Lean In To Jesus

Jesus didn’t just die for you; He wants to live with you.

Discipleship is the process of following Jesus to become more like Him. Spend time with Him. Watch Him closely. Lean in. Spend your life getting to know the King.

Jesus’ disciples are willing to follow him anywhere with joy. But that’s the challenge isn’t it? Deciding to follow Jesus is one thing. But how do you keep walking with Him when it’s hard, when it hurts, when it doesn’t feel like God’s plan at all? How do you stay close to Jesus when the circumstances just make you want to run away and hide?

When you commit, anytime, anywhere, at any cost, to do anything, you don’t just end up with the promise of the kingdom, you end up with the King. He didn’t just die for you; He wants to live with you. When it feels scary and uncertain, when you’re not sure where Jesus is leading you, get closer to Him. 

Jesus is always for you; he’s always leading you, always loving you. He is there to guide and correct, to encourage and empower you. If it feels like God is condemning you, take a closer look at that voice. God does correct us, but He always offers us a way forward. Sometimes it's hard to recognize which voice is God's. 

“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14)

When you don’t have the strength, the energy, the grace or the love to do what He’s asking you to do, rely on the Holy Spirit. Invite Him into your circumstances. Discipleship is the process of following Jesus to become more like Him. Spend time with Him. Watch Him closely. Lean in. Spend your life getting to know the king. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

 

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (John 15:16)

Whatever you ask the Father — in Christ’s name — it will be given unto you.

This is the method by which God supports Jesus’ disciples. 

Christ gives more specifics in Matthew 6:26-33:

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:26-33)

Within these verses, we find three powerful truths:

1. God is powerful to provide – He provides for the fowls of the air. Surely he can provide for us. He shares his beauty with the lilies. Surely he can give us that. He clothes the grass. Surely he can clothe us.

2.We are dependent on God – As the verse says, we cannot ‘think’ and automatically add ‘one cubit unto’ our stature. We have to work using our God given energy, breath and bodies to do anything significant. Therefore, even if we think we are independent, we still borrow our breath, bodies and capacity for movement from God. We are wholly dependent on him for just these gifts!

As we begin to recognize our dependence on God, will become teachable, obedient and forgiving. We recognize this easier when we feel vulnerable. Wealth and security–however–can give a false impression of independence.  If we start to feel independent, let us remember this one fact: We still come from dust, and that is where our bodies will eventually go. We are nothing without God.

3.He will bless his servants – As we learn to be dependent on Him, we pray more. We may even plead with God. Then, we feel the spirit more. We follow his counsel through the second comforter, the Holy Ghost. We are blessed with humility to follow God’s will. Our faith increases bit by bit, as a mustard seed grows.

These are some of the fruits talked about in John 15:16. As we go about his service, we can ask for anything and fully expect to receive. This is because our motives are aligned with God’s motives. This came about by yielding our hearts to him in part because we recognize our dependence on him.

Lastly, we must be careful not to ask in selfishness as warned in: 

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:3) 


As Christians, we are to reflect Christ, and one of the things that God emphasizes about Himself more than anything is that He is a God who keeps His promises. And don’t think that it was easy for Christ to keep His promise because He knew what it would cost Him. 

Remember the drops of blood in the garden? Remember that carrying through in a commitment that had unforeseen challenges in it demonstrates your trust in God seeing you through these challenges. There are times to apologize and admit your failure when you committed to something unhealthy or damaging in some way. 

However, we need to consider the beauty of Christ’s faithfulness in keeping His promises, what it would have meant for us if He backed out because it became too hard, and seek to follow in His footsteps.

After all, isn’t that what a disciple does?

The Lord is calling you to begin a deeper relationship with Him.

Today's Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being 100% faithful in all of Your promises, so that we can trust all Your breathtaking promises for the future. Please help us to image You in our commitments to each other, whether big or small. Lord, I want to be a true disciple. Help me live with You every day. Amen.

Hope for the Broken

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. (Psalm 71:20)

The Psalmist here conveys the one feeling that keeps believers going even when they face bitter troubles in their earthly sojourn - HOPE. 

The world is filled with broken people. Every one of us tries to avoid the things that involve pain, suffering, and sorrow. Some of us are better at hiding it than others, but if we’re honest, we all have shame. We’ve all been damaged in one way or another. 

Millions of people all over the world are searching for a ray of hope. 

I recently heard a desperate person say that in the midst of her suffering and pain, the only thread of hope she could find was to repeat over and over the name, JESUS.

Thankfully, our God is a God of restoration.

So, poor hurting soul, I offer to you the handiwork of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His message is alive and well in the hearts of countless numbers of His followers around the globe. His voice is demonstrated with every helping hand reached out to the desperate all around us. 
His message is seen in every soup kitchen, homeless shelter, and act of Christian charity. His life can be seen in the kind eyes and generous hearts of His devoted followers. 

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise  him, my Savior and my God”  (Psalm 42:5 NIV).

Isaiah spoke about Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus' birth. Isaiah put it this way,

 "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3).

Jesus came to bring hope to the world. Hope is so often in short supply in our world. Fear and negativity can cloud our vision of the future. Jesus has come for those whose hope is failing.

Matthew quoted him,...
 "He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, until he brings full justice with his final victory. And his name will be the hope of all the world" 
(Matthew 12:20-21).

His name is not only the hope of the world at large. He is the hope for the weakest and smallest person. He is the hope for us all. He takes us, weak as we are, and builds on the smallest glimmer of hope.

No matter what we face today, Jesus is our HOPE. Even if we're weak and our hope is small, He has come to give us a bright picture of tomorrow. We can rest in that.

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
(Romans 15:13)

We as believers in Jesus Christ can continually hope that God who has called us into fellowship with him through his son will surely deliver us, though we see troubles, many and bitter in our lives too.

We followers of Christ can offer HOPE  because of one man, one God, one Lord. 
- Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus desires to enter into our brokenness and bring wholeness to all areas of life. He wants to restore the places where our sin has brought pain or lessened our joy. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1). 

He fulfilled His Father’s purpose to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and heal the brokenhearted.

Without God, there can be no hope, no joy, no peace, and no true love. Without God, the world is bankrupt. And without His perfect love, the broken pieces of our lives will never be put back together.

You're not the only one who feels alone in your brokenness. Invite God to enter into your brokenness; He promise to bring peace and healing.

So invite Him into your brokenness. He wants to make you whole again.

Today's Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
I invite You to come into the area of my life that has been completely shattered. Heal me, restore me, and give me the joy and peace that only You can bring. Amen.

The Word of God

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Lord has made it easier, in our day, to read the scriptures. We have access to scriptures online, on our bookshelf or on a tablet. However, we may have so much information that it becomes hard to focus on what is most important.

We have stress. We have deadlines. It’s easy to keep creating lists and invent things to do to occupy our time. We can even congratulate ourselves for being busy.

However, let us make sure we don’t forget to study Christ’s words. Learn about Him. Get to know Him.

For me this means I make sure I get a half hour of scripture study a day. I make this a priority. You should pray and ask to know what priorities you should focus on. Use the scriptures to help you in your search for an answer.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1: 4-6)

Don’t be surprised if the answer is simple. It could be the most important thing you need to do is teach by example one of Christ’s attributes to your children each week.

Remember, it’s generally the basic and simple things that garner strength in the Lord’s way:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.                      (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Choose to Follow the Truth

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:19)

The teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus! The truth of his words cut to their hearts and they needed to not only be rid of his message, but his entire being! This sentiment is reiterated several times by Luke:

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. (Luke 19:47-48)

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. (Luke 22:1-2)

Have you ever noticed that one simply cannot get rid of Jesus when confronted by the truth of Him? No matter how hard one tries–pretending He doesn’t exist, or ignoring Him, or closing our ears and hearts, or seeking any other way to silence Him–it does not negate the fact that He is truth, and that He presents us with a choice of whether or not to follow Him.

We see this “choice” throughout all of Scripture: People are clearly given the choice between following the world and following God. God simply does not want us to do a limping dance between the two options–a divided mind and heart will never stand.

For example, we find in 1 Kings the confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel:

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)

Joshua also presented the people of Israel with a clear choice:

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)

In the New Testament, we see Peter and John faced with this same choice … and then turning that choice back to their accusers:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:13-20)

Take It to Heart

Jesus came as the light of the world and He has left us here to shine forth His light through our words and our deeds. We are to be Jesus! And just like Peter and John, we must be bold in professing to others what we have seen and what we have heard! Jesus tells us:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

“We are holding a light … Though it may seem but a twinkling candle in a world of blackness, it is our business to let it shine. We are blowing a trumpet … We must keep sounding the alarm to those who are in spiritual danger … We are kindling a fire. In this cold world full of hatred and selfishness our little blaze may seem to be unavailing, but we must keep our fire burning. A light, a trumpet, a fire … they seem so little … But ‘with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26), and He will bless our efforts to bring the good news of Jesus to a weary and strife-torn world.” (Billy Graham)

Broken to Pieces

"Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."  (Luke 20:18)

When we fall on Jesus as our only hope of salvation, with a broken and contrite heart–completely remorseful over our sin and hopeless condition–in other words “broken to pieces”–God will welcome us!

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

“Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is–will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my own understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable–‘I have been crucified with Christ.’” (Oswald Chambers)

It is a crushing blow to come face to face with the reality of our own depravity. The more that we grow in Christlikeness, the more aware of our sinful nature we become.

And it is when we approach God’s throne full of ourselves, full of our works, full of self-righteousness, full of our arrogance, full of our own self-importance, and full of our own ability to reconcile ourselves to a holy God, that we are crushed. Eventually, when face to face with God’s pure holiness and glorious majesty, it will be supremely evident to those who have chosen not to follow our Savior that neither their arrogance nor their wealth will be able to save them.

We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled–do not forgive them. Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled). (Isaiah 2:7-12)

The book of Hebrews explains:

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Take It to Heart

I am a religious fraud if I depend upon by own sense of righteousness and abilities to reconcile myself to a holy God. It is only through the blood of Jesus that I am washed and made clean of my sins.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:1-7)

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:5-10)

Gateway to Grace

The people of Israel were a contentious and hardhearted bunch. They moaned about God and Moses all the time. Finally, God sent serpents to strike them.

The people became aware of their wrong behavior and threw themselves on the mercy of God. They knew that only He could save them,

“We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. 

But if they were doomed, they understood that they deserved it! They were finally contrite and willing to repent of their wrong ways. (Numbers 21:4-9)

That’s the gateway to grace. Only when we admit that we’re helpless and hopeless, deserving of the wrath of a holy God, are we ready to receive salvation in Jesus. He lavishes His grace on people whose hearts are truly broken before Him. (Russell Fralick)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

We are comforted to comfort others. God doesn't bless us with his presence and comfort of his Spirit because we are somehow better than everyone else. No, he comforts us to equip, empower, and encourage others. 

God has human hands, but only when I use mine to his glory and for others comfort.

Today's Prayer...

Dear Heavenly Father,

O Lord, there have been times when I was so broken I could not go on. I know that my strength to continue came from your rich grace and mercy. Please use me this week to offer your comfort and love to others so they may feel your warm embrace and come to yearn more for the day we see you face to face in heaven. Through my Lord and Savior Jesus,
I pray. Amen.

Hope in Times of Despair

But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (Luke 23:49)

Those who knew and loved Jesus stood at a distance trying to assimilate what they were seeing. However, what appears to be the worst they could have imagined, is in actuality the very best that can possibly be! Is not this life for many of us?

We stand in a bereaved silence, stunned, staring at a particular circumstance that has crossed the path of our lives and quite literally taken our breath away. How can something so devastating turn out to be good? Though we know God has good plans, the “why’s?” of life often echo loudly in our minds, drowning out any thoughts of a higher purpose for good, oftentimes leaving us bereft of hope.

Paul’s words shout out to us:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

“Now” we suffer from incomplete knowledge. It will only be when “now” becomes “then” that we shall understand fully and have all of our questions completely answered. The “in part” that we can comprehend and hold on to is His faithfulness to us, love for us, and intentions toward us. God always has our best interest at heart!

The message of the Old Testament reminds us:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Throughout our seeming devastation, God is in the business of making beauty from our ashes. Indeed, Jesus’ “job description” covers that very issue. We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion–to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

 

Jesus Himself reads these very words from a scroll handed to Him in the synagogue, proclaiming to His hearers that this words have been fulfilled in their hearing:

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus came to bring good news, bind up the brokenhearted, free the captive, proclaim God’s favor, comfort the mourning, bring beauty out of ashes, and restore gladness.–all of this coming our way by way of the cross.

What appeared as devastation to the onlookers mentioned in today’s verses all actuality become life to the full.


Take It to Heart

Sometimes it is hard for us to understand the God’s higher purposes for good when calamities occur. We must hold on to the promise of God’s Word that He will use these things for our good and for His glory. God has a plan and it is for always for our good!

“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts … It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still–to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.” (C.H. Mackintosh)

“To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident. He travels an appointed way … Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way; but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God’s hidden providence.” (A.W. Tozer)

Today's Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Holy LORD, thank you for today. Help me share my life with someone else who needs to experience your grace. Please help me notice those who are wounded and please give me the wisdom on the best way to lead them back to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wisdom and Favor

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

Oh, the great economy of words in Scripture! Wouldn’t you like to know more about the childhood of Jesus than simply what this one verse tells us? Why on earth did God not tell us more? Unless, of course, this was sufficient? Scripture tells us that we are to walk as Jesus did:

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.(1John 2:6)

Since God does everything perfectly, maybe we should examine this verse a bit deeper.

At first blush, these words appear to let us know that Jesus grew up. While it is perfectly normal and predictable for a child to grow physically, it is neither human nature nor predictable for a child to grow in wisdom and favor with God and men! Jesus, being both totally God and totally man, possessed in his precious infant body the “fullness of the God-head” (Colossians 1:19).

Just as his body was in the infant stage, so was His wisdom and favor. It was perfection for that stage. As He grew in stature, He also grew in wisdom and favor to perfection for each stage. While we will never reach perfection on this side of heaven, we are still called to pursue wisdom and favor. 

The Bible is filled with verses to this end:

Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2:6-8)

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. (Proverbs 3:13-18)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

We are told in Scripture that in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). 

As we grow up in Christ, we grow up in wisdom, and with this we find favor with God and men. Have you ever noticed in Scripture how many years God takes in readying or growing up His vessels for use? Abraham waited twenty-five years for Isaac, the promised child of covenant; Joseph spent thirteen years in preparation before becoming a leader in Egypt; Moses was forty years tending sheep for his father-in-law; David, Paul, and many more all waited for the “time to fully come.” Even Jesus prepared for thirty years for His three year ministry. Just as building muscles takes time, growing in wisdom and holiness takes time.

Since we are commanded in Scripture to grow in wisdom and holiness. 

How do we go about making it happen? Here are a few suggestions:

* We must be in God’s Word daily. Even if it is just a verse, it is profitable.

* We must apply God’s truth to our life. What we learn by being in His word, we should apply. All the head knowledge in the world will not help us grow until it is actually fleshed out. We live what we believe to be true. And we grow or go backwards, whichever the case may be, as we live our lives. We must hide God’s Word in our hearts. This keeps us from sinning, strengthens our prayer life, and allows us to live a life that glorifies Him.

* We must pray, pray, pray.


The promise of Scripture is this:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

Take It to Heart

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus, being both totally God and totally man, possessed in his precious infant body the “fullness of the God-head” (Colossians 1:19).

As Jesus grew in stature, He also grew in wisdom and favor to perfection for each stage.

While we will never reach perfection on this side of heaven, we are still called to pursue wisdom and favor.

As we grow up in Christ, we grow up in wisdom, and with this we find favor with God and men.