God… at Home in My Heart - Girlfriends in God - May 13, 2015
May 13, 2015
God… at Home in My Heart
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:16-17, NIV).
Friend to Friend
The lakes in Florida are beautiful, but relatively shallow. Over the years, they fill up with the mud and mire that wash in from the shore. In time, they accumulate two to three feet of mire and decaying vegetation at the bottom. That mire soon begins to deprive the lake, plants, and fish of valuable oxygen. Eventually, the lakes literally die. In order to halt this process, a program has been put in place to drain the lakes periodically and expose the mire. After it is exposed, workers come in and dredge the mire – restoring the lake bottom to its original condition. The lake water can then be raised and the lake, its vegetation and fish are soon thriving again.
Our lives are much the same. We need to regularly expose and eliminate the "mire" or sin in our lives. The more we seek God and the more we nurture our relationship with Him, the stronger our peace will grow. When we have a personal relationship with God, we also have access to all of God’s power and all of God’s peace. How much power we receive from Him and how much peace we experience in Him depends upon how right our relationship is with Him.
A healthy relationship with God depends on how much time we spend in His Word. Our greatest source of power comes from knowing, embracing, and applying Scripture.
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) “For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.”
God’s Word cuts away sin and heals the deepest wounds as it guides, directs, and dispels darkness. So the more of God’s truth we put in our hearts, the better off we will be … in every way. How many times we have been through the Bible is not nearly as important as how many times the Bible has been through us.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
In this verse “dwell” means “to feel at home.” The Apostle Paul is conveying the idea that God’s Word should be such a natural part of our lives that it comfortably dwells with us and feels at home in us.
When a Soviet official was asked why a study of the Bible was frowned upon in his country and why those who dared to print and distribute the Bible were severely punished, he replied, "We find that the reading of the Bible changes people in a way that is dangerous to our state!" When God’s Word is “comfortable” in us, it not only changes our life, but it changes the lives of others through us.
Let’s Pray
Father, I confess to You that I do not treasure Your Word like I should. Please forgive me when I do not spend enough time reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture. Help me learn how to feed myself and grow in Your truth. I choose to cultivate the discipline of Bible study in my life. Please give me a new hunger and fresh thirst for Scripture and teach me how to live it as well as learn it.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Is Bible study a habit in your life? Do you know and apply the Bible on a daily basis? What hinders you from reading God’s Word each day? What step(s) do you need to take to make Bible study a daily priority? Make a plan for implementing those steps.
More from the Girlfriends
I have been a Christian for many years, and being consistent in Bible study and prayer is still a struggle at times. It is easy to be discouraged and give up when the struggle is hard. Don’t! That is exactly what the enemy wants you to do. He knows the power of God’s Word and shudders when a child of God lives out the truths found in the Bible. If you fail, begin again! God will honor your heart.
Need help? Check out Mary’s E-Bible Study, How to Find Your Missing Peace, a five-week Bible study that will help you discover and implement the steps you can take to experience true peace.
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website. And connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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