Pursuitعينة

Living Word \- Devotion with Ps Graeme Politanski Have you ever started the year saying to yourself; ‘I want a closer relationship with God”, or perhaps, “this year I want to read the Bible more”, or even, “I want to pray more”. Through the continual pursuit of God one comes to realise just how much there is to know about God and how much there is to experience with Him. Religious systematic prayer and Bible reading are not satisfactory for one that wants the full experience of Christianity. With this in mind, the idea that scripture consists of living words from God (Hebrews 4:12) brought fresh transformation, producing in me growth and life through my daily reading. I believe to get to this place one must be pursuing a relationship with God more so than knowledge. Isaiah 55:8-11 explains that scripture comes from God’s mouth, that it is not only wiser than us but will quench/refresh us so that we have something to give others. There is an agenda to the living Word of God - to accomplish and prosper in the things God desires to do with our lives. So why is it that some people seem to get so much out of scripture, while others seem to show no evidence that scripture has transformed their lives? I discovered the answer in Hebrews 4:2 “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” These three words “mixed with faith” are the key to unlocking the relationship one is to have with scripture. Through study and trial, I realised scripture wasn’t designed to remain on the pages… not even to be understood then left with the reader, but rather applied and lived by. Scripture is to be living within and through a person’s life, the lessons that Bible characters learned, disciplines scripture obtains, principles to live by, moral standards, and so much more that scripture offers must become our standards of living. When the Word is living in and through our lives, we too really start living in ways desirable in today’s world. I have found one of the biggest obstacles to scripture having transformational power in our lives is understanding. Because we don’t easily understand how a principle works, or why God would ask/require something of a person we don’t apply. This is why God reminds us in Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. I pray that you would be courageous, take a leap of faith and mix your scripture reading time with faith to see God do something fresh in and through your life this year. Prayer God, thank you that your Word is living, complete truth, and to be trusted. I ask that You would give me the courage to believe without understanding and apply Your Word daily in my life. I ask that the living Word of God would be alive in and through my life so I have something eternal to give others. Amen