How can we get there?
Here's one suggestion:
Four Steps to Transform Your Life (a longer version here).
If you're not ready to try it with a long book, try it with a short one (maybe 1, 2, or 3 John, or James or Philippians).
And as you read, remember this promise we read on Sunday morning, from Isaiah 55:
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:10-11
2 comments:
Here is a couple thoughts to ponder on the word of God:
1. Many have pointed out in the book of Acts that there is a sort of structure following Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Yet it has not been noted as often that it is really about the unstoppable journey of the living word of God to the ends of the earth. While Paul and other characters double back and visit places they have been to in the book of Acts, in Acts the word of God never visits the same place twice. The word is on its unstoppable progression to the ends of the earth (see also 2 Tim 2:9; 2 Thes 3:1).
2. Why was Jesus crucified? It seems to be that it was because he claimed to be king and said he would save his people and destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. On the cross they mock him saying, "Ha king of the Jews, he said he would save others but can't even save himself so much for destorying the temple." The blessed irony of course is that what they thought to be the ultimate sign (the cross) that he was not king could not save others and would not destory the temple was in reality the very moment that he was "lifted up" (exalted, Gospel of John), saving the world, and destroying the temple so it would be raised again in three days (his body, Gospel of John). Yet where did the Jews even get the idea of an expectation of king, savior, and future glorious temple? They got it from the Scriptures. The word of God prophesies a coming king and savior who will bring about the glorious temple and it is the very hard heart and veiled nature of this word that brings about the cross which is the fullfillment of this same word. Talk about a self fulfilling prophecy! The word results in the fulfillment of the word!
3. A read recently a writer who pointed out that when we say "Without God I am nothing" we speak more truly than we even realize most of the time. Without God there is nothing. There is no world and there is no me or you. There is very literally nothing. God speaks forth the world into existence from nothing, he speaks forth his prophetic word that will be fulfilled even through people who misunderstand this same word and attempt to stop this same word from being fulfilled but unwittingly become the very means of the word's fulfillment. This unstoppable word is on a journney to the ends of the earth that is unstoppable no matter what opposition and no matter whether believers are in chains or not. Now that is indeed a word which will not return void!
What a fool I am that I so often don't heed the warnings of the word or cast my hope on the promises of the word! Yeah, like somehow the word is going to be wrong this one time and I will get away without heeding the word's warning. That is going to happen! Oh that God would give me a heart to tremble at his word.
Thats a lot to ponder. But I have been thinking about the 'Without God I am nothing' issue recently.
How everything I have is meaningless and everything I achieve in this world is worth nothing if it doesn't glorify God. And even then that I didn't really achieve it anyway, that God did through me.
Today while I was at work I spent some of my break praying out loud. Half way through someone I didn't know came in, she was moaning about her schedule, lack of hours and bad ones at that. I sort of just nodded and smiled.
And now I'm beating my head against the wall because that was an opportunity. I wonder what would have happened if I had kept praying. Because a few moments later I found out that that woman had a tumor and was going to have surgery soon.
I think that if I spent more time trembling at god. I'd remember that in him everything is possible, and perhaps instead of just praying for God to work through me. I'd stop hindering the process with my pride and fears.
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