For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV) I love to learn. But I’m never satisfied with surface learning. I always have to dig deeper. Nowhere is this more important to me than in studying God’s Word. At the time Abraham answered God’s call to travel to Canaan, he was living in the city of Ur. It was a city surrounded by farmland and noted for its commercial trading and Abraham had everything he needed right there and yet, he chose to obey God and venture into the unknown. I asked myself if I would have been that obedient. I read about the threshing floor in the book of Ruth and then learned why the grain had to be threshed only on a windy day-- leaving the good grain on the floor with the wind blowing away the unnecessary chaff. I thought about all the things that God allowed to be taken from my life if they would have been harmful to me or interfered with His will. And when I saw a video showing what the Judean wilderness looked like, it completely changed the way I view the Old Testament. Through personal Bible study, sermons, church studies, small groups, prayer groups and retreats, we can increase and share our knowledge of God’s Word. We are fortunate to live in a time where information and inspiration are available twenty-four hours a day. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “encourage one another and build each other up.” We are given every opportunity to grow in our walk with the Lord. It isn’t enough for me to know “about” God. I want to “know” God. And although my understanding of Him and His ways change according to where I am in my spiritual journey, and how willing I am to obey, my yearning to know Him never changes. The key to spiritual growth is to remain teachable. Father, I thank you for giving me an inquisitive mind through the Holy Spirit...a mind that yearns to know You more and more. In the name of Jesus, I earnestly pray for opportunities to share Your Word with others and to learn from them as well. Although Your Word is hidden in my heart, I know it is meant to be shared. |