304.
Grow or Die – Are you too busy for God?
If you are too busy for God’s Word, you will be
trapped by the World and you will die!
Also, you will never realize your God-given and ordained purpose in life
without giving an abundant amount of time to the Word of God.
Matthew 4:4 says,
“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live (sustain his
very life to live and survive)
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Proverbs 19:15
says, “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer
hunger.” Proverbs 13:13 says, “He
who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will
be rewarded.”
We will use
“manna” in the Old Testament as our example. Manna was the supernatural bread that fell in the desert
every morning when the Israelites were traveling from Egypt to the Promise
Land. See Exodus 16.
This is a
symbolic picture of us not giving much time and value to the Word of God. Numbers 21 talks about how the fiery
serpents attacked because the people despised the manna (the Word). Numbers 21:5-10 says, “And the people
spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt
to die in the wilderness? For there
is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread (manna).’ So the
LORD sent (allowed) fiery serpents
among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel
died. Therefore the people came to
Moses, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and
against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a
fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is
bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if
a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he
lived. Now the children of Israel moved
on and camped in Oboth.”
Compare this to
John 3:14, which says, “And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up.” Notice that through
the Cross of Jesus there is forgiveness for your past laziness.
Some think that
the Bible is just a good book, a book of morals and rules, something we are
supposed to read to be religious.
No way; it is alive and living! The Word of God is a seed that will
transform you, change you, supply all your needs and support your every need in
life.
Jesus said in
John 6 “I, the Word, am the real manna.”
Even today, the Word of God is to many Christians what the manna was to
the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness. They do not give much value to it; they
do not like it.
Jesus said in
John 6 that the manna provided by Moses was not the real thing. He said the real thing is Him; He is
the real manna. Unless you eat the
flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life! He said this to poor people who were
looking for another free meal after they saw Him feed 5,000 through a
miracle. But Jesus wanted to give
them something better. He was
teaching in John 6 about the blood covenant. (He taught that when one enters
into a blood covenant with a stronger person, then the person ceases to be a
beggar.)
The people were
offended about becoming cannibals.
But Jesus relieved their anxiety and told them that the flesh was of no
real profit. Then He said, “My
Words are Spirit and life. If you
want the blood covenant with Me, you will eat my Words” (John 6:63).
We must love
the truth.
Jesus said the
Word is Truth. 2 Thessalonians
2:9-12 (KJV) says, “Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
The word ‘love’ used here is agape, which is a very intense word. You must be intense about the Word of
God; otherwise, God will send you a strong delusion. That is a fearful thought. If God sends you a delusion, you are in bad trouble! We cannot take the Word five minutes a
day and thirty minutes on Sunday and expect to have victory in our lives.
What is the
big deal about the Word?
Satan knows the
value of the Word – that is why he tries to keep us too busy for the Word!
Jesus is the
Word. John 1:1, 14 (Amplified
Bible) says, “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself” (14) “and the Word (Christ)
became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived
awhile) among us.”
Read Mark
4:1-20. The Sower sows the Word. The Word
is supernatural. The Word will
accomplish supernatural things in your life, far beyond the limits of your
mind, talents, and capability. The
Word is a supernatural seed that is so destructive to Satan that he applies all
his pressure to pull it up out of your heart. Read it.
Mark 4:26-32 says
that the entire Kingdom of God works on the principle of seed planting, time
for growth of the seed and harvest.
Read it.
So if we do not
use this principle, then by default we must use the only other way to supply
our needs; that is the world.
Jesus warned us
in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the Kingdom of God and all the things we need
will be added to us.
The word ‘added’ means the same thing that happens when a crop of corn
is produced after the seed is planted. So the way to seek the Kingdom of God is through
allowing Jesus to plant the Word in our hearts. This is how we are to receive from God all of the good
things He has for us, and for the hurting people we are called upon to
help. The comforting thing is that
the condition is only to seek, and the promise is to add. We do not have to be perfect, just
energetic seekers!
There are only
two ways to make it through life:
1. Kingdom of God, which requires the planting of
the seed of the Word in order to supply our needs.
2. Kingdom of the World, which always traps us and
gives us some sort of death, pictured by the fiery serpents in Numbers 21. Here we depend upon our own resources
and abilities. We feel we can make
it without depending totally on the Word of God!
Mary, Martha,
and their priorities. What is our
lesson here?
Luke 10:38-42
says, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a
certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who
also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached
Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Therefore tell her to help
me.’ And Jesus answered and said
to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’”
Apparently
Martha was into self-pity. Look at her statements! I don’t think that the story shows that
Martha was just a hard worker. I really believe that it reveals self-pity
blocking closeness to Jesus and blocking His Word. My experience is that self-pity, when it’s not dealt with,
will always block the Word of God.
When self-pity prevails for very long time, the presence of God
leaves. When you feel self-pity,
bring it to God as a sin, immediately!
Notice Jesus’ mercy on Martha, He encouraged her to drop her anxiety and
troubles.
The woman in
Mark 14 anointed Jesus’ head and “wasted” her entire future on Him - The Living Word of God. She is the only one that got the blessing.
Mark 14:3-9 says,
“And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table,
a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then
she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were
indignant among themselves, and said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more
than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.’ And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She
has done a good work for Me. For
you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but
Me you do not have always. She has
done what she could. She has come
beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole
world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.’”
On resurrection
morning, a number of women came to anoint the body of Jesus; but it was too
late, only this woman did it in time to have it matter at all.
Everyone,
even all of the disciples, thought Mary’s action to be a waste. Jesus
said it may be a waste in their way of keeping score, but He went on to say
that when the Gospel is preached in the future, it should produce the wasting
of one’s life on Him.
The only
thing we are to “waste” is time on Jesus.
In the end, each
person needs to make his/her own decision.
As for me, I want
to live in God’s Kingdom right now on Earth. I do not want to go to the World for anything.
The Word of
God has never failed me or let me down.
It can be
depended on. Sometimes it feels
like it will not work, Satan will try to steal the seed out of your heart, you
will experience trouble, but it is worth it.
One thing for
sure, it will take time to get close to God, more time than you have been
giving to it.
The way you
allocate your time is the surest indication of your real priorities.
You may say God
is important to you, but if you allow more time to other activities, you are
really giving them priority over God.
If you have not
been giving time to the Word and prayer, it is not too late to begin. Begin with just a few minutes, several
times a day. Make it a strong
discipline; do not let anything get in your way (the devil will try to distract
you with many things). Slowly you
will find yourself increasing your time.
Soon you will be unable to function without time in prayer and in the
Word. Get yourself a devotion
book, or practice reading the Psalms and Proverbs corresponding to the
date. Read Proverb 4 on the 4th
day of the month. Then read Psalm
4, 34, 64, 94 and 134. This will
take you through Psalms and Proverbs every month. Start today!
One test of
how much a person loves God is how much time they spend in the Word.
John 14:23-24a (Amplified
Bible) says, “Jesus answered, ‘If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My
word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him
and make our Home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. Anyone who does not [really] love Me does
not observe and obey My teaching.’”
Where will you
“waste” your time?
Will it be for
temporary things or for eternal rewards?
Where will you go
for your needs?
The Word?
The Kingdom of
God or the World – who is called the “Whore.”
When you go
to Heaven, what will you tell Jesus about how you spent your time?
A study in Psalm
119
I challenge
you to make a continual study of Psalm 119 as a testimony of what the Word of
God will do.
Some
examples of what Psalm 119 says about the Word:
-
God commanded you to
keep it in your heart
-
the Word directs your
ways
-
you will not be put to
shame
-
God will not forsake you
-
you keep your way
cleansed with the Word
-
the Word will become
more to you than all the riches
-
you will see wondrous
things in the Word
-
God gave you His Word so
you would not feel like a stranger on the earth
-
God rebukes the proud
and arrogant who wander from the Word
-
the Word counsels you
and delights you
-
the Word revives and
stimulates you (vs. 25)
-
when you meditate in the
Word you understand God’s wonders
-
the Word will strengthen
you when your life seems like it is dissolving and hopeless
-
the Word will remove you
from the way of falsehood
-
you have to choose the
way of truth and set the Word before you
-
God will give you a
heart willing to run the way of the Word
-
the Word will keep you
safe from idols
-
the Word is only for
those that fear and worship God
-
the Word will turn away
your reproach
-
the Word will renew your
life
-
the Word will bring you
God’s salvation, keep you safe and heal you
-
it will give an answer
to those who taunt and reproach you (vs. 42)
-
the Word will give you
liberty and freedom (vs. 45)
-
it will keep you from
being put to shame
-
the Word brings hope and
God’s will to your life
-
the Word will comfort
and console you in your affliction
-
the Word will heal and
deliver from danger, it will provide for your needs, it will comfort and speak
to you, it will be you with in danger, it will keep you from danger
-
when enemies attack the
Word keeps you safe
-
God’s favor and grace
comes through the Word
-
it teaches you good
judgment, wise discernment and knowledge
-
it will keep you from
going astray
-
it will keep you safe
when the wicked lie about you (vs. 69)
-
the Word is better than
gold and silver
-
you were made to hear
the Word
-
the Word gives hope, but
sometimes you have to wait and be still for it
-
the Word is hidden for
those that seek
-
God’s tender mercies
come though the Word
-
it will make your heart
blameless, sincere and wholehearted
-
even though you suffer
sometimes, that is when you know to turn to the Word
-
the Word is faithful and
sure
-
forever, the Word is
settled in Heaven (vs. 89)
-
unless you had been in
the Word you would have perished
-
it kept you safe when
the wicked came after you
-
Everything has its
limits except for The Word (vs. 96)
-
it makes you wiser than
your enemies
-
it gives you more
insight than even your teachers
-
you can keep that Word
only when you stay honest
-
the Word is sweet
-
the Word is a lamp unto
your feet and light to your path
-
the Word heals and gives
you life
-
the Word gives you joy
-
the Word is a hiding
place
-
you need to stay in good
company of friends so that you may keep the Word
-
the Word is better than
anything conceived by man (vs. 129)
-
it gives understanding
and comprehension to the simple
-
the Word keeps evil from
overtaking you
-
the Word is pure and you
love it
-
even when you are in
trouble the Word brings you delight
-
the Word binds you to
eternity (it transfers the life of God to you)
-
you have childlike trust
in the Word
-
the Word brings God near
to you, nearer than your foes
-
it seems that when the
writer was in trouble the Word meant more to him
-
the wicked cannot work
things out because they are far from the Word
-
all of God’s Word
endures forever
-
you rejoice at the Word
as one who has found a treasure
-
the Word causes you to
praise Him
-
the Word causes God to
hear you and deliver you
-
it causes God’s hand to
be ready to help
-
even when you go astray
like a lost sheep, the Word stays in you to bring you back to God
-
since the Word of God is
the only stable thing, then you need to measure all other words against God’s
or their character against God’s character.
What will the
Word do?
When Satan heard
the Word in the Garden of Eden, he was defeated. When Pharaoh heard the Word, he let God’s people go. When Moses heard the Word, the Red Sea
split. When the walls of Jericho
heard the Word, they fell. When
Gideon heard the Word, his outnumbered forces slaughtered the enemy. When Samuel heard the Word, he wasn’t
sure who it was. When Elijah heard
the Word, he raised the dead, stopped the rain, and started it again. When Naaman obeyed the Word, his
leprosy was cleansed. When Goliath
heard the Word, he was felled by a stone and a youth. When Jehoshaphat heard the Word, his enemies defeated
themselves with a battle. When
Nehemiah heard the Word, the temple and the wall were rebuilt in record
time. When Esther heard the Word,
she saved an entire nation. When
Job heard the Word, even his suffering was worth it: He saw God, and his
fortune was restored. When David
heard the Word, he was comforted, made safe and forgiven from the worst crimes
a man could commit. When Solomon
heard the Word, it was worth more than all the silver and gold. When the maiden in Song of Solomon
heard the Word, she fell in love with her eternal lover. When Isaiah heard the Word, his lips
were cleansed and he foretold of a Savior who would die for our sins. When Jeremiah heard the Word, Israel
had to become slaves due to their sin; but later their slave masters were
overthrown. When Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego saw the Word, He was with them in the fiery furnaces of
life. When Daniel saw the Word, He
had shut the lion’s mouths. When
Ezekiel and the other prophets heard the Word, they saw the coming King who
would save them from their enemies.
When the blind
man was touched by the Word, he saw.
When the Word touched the leper, he was clean. When demons saw the Word, they fled. When the Centurion heard the Word, his
servant was healed. When the
adulterous woman saw the Word, she was forgiven. When the prostitute touched the Word, she was made clean and
loved much. When John the Baptist
saw the Word, he saw the Lamb who would take away our sins. When John saw the Word the first time,
he saw God’s Word become flesh.
When the religious people saw the Word, they argued with Him and called
Him demon-possessed. When the
crowds saw the Word, they considered Him to be of no value, traded his life for
a thief’s, and executed Him with the punishment of a criminal. Although He spoke this world into
being, they did not recognize him.
They only saw Him as that “bloody mess” on the Cross.
When John saw the
Word in the Book of Revelation, he saw a victorious One who conquered death,
hell, and the grave; the One who was raised from the dead and clothed with a robe
which reached to His feet and a girdle of gold about His chest. His head and His hair were white as
snow (white as in fire) and His eyes flashed like a flame of fire. His feet glowed like burnished bright
bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many
waters. John saw the Ruler and
Judge of the Universe!
When Satan sees
the resurrected Word, he sees that He, the Word, is the King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. His eyes blaze like a
flame of fire and on His head are many kingly crowns. At every one of our “final battles” in this life, Satan sees
Him with a sword in His mouth on a white horse, dressed in a robe dyed in
blood. “And He has on His robe and
on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation
19:16).
You need to
continue in the Word with a consistent Bible Study. There are many good ones you may purchase, or you may design
one for yourself. ISOB has a free
discipleship course available on the Internet or on CD-ROM for use with your
personal computer.