Do you ponder?...read?... and re-read your Scriptures daily to see what new nutrients He wants to give your roots?
Our obedience to His wooing will richly bless us when we put our day to the side while we absorb His Word. It's only through our study that we will "know the truth" of His Word and be able to compare it to what the world is trying to put in our minds through movies, tv, music and the written press or internet.
Our senses are blasted day and night with ad after ad in today's society; and sometimes the ads touch on subjects so gingerly and subtly, we don't catch the undertone.
One ad that kinda "gets my goat" is one from Staples. It's called "the easy button"...highlighting in various stressful situations they just hit "the easy" button...and handle the situations..."that was easy!" they say. You can even download their Easy Button, http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/easybutton/index.html onto your computer for easy access to Staples.
It sounds nice, doesn't it?! Yet a certain part of me cringes. I remember when working hard for something was not a far- away concept like it seems to be today. Am I alone in believing there must be sweat, which sometimes feels like blood, to achieve your higher goals? You, then in turn, are extremely thankful for the end product, the achievement, or His guidance in getting you there.
In Acts 20:35 we're reminded by Paul, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Working hard and giving of ourselves in study, giving of ourselves in mission, giving of ourselves in attitude, giving of ourselves for someone else's sake IS NOT EASY but IS what we are called to do. This kind of giving establishes us in love and grows long, deep-reaching roots, so we can associate with the deep love He had/has for each of us.
(Ephes. 3:17 “your being rooted and established in love may have power to grasp how long, high, wide, deep is the love of Christ.)
Lord, thank you for wooing us to You for rest, peace, learning, and love.
May we want to start every day at your feet,
being still and listening for Your input.
We don't want to be captured by the world's expectations or tricks
to lure us into thinking Your ways are too hard.
I pray we lay everything before You everyday
and depend on You and Your yoke,
which has already triumphed!
Amen
Colossians 2:6-8
" You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before. Make sure no one captures you. They will try to capture you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic things the people of this world believe. They don't depend on Christ."
