Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

INVOLVED In his popular book The Drifters, James A. Michener quotes a cynic who says, "God is not dead. He simply refuses to get involved." This person not only has a bitter attitude toward the Deity but is grossly uninformed as to what is happening in these last days. When one reads the Bible and the newspapers, he sees how deeply God is involved these days. God's prophets told of our times, and those who want a preview of the next few years need only turn to the Bible. Second Peter contains arresting statements concerning the end-time events. Yes, God is at work in the worldwide scene. But Peter tells us He is also involved in the daily life of each person. The tenor of 2 Peter is the care Christ has for His followers in times of persecution and trial. There is also a strong plea that we develop spiritually beyond the babyhood days of new converts. Peter, ever practical, gives us seven steps to such a life. To grow in grace, Peter says: Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (2 Peter 1:5-7). Note these are things we add as we grow in Christ. God is deeply involved in our lives to help us in the developing process, but we, too, must seek to achieve these seven goals and to set these seven aims for our daily lives.