Experience

I Deserved That

The other day my son Corey was assigned a writing project and he struggled for several hours with writer's block. I’m sure most of us can relate to the difficulties of this kind of creative assignment. As any good father would, I began to give him some tips about how I deal with the same type of creative problem when writing this weekly article. Wouldn’t you know it, after giving Corey advice about dealing with his writer’s block I have experienced something of my own struggle today to come up with a topic for discussion.

This is not really unique. I find that almost every week as I study the scriptures to be prepared to teach and instruct our congregation that I deal in some way personally with the point of the text. I believe that this is because as believers our interaction with the Bible is not merely an academic exercise but a true interaction with the living and abiding word (1 Peter 1:23). We must remember that the Word of God is living and active so it will never suffice for a cold dead study of the pages of holy writ (Hebrews 4:12).

Harvesting

When it comes to gleaning truth from the Bible, it really is a matter of sowing and reaping. The more we engage with the Scriptures by reading, meditating, studying, and praying then the more we can expect to learn and grow the word that we have hidden in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Study of the Bible is not simply about intellectually knowing the content of the various verses and passages but getting to know the word as the method of communication with the Lord who we love and who loves us. 

But it’s not only studying the Bible but seeking the Lord through the intimate conversation called prayer. Jesus taught us to come to the Father with a personal appeal for our very real and legitimate needs (Matthew 6:9-13). When we pray, it is not the transactional benefit of requests and answers which is actually most beneficial, but the experience of drawing near to the Lord, that is most necessary for us.

Even in the church we can see that this is true. The more we fellowship and share with one another about our lives and build relationships with the brothers and sisters in our own local church the more we will be blessed by the fruit of these God ordained relationships. However, if we do not engage in meaningful fellowship and interaction in the church, but rather treat it as a religious task to be accomplished and marked off the chore list for the week, then we can expect to reap sparingly in comparison to how we have sown.

Better Than I Deserve

But praise God, we do not only receive the portion expected but when we seek the Lord His blessings are abundant. Do you remember in Jesus’ parable about the talents, how he said that to “everyone who has even more will be given but to the one who has not even what he has will be taken away”(Matthew 25:14-30)? In this text, Jesus is pointing out just how abundant the blessings are for those who are truly following Him. Of course, the point is not about monetary wealth but rather the spiritual riches that are stored away in heaven free of corrosion, corruption, or crime (Luke 12:33-34).

Most importantly, as those who have been recipients of God's grace in Jesus Christ we are always living lives that we know are better than we deserve. Not only now but we possess a hope for eternal life which is promised to us by our God how is truth itself (Titus 1:2).

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