Today's encouraging Word courtesy of K-Love:
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, (1 Peter 2:2, NLT)
God invites all of us to come as we are. He is willing to meet us right in the middle of any mess we may have made. He just doesn't want us to stay where we are. Just like any parent, God longs for us to grow and learn and to fully step into our purpose. Who in their life hasn't wondered at least once, "Why am I here?"
If you truly want that answer, then learn who you are in Christ. When we first begin to learn, we really are like newborn babies. Each day, we must nourish our minds and hearts on what God has to say about this world we live in and this battle we are a part of whether we have come to realize that yet or not!
Even those who don't study God's Word, know some of what he has to say because His Word has infiltrated in ways that some of us may not recognize as His Word, but it is. For instance, "The Golden Rule" comes from the bible. The funniest thing about the Bible though is not everyone gets understanding when they read it. That is because it is a living document. I cannot tell you how many times I have read something and then read it later in life and had it blow up for me in ways that give me understanding and I love it when that happens. You should always pray for understanding of the LORD's Word each and every time you go to read something from the bible.
As you truly grow, you will crave more than mere milk. You will be looking for meat because milk alone will no longer satisfy you, or at least it shouldn't. That is where these verses come in:
You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12, NLT)
God invites all of us to come as we are. He is willing to meet us right in the middle of any mess we may have made. He just doesn't want us to stay where we are. Just like any parent, God longs for us to grow and learn and to fully step into our purpose. Who in their life hasn't wondered at least once, "Why am I here?"
If you truly want that answer, then learn who you are in Christ. When we first begin to learn, we really are like newborn babies. Each day, we must nourish our minds and hearts on what God has to say about this world we live in and this battle we are a part of whether we have come to realize that yet or not!
Even those who don't study God's Word, know some of what he has to say because His Word has infiltrated in ways that some of us may not recognize as His Word, but it is. For instance, "The Golden Rule" comes from the bible. The funniest thing about the Bible though is not everyone gets understanding when they read it. That is because it is a living document. I cannot tell you how many times I have read something and then read it later in life and had it blow up for me in ways that give me understanding and I love it when that happens. You should always pray for understanding of the LORD's Word each and every time you go to read something from the bible.
As you truly grow, you will crave more than mere milk. You will be looking for meat because milk alone will no longer satisfy you, or at least it shouldn't. That is where these verses come in:
You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12, NLT)
I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because
you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2, NLT)
The only way you can proceed from milk and milk alone to solid food is to grow. We all need a teacher when we first step into God's Word. There are so many layers to God's Word. I have been studying it in college for the last year and the more I learn the more I realize there is to learn. I don't think you could ever learn all there is to learn from simply reading the Bible. It is in seeking the LORD Himself, that the Holy Spirit comes along side as your greatest teacher. Even then, you must take on this task daily. In all honesty, it is part of your armor. Don't forget for a single moment that you do have a mighty foe in this world, yet more importantly you have a mighty champion who wants nothing more than to save you and teach you how to live in the midst of the trials and tribulations:
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My
purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10, NLT)
God desperately wants you to know Him. He did not send his son into the world to hang out with those who had it all together. He sent Him into the world in order for us who are sinners to be saved. Let us be honest, not one of us is without sin!
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves
and not living in the truth. (1 John 1:8, NLT)
Now God knows all, He sees beyond our flesh and into our hearts. He does not want to condemn us, He wants to save us!
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but
to save the world through him. (John 3:17, NLT)
For me this news was both eye opening and exciting. I had lived my whole life thinking that God was indeed a God of Judgement looking to condemn me for every wrong move I made! I truly believed the only way to earn His love was to do things. This is not the case. While it is true that as you grow and learn the truth, you will be driven to do works, this is nothing like doing works in hopes of being loved!
I think James explains it best in this verse:
Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others
have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you
don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." ( James 2:18, NLT)
I want to leave you with this encouraging thought. When you discover who you are in Christ, you will truly be free. It is also true that as you grow, you will face the enemy more often. He does not want you to grow to the point that you are able to help others. This is why you must feed yourself daily. I think one of the most important things we can learn is how to amor ourselves for the fight. This verse clues you into that:
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but
divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We
are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the
knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ; (2 Corinithians 10:4-5, NLT)
There is a war that is being waged against all humanity. We are called to be soldiers in this fight. If you are not a soldier today, you may realize you are a pawn. I don't know anyone that longs to be a pawn in life. Most of us recognize the truth that we are here for a reason. This is why I insist that you should wake up today and begin seeking to learn who you are in Christ. Become a milk drinker that in turns longs for solid food. Don't simply learn who you are in Christ, get saved and sit idle. Learn, grow and in turn go into the world seeking those who are lost and longing for something more and teach them all you have learned. This is our calling. This is the great commission. Yes, God wants you to come as you are, but His desire is not for you to stay put. You are being called into action!
God called me forth a few years ago. I have been in training ever since. I admit I get my butt kicked by the evil side on occasion, but I know where my strength comes from. My stronghold, my fortress is the God of Jacob. While I may stumble, I always regain my footing by opening up the Word of God. It is my prayer that you learn to do the same!
For those who are curious about my travels, God had me write much of it in a single book. It is full of true life stories and what I gained in hindsight. I know they were written with the help of the Spirit because no one in their right mind would reveal so much about themselves in a book. After all, who seeks to be judged lol? I did it because I no longer fear what man thinks of me. I share my life to reveal the glory of God and how He has worked in my life all along without taking away my free will. Please check out some of it for free by visiting my author page on amazon by clicking here
Be blessed in your reading. Be blessed in your life. Look for the silver lining in the midst of your strife!
Wendy Glidden
© Wendy Glidden 2015