Keeping Our Noses In The Word of God

        ​Of all the things that are uncertain in this world, the future would be what I consider the most uncertain of all. The scriptures tell us that we know not the day nor the hour (Matthew 24:36) in which Christ shall return. There are signs and wonders to look out for, but no specific warning regarding exact timing of the end of days. Many of the early prophecies have already come to past, not leaving much more time for those days. Although we do not know for certain how much time shall pass before the rapture, what we should focus on is continuing to prepare for our Lord’s return anyway. Like the hopeful ten virgins (Matthew 25) who set out in hopes of meeting their groom, we do not want to get caught off-guard by not preparing our own generations and the next for the coming of the Lord. One of the most over-looked parts of this process is staying in tune with the Word of God. By staying in God’s Word ourselves, we also model a vital component of our faith to the coming generations. Without the Word of God, Christians just as non-believers lack direction and instruction. Have you ever heard an old saying and could not immediately pin a source with it? The odds are that it originated with the Word of God. Whoever would have thought that a term we used on a regular basis such as “scape goat or eye for an eye” was Biblical? The Jews would actually use a scape goat which was just a goat set aside for the purpose of carrying the sins of the people and would send him off in the desert thus naming him the “scape goat”. Therefore when and excuse or issue is pinned on an innocent or disposable bystander, we refer to this person as a “scape goat”. It is another common day proof of the foundation of our forefathers and where they stood spiritually. They were grounded in their Word daily. They understood it so well that even common day scenarios were made real through the scripture for them. It should be the same for us today. The Word contains many directions and an abundance of wisdom/knowledge on how we should think, act, feel, prepare, and live for God. When there is an absence of this infinite source of wisdom, our relationship with God suffers. We have a longing for communion and relationship with God. Therefore when it is cut short or non-existent, by default we try to substitute it. This may be through many various means, but always fails sending us down a road of self-destruction. The scripture tells us that the Christ would be the “cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-22).It also tells us in John 1:1 that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Therefore, Gods Word is my rock and my foundation and should be for all Christians. It sets the direction of my feet. It inspires, leads, and it guides correcting us all along the way. Take away our Word and you take away our faith. This is why the foundation of our early Holy text was so vital for God in the early days of man. He knew that we would require instructions and direction. If you look at how destructive mankind has been with that guidance, it would be quite unimaginable to think of a world without it. The enemy attempts daily to destroy and wipe out all evidence of the Word today. It began with the hearts of men, spread to our government facilities, and now even our churches. 

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        The problem lies within the first category I mentioned which was, “in the hearts of men”. We contribute to this issue daily. How do we reject the Word of God you may ask? We do this simply by ignoring it. I don’t mean by covering your eyes every time you come across a book even resembling the Holy Bible, but rather the failure to notice that you haven’t picked it up in a while and not making the effort to do so. It is a lot easier than most believe to go from a hungry, on-fire Christian to a cold state spiritually over a matter of a few weeks. As followers of Christ we will go through cycles and seasons, but we should not endure those times without the comforts of God’s Word and the Spirit easing the pain along the way. As we go through these seasons and struggles of life it is easy to get carried away with the distractions of the world. We are all guilty to some degree, but binge watching Netflix or spending hours on end every night you get off work on your wireless device is probably not the most spiritually efficient way to spend your time. To reap the high-dividend eternal rewards that await us, we must be willing to sacrifice some pleasure now for comfort later. Spending time learning about our great God should honestly be all the pleasure that we should need in the first place.
       
​        Maybe the Word-less lifestyle that I am referring to sounds a lot like yourself or someone you know. The good news is that today is a new day. We can start from right where we are. God is always waiting, hoping, and pursuing our hearts. Because He seeks us with such unconditional love, it isn’t ever very difficult to find Him. All we have to do is first seek God in our hearts. Secondly, we need to allow Him to instruct and guide us by His Word. It is no wonder why many Christians struggle in their walk with the severity that they do when God’s Word is nearly eliminated from their life. Hearing it at church, Bible study, or from some evangelist on the radio is simply not enough. We must dive into the treasure of God’s knowledge from the Word ourselves and see what he has to say about us individually. It is there that we will find the answers to the questions we seek and it is there where we will grow the closest to knowing who God really is at the most intimate level. Wouldn’t a good bride want to know all that is possible about her groom before the wedding? Should we not know everything there is to know from God’s Word so that when He comes for His bride the church, we will already be knowledgeable regarding His heart? The answer is yes, so what are we waiting for? Let us begin a new walk with our Lord today and dive into His Word. You just might learn something you didn’t know before.
 
 
 
 
Matthew 24:36 (KJV)
 
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
 
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.