GLOBAL GRACE – SPIRITUAL GROWTH 22. To Grow Means To Be Nourished Acts 17:11 “ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” We have to be nourished daily. To watch TV or to spend hours on the Internet or to read or to play a sport or follow sports, means that a person is not getting the right “food” for spiritual growth. Our jobs and hobbies are important, but to study God’s Word and learn more about Him is even more important. What did some devout men have to say about this? Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night.” Psalm 119:47 “...for I delight in Your commands because I love them.” Joshua 1:8 “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Hebrews 5:11-14 “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” David and Joshua had the law to follow but Paul addresses the Hebrews in a very direct manner here, saying that they had the Word of God which he received directly from the risen Lord, but still they were like babies. They had no excuse not to grow as they were nourished spiritually. We too have no excuse. We have access to the whole Bible and we need to read it and learn about it and from it. Do not just use it as “fast food” - make sure you give yourself enough time to sit at God’s table daily and to have a healthy, nourishing and wholesome “meal” that will strengthen you.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 01:51:06 +0000