by Jewish laws of circumcision.  Almost right off the bat in his life in ministry he has to wage war against legalistic tendencies of individuals who had already confused the point of the Gospel being about grace through Christ.  We see examples of that all over and the media today especially loves to shine a spotlight on it.  Law without any application of grace, breeding a self-righteous people that cast judgment on the world and their “gospel” is more about scaring people towards the God.  We’ve probably all experienced those extremes in our lives.

Now, in terms of cause, I can only speculate from what I’ve observed in my own generation.  As a 24 year old, those my age have typically taken “swings” in perspective in response to what we have seen or experienced from watching the previous generation.  Many of those who have grown up in the Church have seen hypocrisy and felt the negative affects of legalism, so now my generation is unfortunately characterized by holding a position that is all about “love” completely void of submission to the Lordship of God and his Word.  More than 50% of my generation has experienced the destruction of poor marriages and divorce, so now more than ever people hold the perspective that marriage is in some ways opposed to our new age definition of “love”.  We’ve witnessed graceless condemnation of those who are tempted by and embrace same sex attraction.  We know that’s not right so we’ve swung to the other side of the spectrum and most commonly take a stance of complete acceptance because, who are we to “judge” what love is or is not.  With so many topics and areas of life, my generation has made those swings because we’ve seen the damage done in the past and thought that the best way to counteract it was to do the exact opposite.  Still, it’s not difficult to see how these generational “swings” are now inflicting their own unique damage to the world.

Now, I try to follow the motto by God’s grace, “when in doubt, look to Jesus” and when dealing with this issue of extremes, its very interesting to see where Jesus lands.  Christ pushes us to find a middle ground and shows us how to find it.  He calls the legalistic to repent of their self-righteous, law enforcement and look to him (John 5:39).  Jesus also calls those whose lives are consumed with sin that the desires of their hearts are valid, but they need to look to him for them to be satisfied (Matthew 11:28; Jon 4:14).  Although it is delivered in different ways, his solution to those in both extremes is the same: Himself.  It is hard to be legalistic when you are intimately following the calling of Christ to love your neighbor and when we understand how the Gospel compels to be gracious to others.  Simultaneously, the love, identity and fulfillment we seek as human beings so often in all the wrong places can only be satisfied through Jesus Christ and when we find it through His Gospel.

So, I want to encourage all of us together, no matter where you are in life now, what your background is or where you stand, we need to look to Jesus.  His Gospel is what gives us a happy medium.  He lived as an example of what it looks like to perfectly balance truth and love.  Following Him is not only the way that God calls us to live which  glorifies him, but it is also the path to the ultimate fulfillment of our hearts’ desires for identity, purpose and love.  Which are valid desires that we are meant to have as creations of God, and we should be passionate about them.  But without Christ as the focal point of our passion, the world will continue to be damaged and frustrated by the inability to completely fill the voids of our souls.  Once the pendulums stops swinging, there will finally be peace.

Offering Life to Others

Offering Life to Others

(Pastor John Lohman)

Some years ago while vacationing and browsing in an antique shop in Canada, I discovered and purchased a copy of Rachel Carson’s fascinating book about the ocean entitled, The Sea Around Us.  Originally published in 1951, this book discusses the microscopic vegetable life of the sea which provides food for many of the ocean’s smallest creatures.  These plants drift thousands of miles wherever the currents carry them because they possess neither the power nor a will of their own to direct their destinies.  “Plankton” is what these little plants are called.  Plankton, a Greek term, means “wandering” or “drifting”.  

Sad to say, the term “plankton” could also be used to describe many people living in our world today. Many people living in our world, country, communities and neighborhoods appear to be drifting rather than living lives of meaning and purpose.

Fortunately, there is an answer to this predicament.  Christ came because the human race and history were both misdirected and needed to be redirected.  Christ is the answer to the problem of aimlessness.  He alone provides true meaning and a sense of purpose and direction that can get our lives, marriages and families back on track.  

As you know, these days we at Journey are doubling up our efforts to sponsor, schedule and support special events as a means of reaching out to offer the life of meaning and purpose that Christ provides.  

As we are building relationships with our co-workers, neighbors and other acquaintances, let us trust God to use us to invite someone to an event that could change his or her life forever.

Post Written by:

John Lohman

Pastor of Family Life and Counseling

Sex, Instructions Included

Sex, Instructions Included

(Steve Matson – Lead Pastor)

 

Be creative. Dream and manipulate. Think outside of the box; in fact, throw away the box.  Those are good and healthy words in many areas of life.  But there are other areas where those are awful words.  There are some areas of life where there is specific design and intent, and to get “creative” invites in disaster.  I don’t need to take time to give illustrations here, because we can all think of illustrations in both areas

For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we understand that there are some areas of life where God says “Be creative. Dream and manipulate. Think outside of the box.”  And there are some areas where God says “I am the creator and I have created with design and intent. Follow my instructions.”

The issue of sex and sexual roles is one of those areas where God says “Don’t get creative here. Follow my intent and you will find the joy that sex is designed for.” Sex, actually, is the first issue that God does address with words of design and intent.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

            When sin came into the world, an assault began on God’s design in every arena including sex, and in Genesis we have men and women being disastrously creative with sex. And in our day we find the departure from God’s design in full expression in our world. We could rail against the culture at this point, but I am more interested in addressing those of us who profess faith in Jesus. As the challenge from the culture rises it becomes more and more important that we as Christians are anchored in God’s intent as Creator. I can’t take the time here to list specifics, so let me simply note Proverbs 3:5-6. This passage encourages us with these words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”. Here is my simple encouragement.

·        Let us be very careful to not lean on our own understanding about sex and the right relationship between men and women.  Our sinfulness goes too deep and is too deceptive.  God’s Word must be our guide.

·        Let us acknowledge God by gladly submitting to His instructions about sex.  He is the Creator and His ways are good.

·        Let me rest in the promise that He will make our paths straight. Following God’s design leads to life.

At Journey these days we are working through I Peter in the Sunday morning worship gatherings.  As part of this study we have come to I Peter 3:1-7, where God has provided us with insight into His intent for husbands and wives.  I encourage you to study this passage on your own and to listen to the sermons online if you have missed them. This coming Sunday (3-23-14) we will be considering homosexuality, and I encourage you to be with us Sunday for the sermon as I address a topic that is unavoidable in our nation these days.

God has provided with much in His creation to manipulate and twist and design as we desire.  Sex is not one of the areas.  Sex comes with wonderful design and intent. Praise God for His good gift.

The Importance of Praying for Our Children

(Carol Nettleton - Director of Children's Ministry)

One of the things I am passionate about is prayer, especially praying for my children. I did not always have this passion, but as I look back over the years I see how The Lord put prayer warriors into my life so that I could experience and see the power of prayer.
 

If you have children, there are certain milestones in their lives that you remember. When I think of Matt’s first day of kindergarten the first thought I have is standing by the front door and praying before I took him to the bus stop. This started a tradition that I am still doing with Jamie. The last thing we do before we walk out of the house is pray. Since I was blessed to be able to stay home with my children, this was the first time they would not be in my care for an extended period of time. So I went to God for prayer. I found peace in it, and I also saw so many answers to prayers. I felt that this was showing Matt and Jaime the importance of prayer. Although I was praying to God for Matt’s day at school, I was also very involved in his classroom. Consequently, there were things I did not completely give over the The Lord, because I was I trying to fix them.
 

I remember when Matt entered middle school. I still prayed for him before he left every day, however, I would no longer be going into his class to help. This really stepped up my prayer life. I found myself constantly praying for my children. Years ago I had started a “Mom’s In Touch” group. This is a group of moms that meets to pray for their school-aged. Although it was not well attended, God blessed it. I remember weekly God answering requests.
 

One of the things I love is praying over the telephone. There are many days when Jamie gets into the car as I pick her up from school, and I am finishing up praying with someone. She hears this, and she hears the prayers. She knows when something is going on in her life that I will call people and have them pray. Not only is this a good example for her, but when I mention that adults that I have prayed are praying for her, I have to believe this strengthens her relationship with them.
 

Many years ago I was able to go to workshop. One piece of it was praying for your children. We assembled a book with a prayer and scriptures for our children. I pray these for my children (and their future spouses), and my grandchildren. This was a resource that was shared with me, and I would love to share it with you. If you would like a copy of this, please email me at caroljnettleton@gmail.com . I have listed below the 12 prayers that I rotate through.
 

If you have a child/grandchild that will be attending school in the fall, start praying now for their schedule, their teacher and even where they will sit. I have found that once I started praying for these things, God blesses them. And when things happen, it is good to know that He has a better plan.

Before Jamie leaves I always pray for her safety, but more importantly, I pray that she be used of The Lord and that she calls on His name. Isn’t that what we want for our children, to live a life that brings glory to God?
 

As I shared my heart, I hope you also caught the passion. Listed below are prayers I rotate through, and I pray that these will bless you and your family. If you would like a complete copy of the prayer pamphlet with these prayer requests, along with scriptures, please email me at caroljnettleton@gmail.com.
 

1. Pray that they will know Christ as Savior early in life and treasure their inheritance as Sons of God; that they will not accept satan’s design against them but walk in light as heirs of the kingdom.
 

2. Pray that they will have a hatred for sin and a love for godliness.
 

3. Pray that they will appreciate discipline and instruction and be quick to repent; that they will be caught when guilty.
 

4. Pray that they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional and physical. Pray that they stand firm in persecution. Pray that they will be patient in affliction and look to God, trusting in His faithfulness, when they have problems.
 

5. Pray that they will have a responsible and loving attitude in their relationship with others. Pray that they will walk in humility and look to the need of others.
 

6. Pray that they will respect God’s Lordship over them, and those He has placed in authority over them.
 

7. Pray that they will choose Godly influences; that they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong ones; that they will be “hedged in” so they cannot find their way to wrong people or places and that the wrong people cannot find their way the them; that they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one.
 

8. Pray that they would desire inner beauty and Godly character, and they would grow more Christ like daily; that they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure both before and after marriage.
 

9. Pray that they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist satan in all circumstances.
 

10. Pray that they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ and joyfully invested in the cause of the kingdom.
 

11. Pray that they would grow in faith and obedience, and in love for God; that they would “love not the world nor the things of the world.”
 

12. Pray that they would treasure God’s Word and stand up for truth; that they would be set free from deception and the lies of the evil one, and have great understanding of the Word.

MY Promise = My Identity

If you were to ask me “what are the biggest issues facing teenagers today?”  My answer would be: the same issues everybody is facing all of the time, IDENTITY and INTIMACY.  We’ll tackle Intimacy another time.  Today, lets focus on Identity.

Without looking too far, you can see that people are struggling with who they are.  How do people define or view themselves?  Most “Adults” introduce themselves or ask for introduction based on their career?

“Hi, I’m Jeff.  Nice to meet your stranger.  What do you do?”  As if your identity (or mine) is based on what you do to earn a paycheck.

When I asked teenagers recently what metric they used to identify themselves, their responses included:

how they spend their time 

how they feel 

what they’re called (names, nicknames, taunts and teases) 

things they are skilled at 

things they simply like to do

All of it is so fluid and changing.  Just because I can throw a perfect spiral to a receiver 40 yards down the field today, doesn’t mean I’ll be able to tomorrow.

The idea that I feel lovey-dovey with my wife this morning does not guarantee we won’t be passively / aggressively giving each other the silent treatment tonight.

The issue for everybody becomes, on what foundation do I place my identity that will not be changed by time or taken from me by circumstance?

If we go to scripture, we can see that God introduces himself very consistently.  (Forgive the forthcoming crude paraphrases.)

Genesis 6:11 - 21 - “Hey Noah, I’m God. I’m gonna destroy everything.  I promise I’ll save you and start over with you and your family.  Now, here’s what I want you to do…”

Genesis 12:1 - 3 - “Hey Abram, I’m God.  Leave everything and everybody you know behind, and go to where I’ll guide you. I promise to make you a great nation that will bless the world, and I promise to bless those who are good to you and curse anybody who’s bad to you.”

Genesis 26:1 - 5 - “Hey Issac, I’m God.  I know this famine looks bad, but don’t go to Egypt.  Stick with me and don’t leave the land I promised your Dad.  I promise to take care of you and bless you.”

Genesis 28:13 - 15 - “Hey Jacob, I’m God.  The place you fell asleep tonight is going to belong to you and your descendants.  And you’re family is gonna be huge.  I’m with you now, and I’m going to stay with you until I’ve done everything I’ve promised you and your father and your grandfather.”

Exodus 3:4 - 12 - “Hey Moses, I’m God. I’ve seen what’s been happening to my people in Egypt, and I promise to deliver them from their oppressors.  Beyond that, I promise to take you to a rich and fruitful land that will become your very own.  You’ll take Egypt’s riches on the way out, and I promise I’ll be with you the whole time.  I guarantee that Pharaoh won’t like it, but I promise my power will compel him, and I will give you the ability to do miracles and mighty works.  Moses, I promise, this is what you were Made for.  I’ll show you what you need to do, and I’ll help you.”

You can explore God’s other introductions of himself throughout the rest of Scripture on your own.  It’s interesting that Moses wrote each of these first verbal introductions of God to include a promise.  Even as God handed down the ten commandments, he couldn’t help throwing in a promise.

Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." (ESV)

So how must we, as believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Identify ourselves?

In Tim Keller’s amazing book, “THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE” he spends a chapter explaining  that the Essence of marriage (the thing that a marriage couldn’t exist apart from) is the vows or promises we make.  The promise we make to the God as we respond to the preacher is to not be identified any longer by our upbringing, our status or our temperament.  Instead we are committing to be a servant to our new spouse, and that no matter the circumstances, remain committed to this person we wish to spend our lives with.

“From now on, I am identified by this promise: to be yours”

When we begin to understand the depth of our sin, the untrustworthiness of our deceptive hearts, and a need to repent, the Gospel begins to shine in the darkness.  As the cross of Jesus Christ begins to shine, and offer hope and assurance and PROMISE, we are moved to respond.

Our response can not only be a sinner’s prayer to escape the fires of Hell.  It must also be a commitment to a life of repentance and forgiveness.

What is the commitment to God that you are living out today?

Resist “Dental Chair” Devotions

(Barry Lawrence - Pastor of Discipleship and Adult Ministries)

 

Many of you may not be aware, but I send out weekly blog links to elders, staff, and a few other pastors, articles from blogs which might be of interest helping them personally and in ministry. There are a lot of good blogs that have helpful insight on the spiritual life, shepherding, culture, prayer, family and applying the gospel to everyday life. (If you are interested in receiving these I would be happy to send them to you –just email me and I will put you on the email list).

The above title “Resist Dental Chair Devotions” is one of those blog articles that I know I needed to read and apply. Probably all of us have read our Bibles as part of our time with the Lord and have gotten little from it even forgetting what we read.  Below is this blog post from Eric Raymond from his blog “Ordinary Pastor: Calibrated by the Gospel.”

Resist “Dental Chair” Devotions

I remember going to the dentist as a kid. After all of the picking and cleaning I was given fluoride. I picked the flavor, marinated in that gushy material, and then spit it out. The hygienist would then treat me like a prize-fighter and give me a tube for water. I compliantly, swished and spit. Then I was done, out of the chair and on my way out the door.

I am afraid that too many of us practice dental chair devotions. We grab our Bibles, spend some time in it and then we are done. We promptly put down our Bibles and walk out the door or on to our daily tasks. Five to eight hours later someone could ask you, “What did you read in the Word today?” The answer, too often, is, “I can’t remember.”

What happened? We grab a little Bible reading, swish it around in the morning, then spit it out on the way out the door. The treasures from the Word don’t get swallowed and digested but rather spit out quickly. This is because we often practice a “swish and spit” devotional time. We don’t really engage the mind and heart with the Word.

How do we resist this “swish and spit” mentality?

1.     Pray before you read. I like what John Piper wrote in his book When I don’t Desire God. He advises Christians to pray specifically before they come to the Bible. He developed a helpful acronym to remember it, IOUS:  Incline my heart to you, not to prideful gain or any false motive. (Psalm 119:36), Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in your Word. (Psalm 119:18), Unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11), Satisfy me with you steadfast love. (Psalm 90:14). This is a cry for dependence while making your requests known to God.

2.     Pray while you read. In Don Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life he advocates prayer while reading the Word. As Whitney shows, this is not a new practice but it is a regrettably neglected practice. The discipline of thoughtful, prayerful Bible reading engages the heart along with the mind. It produces meditation as we are chewing on the Scripture.

3.     Prioritize Quality of Quantity. It would be great for us to be jamming through large portions of Scripture with great impact. However, most of us cannot do that effectively and consistently. So instead, purpose to spend time with a smaller text and ensure that it is getting in you and over on you in a good way.

4.     Meditate upon the text. This is the intentional chewing, tasting, ruminating, upon God’s Word. Far from “swish and spit” meditation is “sit and steep.” We need to steep the Word in the water of our soul so that we are flavored and colored by the Bible (Ps. 119:15,16, 27, 97).

5.     Read the text aloud. I was surprised recently to read that until the 20th Century most people did not read silently. Instead they read aloud, sometimes quietly and others more loud. Perhaps you know an older person who still practices this reading style. It helps with Bible reading because it engages another one of your senses.

6.     Interrogate the passage. This just means to ask questions. Who wrote it? Why did they write it? What does this teach me about God and his character? What is the correct response to this truth about God? When you read in Mt. 5:45 about God caring for all people that oppose him, what does that teach you about God? In what ways does he do this? What attribute is on display here? Where else do I see this attribute in neon lights?

7.     Make specific application to your life. As you interrogate the text you will find that there are specific personal areas that need to be addressed. Considering again Mt. 5, what does the fact that God cares for all people even those who do not love him, what does this mean for the way you treat other people? How do you look at people who do no look and act like you? How do you feel about them? Do you have a unjustified hatred of people? Does it show? What areas do I need to repent of? What does repentance look like?

8.     Ask and answer how this makes you treasure Christ. This is so often neglected. Like Jacob with the angel, do not leave until you are blessed! Here is the blessing: how does it showcase the work of Christ? Well, if you are mistreating enemies or friends you need to remember how Jesus treated his enemies. He died for them. He loved them. He gave everything for them. By the way, I was that enemy! (Rom. 5:11) I see Jesus and all of his obedience to God’s law fleshed out in his particular perfections in my place. My life as an enemy before God and my life in not loving people who are different than me. The fact that God judges us based on Christ’s merit and obedience instead of our own is a cause for worship.

9.     Take it with you. Find a verse or verses that have a grip on your heart and write them down. In some way put them either on a sticky-note or your hand or your phone or the fridge or wherever you can put them. Our church has a number of men who work in government facilities that do not allow electronics in and out. I tell them to write it down on a yellow sticky-note. They put it in their pocket and carry it about with them all day. In between meetings, on the way to lunch or the bathroom, take it out and read it. Pray through it. Apply it. Marvel at it. Keep it with you. This is the treasuring of God’s Word in your heart.

Bible reading is far too precious and important a time to just go through the motions. You must get that word into your heart, mind and life. This takes work. So, resolve today to not practice the swish and spit, dental chair devotional life. Instead prayerfully marinate in the text, interrogate it and take it with you.