This year, I decided to do a "bible in a year" challenge. I've had weeks where I've not read, weeks where I've tried to catch up, and weeks where I've been ahead. What does that mean? I've not been reading regularly. It also means, I haven't really put much into my faith. It hasn't been a daily quest for me to grow in God's word.
Sure I pray every day, but many times it seems to be a pretty generic prayer. Not much in the way of really conversing with my Abba Father.
I go to church pretty much every time there is a service. I even participate in different church ministries. Once I leave the building, though, the world is ready and waiting to consume me once again.
As I've mentioned before, I've been participating in a bible study group this year, also. We started with the book "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. When I had my baby, I stopped participating in the group for a bit, but continued reading through to the end of the book. It's a really good book about the Holy Spirit. As I read it, I began to question how I look at, and react to, God's Holy Spirit. My birthday was during my "hiatus" from bible study and my oldest blessing got me another book to read. "Follow Me" by David Platt. This is another book worth reading. I'm about half way through it. It has me questioning my life as a Christian. It goes hand in hand with what I've been feeling weigh on my heart lately.
At church we've been doing a series called "Body Building" (you can listen to it at the church website. http://tecumseh-ag.org/) In the bible study group, we are studying the book of Hebrews. And on my own, I've been devouring the bible in the past week or so. The more I feed on the word of the Lord the more I realize something.
I want to go deeper.
I want to know what the bible truly says. I want to understand what it means. I want to really know my God. The one I claim is my Lord and savior.
What is the point of claiming to be a Christian if I'm not devoted to the one that Christianity is all about?
I read about Moses, Ruth, Esther, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul, Stephen, etc... and I think "Why are they so important that they are in this book?" "What is so special about them?"
The answer? Their character. Did they sin, yes. We're ALL sinners. "For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!" Romans 3:23 In spite of that, these people hungered and thirsted after righteousness. They desired to be with God and in God. To have God be in them. Not to say we are gods. I don't believe that. But we are a part of our Heavenly Father. After all, God breathed life into us.
I want to be like these people. People who did whatever they could to serve the Lord. That even when they fell, they cried out to Him to pick them back up again. Who were bold and courageous and couldn't help but speak gloriously of His name.
It is His command that we share the good news through out the whole world, that ALL may hear and be saved.
I don't want the kool-aid, make everyone happy, kind of Christianity anymore. I want to have true Christianity. A deep spiritual relationship with God, a desire to go forth and grow and share and bring the blessing of good news to all who will hear. To turn from the ways of the world and chase after Him who made all things. For if I am in Him I am no longer part of this world. The things we treasure here on Earth, in this life, mean so little in the grand scheme of things. Money, materials, status, what is it worth when we are dead? It doesn't matter if you believe in an after life or not, these things are useless once you depart from this existence
We sing songs in church all the time and along with the radio, but do we truly mean what the words are saying? We pray, but is it superficial? Christians, what are we living for? God or the world? Can others truly see that we belong to our King? Or do we look just like everyone else?
Maybe you aren't a Christian and you think this is all pretty crazy, God is still your Lord even if you don't believe He is your savior. And the truth is, you can't really know Him just by looking at those who claim they do. If you really want to know the truth about God, read the bible and ask God who He really is. To show Himself to you. God will answer you.
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