My best friend heard this in a sermon lately and shared it with me today:
"When you memorize a verse of scripture, you memorize a thought of God. When you memorize portions of scripture and meditate on it, you begin to think as God thinks."
Wow. I desire that so strongly.
If all my Bible study and memorization is not because of a love for God, it counts for nothing.
If all my Bible study and memorization does not change the way I live and think, it counts for nothing.
And I want it to count! I want it to be gold and silver which is not burned away, not stubble and hay of which I will someday be ashamed. I yearn to look back on these two years of Bible Bee as an incredible time of closeness with God, but not wistfully, wishing they were still here. May all this time of intense study be a springboard into an intimacy with God that continues all my life on earth and into eternity.
One week from tomorrow....
I will be registering in Schaumburg, Illinois. In the place of competition. With all the other contestants. Waiting. Nervous. Anticipating.
But it's not really about the THE COMPETITION. If it is, it counts for nothing. It must be about God and bringing HIM GLORY!
Without Him I can do nothing. With Him, I can do all things.
Thanks for your continued prayer and support!
Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
Showing posts with label worthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worthy. Show all posts
11.03.2010
2.12.2010
Walking Worthy-Pleasing the Lord
"that you walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him..."
Walking worthy is directly tied to pleasing God. He is pleased when we walk worthy. When we please Him, we are walking worthy of Him. Pleasing God is not simply the omission of doing wrong (NOT doing evil), but committing things that glorify Him (doing good).
It reminds me of parents and their teenagers. Parents are glad when their kids are not doing drugs, drinking, and participating in wild parties, but does it please them? If that pleases them (delights them, gives them satisfaction) then it is evidence of a culture completely out of whack! What pleases my parents is not just the fact that I am not being bad, but that I am doing good. It pleases them when I love the Lord, not only abstain from, but HATE evil, serve with a willing heart, and demonstrate a genuine love for others. When I am pleasing to them, then they are proud (in a good way) to introduce my as their daughter.
When I am pleasing God, not only is He "not ashamed to be called my God," but He is delighted to claim me. Like in Job 1, "Have you observed my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?"
But what is pleasing to the Lord? What brings Him delight and satisfaction?
"Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." 1 Thess. 4:1
We should already know how to please God, because the Scriptures tell us how!
~God is pleased when we obey our parents. Colossians 3:20 says, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord."
~God is pleased when our priorities are in the right place. In 1 Kings 3:9-10, Solomon, instead of asking for gold and riches, says, "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this."
~God is pleased when we are selfless. Hebrews 13:16 "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
~God is pleased when our desires are the same as His. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
And yet, the very fact that you are pleasing God should be reward enough. The thought of God being delighted by me and what I am doing thrills my very soul! Spurgeon said, "To please God even a little is infinitely greater than to have the acclamations of all our race throughout the centuries."
If I were to die today, getting mauled by a herd of stir-crazy pigs escaping from their pens, what would be said at my funeral? Would it be completely honest to say, "Sophie lived a life pleasing to the Lord?" I am trying to live my life as if each day were my last, and that today is the day that my eulogy will speak of. How I live today will be what people will remember me by, and what God will judge me by. Am I walking worthy? May I be unashamed and may God be pleased and delighted to welcome me into His kingdom, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Walking worthy is directly tied to pleasing God. He is pleased when we walk worthy. When we please Him, we are walking worthy of Him. Pleasing God is not simply the omission of doing wrong (NOT doing evil), but committing things that glorify Him (doing good).
It reminds me of parents and their teenagers. Parents are glad when their kids are not doing drugs, drinking, and participating in wild parties, but does it please them? If that pleases them (delights them, gives them satisfaction) then it is evidence of a culture completely out of whack! What pleases my parents is not just the fact that I am not being bad, but that I am doing good. It pleases them when I love the Lord, not only abstain from, but HATE evil, serve with a willing heart, and demonstrate a genuine love for others. When I am pleasing to them, then they are proud (in a good way) to introduce my as their daughter.
When I am pleasing God, not only is He "not ashamed to be called my God," but He is delighted to claim me. Like in Job 1, "Have you observed my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?"
But what is pleasing to the Lord? What brings Him delight and satisfaction?
"Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." 1 Thess. 4:1
We should already know how to please God, because the Scriptures tell us how!
~God is pleased when we obey our parents. Colossians 3:20 says, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord."
~God is pleased when our priorities are in the right place. In 1 Kings 3:9-10, Solomon, instead of asking for gold and riches, says, "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this."
~God is pleased when we are selfless. Hebrews 13:16 "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
~God is pleased when our desires are the same as His. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
~God is pleased when by our faith in Him we draw near and are spurred into action. "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:5-6
These are amazing verses! Faith pleases God. It is important, therefore, to understand what faith is. "Faith is being confident in what we hope for, and certain in what we do not see" says the unknown writer in Hebrews 11, the Great of Chapter of Faith.. In verse 6, which is listed above, faith is knowing two things: God exists and there are Consequences as to whether we will seek Him and please Him or not.
Whoa! Wait a minute! There are consequences to whether we please God or not? Absolutely! There are rewards for those who please God! "For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God." Ecclesiastes 2:26
If I were to die today, getting mauled by a herd of stir-crazy pigs escaping from their pens, what would be said at my funeral? Would it be completely honest to say, "Sophie lived a life pleasing to the Lord?" I am trying to live my life as if each day were my last, and that today is the day that my eulogy will speak of. How I live today will be what people will remember me by, and what God will judge me by. Am I walking worthy? May I be unashamed and may God be pleased and delighted to welcome me into His kingdom, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
2.09.2010
Walking Worthy
Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Birthdays have the same affect on me as a new year. Today I am celebrating my 17th birthday. I look back on this year, and see how good God has been, how much as changed in my heart and life. Jesus is so much sweeter to my soul than He was a year ago. And yet, I long to be infinitely nearer! I want to be so close to Him, that when I speak, His Words come forth. I want to be so passionate, that as soon as someone met me, they would know that I love Him. I want to be so pure, that there is never a cause to question my motives. I want to be so like Him, that He is reflected in every action of mine.
For this, the eighteenth year of my life, I have chosen the verse listed above as my prayer and goal: “That I may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
I want to take this verse apart, seeing what this will mean for me.
WALKING WORTHY - What that I could do could possibly be worthy of the Lord? I feel more like Simon Peter - "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" And I feel like Job, when faced with the splendor of the Lord, “Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."
And yet, somehow it is possible THROUGH THE SPIRIT, since many passages refer to “walking worthy.”
Eph 4:1-2 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,”
Walking worthy means I don’t try to exalt myself over others, but am gentle and humble, helping others along. It means I must be patient, as Christ was, and loving, with a 1st Corinthians 13, sacrificing love.
Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,”
Walking worthy means being unified and standing firm with other believers, not picking fights, working together to bring others to Christ.
Matthew 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Walking worthy means that I love Christ above all else, and more than anyone else. He must be my all in all.
2Thessalonians 1:4-5 “so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;”
Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Walking worthy means I shouldn’t be surprised if I must suffer for Christ, but “count it all joy” because it is a honor to bring glory to the name of Christ by our perseverance.
1Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;”
Walking worthy means that I should be “abounding more and more”-ever growing more and more like Christ, never staying stagnant or complacent.
I both hate and love the fact that I can never be perfect while on this earth. I hate it because it means I can never be a perfect reflection of Him, never be completely without fault. However, I also love it, because if I could be a perfect reflection of Him, then I wouldn’t be as much in awe of how great He is. If I could be a perfect reflection of Him, I wouldn’t need to rely on Him. If I could be a perfect reflection of Him, then I wouldn’t get the privilege of spending my life seeking after Him, as He grows increasingly sweeter every day.
Heb 11:16 “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Walking worthy means that I live for the day that can be with Him, not growing too comfortable in this world.
“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God…” Ultimately, this is what walking worthy is: that God would gladly claim me as His own, that He would not be ashamed by being “my God!” That He would feel no shame in my being called a “little Christ.” That God would feel no shame in saying, “Oh, Sophie? Yes, she is mine.”
Birthdays have the same affect on me as a new year. Today I am celebrating my 17th birthday. I look back on this year, and see how good God has been, how much as changed in my heart and life. Jesus is so much sweeter to my soul than He was a year ago. And yet, I long to be infinitely nearer! I want to be so close to Him, that when I speak, His Words come forth. I want to be so passionate, that as soon as someone met me, they would know that I love Him. I want to be so pure, that there is never a cause to question my motives. I want to be so like Him, that He is reflected in every action of mine.
For this, the eighteenth year of my life, I have chosen the verse listed above as my prayer and goal: “That I may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
I want to take this verse apart, seeing what this will mean for me.
WALKING WORTHY - What that I could do could possibly be worthy of the Lord? I feel more like Simon Peter - "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" And I feel like Job, when faced with the splendor of the Lord, “Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."
And yet, somehow it is possible THROUGH THE SPIRIT, since many passages refer to “walking worthy.”
Eph 4:1-2 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,”
Walking worthy means I don’t try to exalt myself over others, but am gentle and humble, helping others along. It means I must be patient, as Christ was, and loving, with a 1st Corinthians 13, sacrificing love.
Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,”
Walking worthy means being unified and standing firm with other believers, not picking fights, working together to bring others to Christ.
Matthew 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Walking worthy means that I love Christ above all else, and more than anyone else. He must be my all in all.
2Thessalonians 1:4-5 “so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;”
Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Walking worthy means I shouldn’t be surprised if I must suffer for Christ, but “count it all joy” because it is a honor to bring glory to the name of Christ by our perseverance.
1Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;”
Walking worthy means that I should be “abounding more and more”-ever growing more and more like Christ, never staying stagnant or complacent.
I both hate and love the fact that I can never be perfect while on this earth. I hate it because it means I can never be a perfect reflection of Him, never be completely without fault. However, I also love it, because if I could be a perfect reflection of Him, then I wouldn’t be as much in awe of how great He is. If I could be a perfect reflection of Him, I wouldn’t need to rely on Him. If I could be a perfect reflection of Him, then I wouldn’t get the privilege of spending my life seeking after Him, as He grows increasingly sweeter every day.
Heb 11:16 “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Walking worthy means that I live for the day that can be with Him, not growing too comfortable in this world.
“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God…” Ultimately, this is what walking worthy is: that God would gladly claim me as His own, that He would not be ashamed by being “my God!” That He would feel no shame in my being called a “little Christ.” That God would feel no shame in saying, “Oh, Sophie? Yes, she is mine.”
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