Search

Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

Open Search
Category

Praise Thursday

Prayers of Humility and Confession

Today, we continue sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. He invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

This week, we’re sharing prayers from the word to confess sin and to humble ourselves.

Dr. Banks writes that of all of Jesus’ names and titles, the one that he likes best is the one that the Pharisees gave him: Friend of Sinners. It may have been one of Jesus’ favorites too, because in Luke 19:10 he said he “came to seek and save those who are lost.” The title Friend of Sinners captures the reason he came better than any other title. Why is that? Because a true friend will love you even when you don’t deserve it and will look for you when you’ve lost your way. Jesus does all of that and more. John 15:13 reminds us that there is “no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

All of us like friendship, but we need to remember that friendship is a two-way street. So as we think of Jesus as our friend, we need to ask ourselves – what kind of friend am I to Jesus? If I’m someone’s friend I’m going to care about our relationship. I’ll be mindful of things that could be hurtful or cause distance between us. Nothing causes Jesus more pain than sin. Remembering how much my sins cost Jesus helps me be a better friend to him. So the Bible’s prayers of confession and humbling ourselves before God also remind us to be a better friend.

There is a lot of honesty in these prayers. 2 Samuel 7:20 says, “You know what your servant is really like.” Psalm 19:12 says, “how can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.”

There’s a real humility in these prayers and a description of what sin does to us. In Psalm 31:10 it says, “sin has drained my strength…I am wasting away from within.” Psalm 40 says, “My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out.”

All of these prayers clearly show God’s holiness, plus a humble admission that his judgment of sin is justified and the discipline he gives is deserved…

But you also find JOY.

Psalm 32 verses 1 through 2 says, “Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven; whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt; whose lives are lived in complete honesty.”

Psalm 66 reminds us, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” So these prayers are teaching us the best way to pray and mark the path that leads to our Savior’s heart. God has left us these prayers in the word to show us the way back to him.

This week’s closing verse is Hebrews 10:22-23. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Thanks for listening!
– Todd, Lilly and Joe

 

0

More prayers of praise!

We continue today sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us. They help us understand how our Bible heroes like Jesus, Job, Mary, Moses, David, Samuel, and many others talked with God. These prayers can also help us talk to God. Just as Jesus used several of David’s prayers in his final moments on the cross in Matthew 27, we can find the prayers of scripture.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. When we use the prayers from God’s word, humbly and with expectation, to encourage us in our own prayers, we can open our hearts and lives to deeper faith, renewed strength, blessings and God’s power. God invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

Today we’re going to share a couple more prayers to praise and honor God.

This is what Dr. Banks writes: true praise is praise with an active faith that is greater than just emotion. It is a daring thing. It challenges us to reach for something beyond ourselves, giving ourselves up to God.

Our first prayer today from the word comes from Psalm 104, where we are reminded that he created EVERYTHING:

Praise the Lord, my soul.Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

The next prayer is: NO ONE CAN MEASURE YOUR GREATNESS from Psalm 145:

 1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Praying the Word

For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us. They help us understand how our Bible heroes like Jesus, Job, Mary, Moses, David, Samuel, and many others talked with God. These prayers can also help us talk to God. Just as Jesus used several of David’s prayers in his final moments on the cross in Matthew 27, we can find the prayers of scripture.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. When we use the prayers from God’s word, humbly and expectedly, to encourage us in our own prayers, we can open our hearts and lives to deeper faith, renewed strength, blessings and God’s power. God invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

Today we’re going to share a couple of prayers to praise and honor God. This is what Dr. Banks writes: true praise is praise with an active faith that is greater than just emotion. It is a daring thing. It challenges us to reach for something beyond ourselves, giving ourselves up to God.

Sometimes praising God will not come naturally to us because we all struggle with self. And self is like a river…it can have a dangerous current that runs strong and deep in our hearts. Yes, the Bible tells us to always be joyful to never stop praying, and that it’s God’s will that I be thankful in all circumstances, but we all have times that we just don’t feel like it.

Still, by the grace of God we can learn that delight is not just something we FEEL, it’s something that we DO. God’s word commands us to take delight in him in Psalm 37:4. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

This command confronts us in our complacency and calls us to a higher way of thinking. This isn’t easy, because it costs us something. But even though it begins as work, it doesn’t end that way. God never leaves us where we are. With every effort we make to draw near to Him, we’re promised that he will come close to us.

That promise comes in James 4:8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

We should dare to delight in God…and not only will he give us the desire of our hearts, he becomes it. So over the next few weeks will be sharing verses that are the spirit-inspired praises of God’s people. We can make these our own when we dive in and pray these prayers will discover the God is moving to meet us.

Our first prayer from the word comes from Exodus 15 verses 6 & 7.
“Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O Lord, smashes the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you. You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw.”

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

A Firm Foundation – Part 2

We continue our series from the book by Dr. Tony Evans, “Can God be Trusted in our Trials?”

Today we’ll keep our focus on laying a foundation that can withstand any trial.

Dr. Evans says being blown by the winds of a difficult trial is a poor time to discover that your spiritual Foundation is shaky or weak. Last week we talked about the house in Matthew 7 being built on sand or on rock. The difference between acting from a divine standpoint and a human standpoint.

So what is that difference?

A human viewpoint is one where we believe whatever we’re told by others to believe. A human viewpoint may make a person feel comfortable for a while (sand), but when the tide of life comes in, it gets swept away. The divine standpoint allows you to take the Word home and apply it (rock). Many times, the issue of whether we are wise or foolish is not what church we attend or how often we attend; but instead, what we do with God’s truth.

Hearing God’s word is not enough. In James 1:25 he reminds us that it is not the forgetful hearer, but instead the effectual doer, who will be blessed in what he does.

Dr. Evans reminds us that the storm that battered the two homes in Jesus story did not determine the two men’s foundations, it only exposed them. When you find a storm like this or run into a storm like this, you’d better have the right foundation. If Jesus is your foundation, you’ll be able to withstand the storm. But if he isn’t your foundation, you need to get started pouring a new one today. The middle of a crisis is a bad time to figure out that your house is shaking and shuddering as the foundation washes away.

Now you might be thinking, “I think that Jesus is my foundation but I’m really being battered by this trial. I’m scared to death and to be really honest, I’ve kind of been wondering if Jesus really knows what I’m going through.” If you’ve ever felt that way…you are not alone! Many Christians have had the same questions in the storm, which is why Mark 4 verses 35 through 41 are so important. They are a real life episode with Jesus and his disciples.

jesus-calms-storm1

When Jesus and the disciples went over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a huge storm came up and they were in trouble. The Greek word for the storm emphasizes that it came out of nowhere; one of those completely unexpected storms that the Sea of Galilee was famous for. The disciples were experienced fisherman, but they panicked. They turned around and looked at Jesus, but he was asleep in the stern of the boat. The disciples were upset and said in verse 38, “teacher do you not even care that we are perishing?” Dr. Evans paraphrases this: “Jesus we hate to bother you, but we could use a little help here. If you really care about us, get up and do something!”

Here’s the good news. Jesus got up and stilled the storm. That was the easy part. Then he turned to the Twelve and said in verse 40: “why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” Jesus’ question may seem a little harsh, but he said it because his men had forgotten what he had said before they ever got in the boat. He said, “let us go over to the other side.” He did not intend for his disciples to go out halfway in the water and drown. Once again the Twelve had heard Jesus say this, but in the middle of their crisis they forgot what he said. So when you seem to be drowning, remember what Jesus said.

Did Jesus know that storm was coming? Of course. Did he send the disciples into it on purpose? Yes, he did. Why? To teach them the same lesson we need to learn over and over again: when you have Jesus, you have a foundation that is built with the storms of life in mind. Nothing surprises or overwhelms him. With Jesus as the foundation of your life, you can endure the storms of life and the battering that it brings. Nothing can tip over your boat when Jesus is in it.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

A Firm Foundation

Today we continue our series from the book by Dr. Tony Evans, “Can God be Trusted in our Trials?”

Today we’ll focus on laying a foundation that can withstand any trial.

Dr. Evans says being blown by the winds of a difficult trial is a poor time to discover that your spiritual Foundation is shaky or weak. So he’ll be giving us some tips that we’ll be sharing over the next few weeks about laying a solid foundation for our lives that would enable us to withstand any test or trial that the world, the flesh, or the devil can throw at you. The architect for the job is Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus finished The Sermon on the Mount with one of the best-known stories in all the Bible – he told of two men who built houses on different foundations and then describes what happens to each man’s house. We read this in Matthew 7 verses 24 through 27:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

So as we look at this story, we see a tale of two men. They had a lot in common, but they also had one crucial difference.

The similarities are that each man has the same dream. Each man wanted to build a house for his family. But we could also say that both men had the same pastor. Jesus said that both men heard his words. They both listened to the same sermon and both men were exposing themselves to the truth of God.

But the similarities between these two men faded into the background when the storm hit, because the wind and the waves revealed one critical difference between them – a different Foundation to their homes.

The difference is so major that Jesus called the first man ‘wise’ and labeled the second man ‘foolish.’ So we need to consider those terms.

So how can we avoid a foolish foundation? Foolish originates from a Greek word that means “moron.”  A fool in the Bible is not someone who lacks cognitive ability, but a person with a complete lack of biblical comprehension and discernment…so a lack of skill in living. What’s worse is that the fool doesn’t recognize his foolishness so he can correct it.

You can’t build your house on sand, because if you try to dig deep, the sand will cave in. The foolish man went with the cheap and easy way out. He didn’t want to pay the cost, or take the time, to lay a strong foundation to his house.

So what made the difference? Jesus said it was the difference between just hearing his words and putting them into practice. Both men had all the proper ingredients for a firm foundation. They heard Jesus’ words. They both sat under the Word, but the first man took the Word home with him and applied it; and the second man left what he heard on the Pew along with his bulletin when he left church. It’s the difference between acting from a divine standpoint and a human standpoint.

More about that next week! Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Trusting God in the Fire

Today we continue our series from the book by Dr. Tony Evans, “Can God be Trusted in our Trials?”

Last week, we shared that the time to look to the savior is not just when things are going well and you’re singing praises, but when the pain is the most intense and you feel like you’re going to collapse any minute. God CAN be trusted in our trials because he’s given us the fuel to press through them.

Today we’re going to share a famous Bible story that really underlies the importance of our faith in our belief as we go through trials. The three Hebrew boys of Daniel 3 were captives of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and that certainly was a trial. Of course, we’re talking about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Shadrach+Meshach+and+Abednego

The king and made a golden image and declared that everyone in Babylon should bow down and worship it. But these three young Jewish men could not do that without violating God’s commandment to worship no other God, so they refused. King Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel 3:15 “if you will not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire…and what God is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

Now as far as the King was concerned, the only options were to bow or burn; but it didn’t ruffle these Hebrew boys because they had a third option: BELIEVE. Dr. Evans loves what they said to the king: “we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.”

In other words, “this is going to be very quick; we don’t even need to think about it, your highness. We discussed this before we ever took this job and we agreed that if the choice came down to our God or you, you would lose.

If our God wants to, he can deliver us from your fiery furnace, because he is able to do that. But even if he doesn’t, and we roast to death in there, he still the only God and we aren’t going to worship your image.

Now, the important thing is to not skip over that opening phrase in verse 18 “but even if he does not deliver us from the fire.” We love to hear the part about how God delivered them from the fiery furnace and then later delivered Daniel from the Lion’s Den, and that’s okay…

But…the point of Daniel 3:18 is that these three young men realized that God might not choose to deliver them in the way that they had hoped. They understood that if they defied the king, they might get tossed into the furnace. But whatever God chose was fine with them because they believed he would act on their behalf…and they put their faith into action.

When you fix your eyes on Jesus and begin acting as if what He said is true, you are in a win-win situation. To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord – that’s in 2 Corinthians 5:8. You can’t lose with Christ.

None of us can promise that trusting God will get you out of your crisis. But we can promise that trust in God will keep you from being in your crisis alone. The author of Hebrews said of Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross;” that’s in Chapter 12 verse 2. The cross was not something Jesus wanted to endure. But he fixed his eyes on his father in Heaven and the joy that would be his when he had accomplished the father’s will.

Dr. Evans wraps up the segment by sharing something that he says hopes will put steel in your backbone and joy in your heart as you go through the trials of life.

The Bible not only says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God in heaven, but also that we are seated with Jesus in the heavenly places. That’s in Ephesians 2:6. This is not just something we will enjoy someday when we get to heaven. This is our present reality as believers. So if you feel as if you’re about to lose heart in your trial, before you give up, look up and see Jesus seated at God’s right hand.

And that gives you the access to all the God the father has for you. Keep your eyes on Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Praise Thursday – Belief in the Trials!

Today we continue our series from the book by Dr. Tony Evans, “Can God be Trusted in our Trials?”

Last week we talked about making sure that faith is at the forefront of trusting God through our trials. This week, we’re going back to the book of Hebrews to get more encouragement. This week, it’s about making sure that we are intentional to get in the race to work with God through our trials.

Dr. Evans, when he refers to “getting in the race,” is writing about making sure we are pushing back against unbelief. Using faith to help us push forward. In Hebrews chapter 4, it reminds us that the struggles of the Israelites, as they journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land, stemmed from the fact that they had lost their belief in God and they were not united in their faith.

Remember in life, we can anchor a lot of things – we can anchor a swing set, a basketball hoop, a fence post or anything else we want with cement, but it has to be mixed with water to become concrete and hold.

In a shaky situation where you need an anchor for your soul, you need to mix God’s truth with your faith. In other words, you act as if God will provide you with the strength to bear your trial.

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that once we get rid of the sin of unbelief, that tangles us up so easily, we can run the race with endurance. It’s the same thing that James says in Chapter 1, verse 4: keep going; don’t quit, let endurance have its perfect result.

Sometimes, our response to that is, “but I’m tired.” And that’s true; we all get tired. But God will give us grace to press on for one more day tomorrow and then he’ll meet us again with grace to endure the day after tomorrow.

Remember what Matthew 6:34 says: “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.” You may not see anything but the crisis right now, but God’s Word assures you that Christ is in your crisis. And that’s all any of us really needs to know.

Hebrews continues with more wisdom in chapter 12, verse 2, when it reminds us to, “keep our eyes on Jesus the author (or the architect) of our faith; and the perfector (or completer) of our faith.

That means he is everything between the start and the finish of the race called the Christian life. The time to look to the savior is not just when things are going well and you’re singing praises, but when the pain is the most intense and you feel like you’re going to collapse any minute.

God CAN be trusted in our trials because he’s given us the fuel to press through them.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Praise Thursday – Faith and Trials

We continue our series today on the book, Can God be Trusted in our Trials? by Dr. Tony Evans. Today we’re talking about how our faith taps into God’s power.  A trust in God when we can’t see where he’s taking us, or when it looks like we’re heading toward a cliff is an act of faith.

Faith is the subject of Hebrews 11 – that’s what we’re told in the very first verse: “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction or the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is simply belief in God; having an absolute assurance that he’s completely truthful in everything he says.

God calls us to have faith in an object that is big enough and worthy enough to merit our trust. That object is His own person and His promises.

The reason many of us have small faith, especially when we’re going through trials, is that we think we have a small God.

That’s why the most important doctrine for a Christian to understand is the doctrine of God; because your view of God will determine the size of your faith. Faith is being persuaded that God always tells the truth. So when he says, “I will never desert you or forsake you” in Hebrews 13:5, you can take that promise to the bank.

God never asks anyone to act on so-called blind faith…the message of Hebrews 11 is that many people took God and His word and triumphed even when things were at their toughest. The heroes of Hebrews 11, like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab and Joshua can say to us, “we’ve been where you are going, we fought and we won the battle; and we can tell you that God is faithful.”

It’s always great to have someone tell us that we can make it, but don’t miss the bottom line of Hebrews 11 and 12. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the people who have gone before us. We can look at them, but we focus on Jesus.

The truth is that too many Christians are more than willing to put their faith in another human being. More so than in God. We trust doctors and pharmacists when they tell us that what they’re giving us is good for us. We’re making a faith decision to take a medicine that we really know nothing about.  Let’s make the same faith decision about something we KNOW.

Dr. Evans also shares that we must work to become “FAITH WALKERS” not just “FAITH TALKERS.”
Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith, it is impossible to please Him.

Tony Evans tells the story of the farming community that was in a terrible drought and the farmers were in danger of losing their crops. The situation was so bad that they called a special prayer meeting to pray for rain.

Everyone came to the meeting with their Bibles and prayed for 2 hours, but nothing happened, so everyone went home. Everyone except for a boy in the back. He walked outside, looked up and said. “Lord we need rain, we’re in a crisis and you promised to meet our needs, so we are expecting it to rain.”

Soon the clouds begin to form and before long, rain started falling. The boy’s face broke into a huge smile, he pulled out the umbrella had brought to the prayer meeting, opened it up and walked home. The others said they believed in God but this boy acted as if he believed in God.

If you feel like you’re in a drought with your trial, have you come to God with your umbrella and hand ready to hear from Heaven? If we’re living faithless lives, our lives are displeasing to God.  He is not happy with us when we fail to trust him, because nothing can take the place of faith.

You can win whatever battle or crisis you are in right now because you can trust God in your trial. And you have a great cloud of witnesses from the past to remind you that you serve the same changeless, eternally faithful God.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Praise Thursday: Maturing through Trials

One of the things that Dr. Evans has been writing about (and we’ve been discussing over the last couple of weeks) is the fact that God wants to mature us through our trials.

The basic principle is that trials help us grow up and help us understand that sometimes, our crisis will be a short, momentary interruption. Sometimes these trials will be long-term. Still, God helps us achieve a new level of growth regardless of the length of the trial.

The section we’re talking about today is speeding our spiritual growth and it comes in the book of James. James 1:4 reminds us that God’s purpose for our trials is that we grow until we are “perfect and complete,” or fully mature.

So today we’re going to talk about the difference between physical and spiritual growth.

We all see this.  Sometimes you meet people who have only been Christians for 5 or less years, but they’re more mature spiritually than others who have been saved for 30 years.

So the speed at which we grow is directly related to the speed at which we go in fully committing Our Lives to the Lord.

Dr. Evans gives a couple of practical examples. Two families will experience severe financial trials:

  • The first family, by their own testimony, recognizes that they have not been good stewards of the resources God gave them, and the Holy Spirit convicts them of the need to transfer their trust from money to their Lord. They learn the lesson start giving to God first and trust Him to turn their situation around.
  • The second family keeps saying, “I know I’m supposed to be giving to the Lord but I can’t afford to right now. I was going to start here and start there…” but…they never do it. Now we all understand that emergencies will happen to all of us, but Dr. Evans is talking about believers who have been doing this dance for years and still haven’t grown to the point that they can trust God completely.

Now this illustration can also work the other way. Many Christians say that even though they were doing quite well financially without honoring God, they pay a heavy price in terms of ill-health, ruined marriage, lost peace of mind or serious family problems. And in many cases when they persisted in their lack of faith in God, it resulted in their financial house crumbling down.

In Hebrews chapter 5 verses 13 and 14 there is a difference presented between milk and meat – the diet of babies and adults.

13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

We know that babies can’t take meat because their systems are not mature enough to digest it. The same principle is true in the spiritual realm.

In passages like this, the term milk is generally understood to represent the basic easier doctrines of the faith like sin and salvation. Meat, is the deeper or harder to understand parts of scripture.  So while John 3:16 would be milk, talking about the high priesthood of Jesus in Hebrews 5 and 6 would be meat.

The difference between milk and meat goes deeper than a difference in the amount of Bible knowledge you have in your head. Milk, biblically understood, is elementary teaching about Christ, or understanding what the Bible says.

Meat then, is understanding and applying what the Bible says. When you understand what God is telling you in his word, and when you comprehend what it means and what it requires, that’s great; but when you start applying it to your life practically that’s when you start to flourish.

The other trap we fall into is that we want the meat to happen very quickly and we don’t have the patience to go through day by day, month by month and year by year in the practice that leads to being trained or becoming spiritually mature.

The process takes time. God wants us to emerge from our trials more mature than when we started. God is not going to rush the process he wants us to practice, so we will be fully-trained and ready to go.

The Holy Spirit’s job is to apply Divine truth to your life so you can make Godly decisions between good and bad, right and wrong. Maturity is the ability to make decisions with the truth not just recite the truth.

When there is no ability to make decisions, there is no maturity.

Dr. Evans is trying to remind us that when God sends us on a trial, it’s a practice session. He’s calling us to put into practice on Monday the truth that we said “amen” to on Sunday.

Just like a football team who works hard to execute its plays in practice so that in the real game they can execute properly, God wants us to practice righteousness until our senses are well-trained and we are mature… because the world, our own sinful flesh and the enemy are waiting to resist us.

We become spiritually mature when the information we take in, or the milk, is translated into our daily practice, or the meat. Why can God be trusted in our trials?  Because trials help us develop spiritual maturity, which in turn glorifies God.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!
– Joe and Todd

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑