Ingest, but remember to digest

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:31-36)

We have been looking at the importance of making a life commitment to follow and serve Jesus. Saying "YES" to Jesus is just the beginning of us being truly free of the burden of sin and the condemnation sin brings into our lives. Jesus is quite emphatic - we are slaves to sin UNTIL we come to that place of accepting his finished work in our lives. We might still face temptations and failures, but we are free from the hold of sin. We may feel the 'pull' of temptation, but that doesn't mean we are following sin any longer. We are free to serve a new 'master'. 

One of the most important ways we can be free from the condemnation of sin is to learn from his Word. It might not have occurred to you that getting the Word of God into your life is 'pushing out' the feelings of guilt that lead to feelings of shame and condemning thoughts. When we replace those thoughts with the Word, we are giving no place to the devil to tempt us with those sinful 'pulls' any longer. The more of the Word we 'ingest', the more we will fill the space sin once occupied! 

Standing requires muscle. We don't develop muscle just sitting around doing nothing. We develop muscle by putting our body through action - we undertake activities that increase our strength. If we want to stand against sin in our lives, we need to undertake the activities that build 'spiritual muscle' within our lives. We need to have a steady 'intake' of the Word of God. Food can be put into our mouths, but until it is swallowed and digested, we get no value from it. The Word of God must be 'digested', not just 'ingested'. 

We 'build' a wall against the gates of hell when we 'ingest' the Word and allow it to begin to affect our inner man. To be truly free of sin and its pull, discover what the Word of God says we are to do with that sin. We are to confess it, let it go, and build a defense against it. Walls of shame and guilt are replaced with walls of strength - the strength of God helping to repel the 'pull' of sin. One of the best things you can do this year is to dust off that Bible, or open that Bible app, and just get into the Word of God. Learn truth and be free. Just sayin!

Get that truth

Ever been caught "off-guard" by something or someone? You were not prepared, got caught in the moment, and then fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Sin has a way of "taking us in" - catching us off-guard, just like that. To protect us from being "taken in" when sin's promises and our own lust entice us to do something or act a certain way, we need the correction of discipline. The "correction" of discipline - for no discipline is without correction. Even if you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, rising early, taking walks, getting enough rest, and making wise food choices - there will be times when you need to "correct" your actions to still "match" the discipline you are trying to achieve. More than anything, you and I need the "action" of the Word over our soul - correcting and guiding us toward discipline.

Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you’ll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress. (Proverbs 7:1-5)

There are certain actions God expects of us as we respond to the Word - without these actions, we are just consumers of the Word - we don't allow it to discipline our lives. There will be times when we need a little correction, putting us back on track to exhibit the disciplines in life God desires for us. With respect to the Word of God, this is what God asks of us:

- Follow it. We need to be pursuing the truths contained within its chapters, making every effort to attain the truths contained within. It is one thing to attain something, it is quite another to allow it to affect your life. Following involves not only apprehending a truth but also allowing it to become a way of life for us. We are to become "imitators" of the truths contained within.
- Treasure it. This is the idea is of collecting and storing up for the times of future need we are sure to experience. We never really know when the time of need will arise, but when our storehouses are full, we have sufficient to draw from. That which is stored up is held as precious - it is a reserve we count on when the need exists. We cannot go through life thinking we will always be able to "sponge" on what someone else has stored up! We need to do a little of this "storing up" ourselves.
- Obey it. Compliance and execution go hand in hand. When we determine to act a certain way, execution of our actions becomes practiced and reliable. If we never really learn the lessons, we find it difficult to practice the disciplines.
- Guard it. Something which is guarded is both protected and defended. Truth protects us, but we must always be 'on guard' as it relates to the truth we allow to take up a place of residence in our hearts. Truth can be mixed with untruth - it is the tactic used to get us to embrace untruth. Maintain a watchfulness over what we embrace and hold to be true - test it, find out its integrity, and then discard all which does not hold up under the scrutiny of the Word.
- Remember it. The Word gives us reminders of the intensity of God's love toward each of us. It is also the place where we get to understand how he acts on our behalf and what his power is capable of doing for those who place their trust in it. The more we rehearse the Word, the more we are reminded of these things. Rehearse the right stuff and the right stuff will be in your storehouse when you need it most.
- Write it. The location of this "writing" is to be deep within our hearts. It is as though God were asking us to allow his Word to imprint our hearts - guarding them against the many things which attempt to invade our hearts with their untruths. Imprinting is when something or someone leaves a mark on your heart. There is nothing more awesome than when God leaves his mark in our lives!

The Word in our lives affords us protection, correction, and discipline. The place of compromise is often outside of the boundaries God sets over our lives. This place is most easily recognized when we have taken the actions God asks of us as it applies to how we handle and embrace his Word. If we engage in senseless activity, the outcome is more than likely going to be less than stellar. When we begin to engage in the active intake of his Word and the impression it leaves, life choices begin to be less "senseless" and more "mindful". God's desire is for us to have wisdom - something akin to common sense but based upon getting to know him better each day. When we allow his truth to get inside us, imprinting our impressionable hearts, we will be able to discern truth where we are "naive" in our understanding and beliefs. Just sayin!

Principle 26: Eat honey

Honey in scripture often is used to describe all that is sweet and pleasing - both in the natural and spiritual sense.  Therefore, when scripture declares we should eat honey, it is saying we should pursue those things which will bring delight and satisfaction to our spiritual man.  There are definitely some things which are better to pursue than others - especially as it applies to being "built up", encouraged, or finding peace.  These are the things God wants us to become "acquainted" with in our daily "intake".  It is important to note that honey in the Old Testament region of Palestine was not harvested from bee farms, but rather had to be dug out of crevices in the rocks and the hollow of trees.  As such, we receive a word picture of having to "mine" the bountiful goodness God has prepared for us.  It requires some effort on our part, but it well worth the investment!

Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—and delicacies that melt in your mouth.  Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul—get that and your future’s secured, your hope is on solid rock.  (Proverbs 24:13-14 MSG)

It is also a word picture of the abundance of all the goodness God has in store for us.  In Palestine, the bees were abundant - no hive was ever abandoned - it was always active and a place of provision.  The same is true of God's grace, love, and goodness toward us - it is always active and a place of provision.  In case you didn't know this, the bees found in the Syrian deserts and hill country are some of the hardiest bees and are often "imported" by other bee keepers around the world to assist in developing a thriving hive population among their bees.  This also speaks to us of the "hardiness" of what God provides to us - it is substantial and able to multiply.

The instruction is to "eat" - consume, take in, make it nourishment.  We can have all kinds of food at our disposal, but until we take it into our bodies, it has little potential of assisting us in anyway.  The intention of the food is to feed - to bring nourishment.  To simply look at it, and simply consider it as nicely colored or presented, is to shun the very purpose of the food.  We have to exercise a little effort to get the food into our bodies, don't we?  It just doesn't "feed us" on its own.  We need to take the fork to our mouths in order to ingest it.  The same is true of all God has for us in his Word and those times of quiet repose before him.  It takes some effort, but once we take the first step, he promises the intake of all he provides will be like delicacies in our mouths.

Knowledge and wisdom for our soul is like the "honey" of the desert - it is pleasant, nourishing, and packed with all we need to help us along a long journey.  In Palestine, honey was a good source of energy.  Lack energy in your life?  Take in a little more of the Word, let it sink in and see if you don't feel energized with the refreshing intake.  Even when the Word corrects something which we may not have been willing to deal with, it brings refreshing.  A thunderstorm with torrential rainfalls will purge the earth of the top layers of dirt, uncovering the hidden and bringing it new life.  God's words may correct - uncovering a little of the dirt, but exposing the newness underneath just burgeoning to grow forth.  The word applied will bring newness of growth - this we can count upon just as much as the bees will return to the hive to make honey over and over again.  Their purpose is to make the honey!

We can have all kinds of "good stuff" at our disposal, but until we avail ourselves of the good stuff hidden in the crevices and hollows of the trees, we will never really experience all God has for us!  Just sayin!