Be filled up-In the Word –
12-14-15
Thanksgiving Day is a day
known for feasting and enjoying good food; it leads us into a month long pile
of gorging ourselves one day and working it off the next. Sometimes our Bible
readings reflect the way we are eating physical food. We need to stick to our
daily regiment of nutrition both in physical food and spiritual food.
How much do you read the
Bible when it is not Sunday? Maybe it is
a couple of verses; or perhaps a chapter a day? Or maybe more if you are
following a guideline that helps you read through in a year the Word of God.
Having done each of these I think I can say that the best reads I have had are
the ones that I read until I was full. I mean that I felt full of direction,
guidance, encouragement, and joy. It was not about following the example of a
person but following the lead of the Holy Spirit as I read. I would love to say
that I always do this but as I am human I get distracted with other things and
choose to get just a quick nibble in the Word then run off to my daily duties. Even
still, the days that I sit and read for fulfillment of what God thinks I need
to read are better than the others, sometimes longer sometimes shorter it always
meets the need.
Occasionally when I start
the year reading in my Daily Walk I feel as if I am pressured to do the ‘right
thing’ and read the ‘full day’s reading’. If I do not complete it for whatever
reason I feel guilty. Do you ever feel as if you are just not measuring up to
what people say you should be doing with your Bible reading? Do you feel
condemned when you don’t read the Bible in a Year? Well, as my young adult child would say “Stop
it!”
There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. 2 For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. 3 For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
Do not get me wrong I am not saying to ‘wing
it’, do follow the plans you have started but if you do not get through the
full read or if you choose to go further, do not feel condemned or guilty if
you truly believe that you got a good feed on the Word in what you read. But do
know the Lord knows the difference and it s Him whom you are dealing with not
man.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God.15 For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Romans 8:14-16
We need to be satisfied in our spirit that we
have read enough; sort of like when we eat a mean until we are full, not
overwhelmed but full up.
The only true way to do this is to be following
the Holy Spirit’s plan, and be lead by Him.
When we are lead by the Spirit in our choice of
daily reads we will be full of peace in what we are doing. When God does things
there is peace, hope and joy involved; be filled with the Spirit speaking to
yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your hearts to the Lord. Ephesians
5:18-20. We should not be wandering around feeling condemned but we should be
focused on what He would have us do, read, and speak. The peace that we gained
at our salvation is only lost if we choose to focus on the other things.
Let’s choose to do the will of the Father and
focus on the good things that He has in store for us to read today; in His
Word.
Dear Heavenly Father Help each of us to find our appetite
for the Word that You have given us today. Help us to read until we know we have
been spiritually satisfied in Your plan for us, in Jesus name, amen
Suggested Reading: Colossians 1: 1-29, Ephesians
5:1-33, Romans 7:1-25, Romans 8:1-39 and Romans 9: 1-33
With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter
truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My
heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for
my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters.[a] I
would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save
them. 4 They
are the people of Israel