All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to
teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches
us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
The
trouble with a life off-track is that it is obviously going nowhere! God’s plan for our lives is to take us to a
place of character much different than we see in our culture.
If
you notice the first part of Paul’s caution to Timothy, his characterization of
the kind of lives people lead in the “last days” – those chaotic, harsh, and
fearful days just before Christ returns – describe about as far from the “track”
God has laid out for us as people created in His image. Paul warns his protégé to stay
away from people like that!
James Alexander said, "The study of God's Word
for the purpose of discovering God's will is the secret discipline which has
formed the greatest characters."
The scripture has the objective of building a man, woman, boy or girl
into the kind of useable servant that is a blessing in God's kingdom.
·
Do you have a
desire to be a strong Christian?
Do you look at
others with strong faith, and wish you could be like them?
Do you look at
overcoming believers who are living the victorious, joy-filled Christian
experience, and long for that in your life?
The key is God's holy Word.
That great preacher Phillips Brooks used the analogy
of an old wooden sailing ship at sea, fighting a great storm. The winds howl and the waves roll. Will the ship hold together? It seems like a terrible struggle.
But really, the battle is not on the ocean today; it
was fought in the forest long ago where the timber grew, and in the shipyard
where the nails fastened the wooden planks to the hull, and the seams that were
caulked. The battle was fought in the
care given to the ship through the years guarding against dry rot and loose
fittings. The storm today is only the
test; the battle was fought long ago in preparation.
Beloved, if you want to live the victorious Christian
life, and be sound in your doctrine, able to refute the errors of false
teaching, corrected and stood up straight, a servant well-instructed in the
righteousness of God, it will be because you take the time NOW to prepare your
life to meet difficult days ahead.
That preparation begins with accepting God’s Holy
Spirit as your teacher, and allowing God’s Word to operate in your life; that
begins a process which moves you towards God’s objective in your life of making
you His servant – mature, and ready to serve!
This
week we will take an in-depth look at staying on track to Christian maturity.
If
you have never committed your life to being formed by God’s Holy Scripture –
that’s our target this week.
If
you have committed before, but have somehow gotten off-track, or just slowed
down, there is no better day than today – right now – to begin again.
For You Today
All
aboard! Let’s get back on track!
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