Going Deep

Hey there fellow believers!  I’m so glad to be with you today and I am praying over you as I’m typing and you are reading!  In my first post, Hello World!, I mentioned the practice of using scripture for both proactive and reactive uses.  I’d like to explain more about what I meant by that and to share some additional features that I will make available on this blog site in terms of suggested scriptures that you can use throughout your week for both proactive and reactive (or defensive) uses.  So, let’s dig in.

As I mentioned in my first post, Jesus told a parable about the seeds that were sown on four different types of soils.  The rocky soil was not conducive to the seed taking hold and growing because no roots were established.  In Luke 8:13 (NCV) Jesus explained the meaning of the rocky soil: “The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly, but they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives.  They believe for a while, but when trouble comes, they give up.”  This is a reality that I think a lot of us have experienced either during certain seasons of our lives, or perhaps we are operating from a position of defeat even today and have been for several long years. 

It doesn’t have to be this way in your life or mine.  In fact, Jesus gives us the clues for the formula to change it.  In the verse above He describes the person as “not allowing the teaching (i.e., God’s Word) to go deep into their lives.”   This tells me, and I hope that you see it too, that we have available to us the power, the ability and the strength to withstand the troubles, trials and tribulations that will and do come our way, simply by taking the word of God into our lives and allowing it to go deep.  If we allow that (and yes, it’s a choice), it will change us, strengthen us and help us. 

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) tells us “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”   Moreover, Ephesians 6:17 describes God’s word as a “sword of the Spirit.”  What this teaches us is that God’s word is powerful and it is effective in going to the very core of who we are to speak truth to our heart, mind and soul for the situation that we are dealing with at that very moment.  And it is a weapon.  Make no mistake about the power that God has anointed in and through His word.  The Bible is a miracle that continues to do and achieve the purposes of God every day for everyone who will choose to take it in, and let it go deep. 

So, armed with that knowledge, we can use the word of God to train us in the way we should go in terms of living a life worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  That’s called “training in righteousness” and sometimes we need a sword to cut through all the junk the world throws at us, especially when the junk is trying to convince you that you are “less than” or “not worthy.”  The Bible is full of verses that will tell you the truth about who you are in Christ and, boy, do we need to hear that more often.  More than just hearing it, we need to let that truth change how we think about and see ourselves in Christ’s eyes.  We can also use the word of God as a defensive weapon to defend ourselves against the enemy and those rocks that he tries to throw at us through trials and troubles.  This is so critical because troubles are just a reality in our lives, but they don’t have to defeat us.  The enemy prowls around with a strategy to steal, kill and destroy.  We need the weapon of God’s word to stand against it.  As my husband would say, “he isn’t worth the powder it would take to blow him up,” and he’s right about that, but God’s word does the blowing up of the enemy’s lies every time.  We can rely on that as a promise.    

Each week, I will provide two verses for you to meditate on for that week.  One will be a “proactive” verse you can use to practice building your faith or for training to let it go deep into your hearts and mind to change you.  Those verses should act as a mirror such that, as you continue to walk the verse out in faith and put its truth into practice in your life, the image you see in the mirror will become more like the reflection of Jesus. 

I will also provide a “defensive” verse that you can use as a weapon to fend off or to protect yourself from those unexpected situations that may come against you.  The defensive verse can just be a reminder that the enemy is defeated and that the promises of God are eternal and are for you for that very day. 

My challenge to you is to write down these verses and place them where you can see them every day for that week.  Memorize them or just read them and think about them – think about what the Lord is trying to say to you through those verses.  Remember God’s word is alive and active, and will speak to you in your situation.  If you want to choose your own verses for the week, that’s great too!  Let me know which verses you choose and I might use those for another week’s set of verses. 

I have been doing this practice for more than 20 years and I have several wire-bound note cards that I use for this daily practice.  I’ll use verses that are my index cards for “Spiritual Discipline/Truth” for the proactive verses and I’ll use my index cards for “Spiritual Warfare” for the defensive verses.  I also have one for “God’s Promises” and I’ll share verses from those from time to time as well.  I am excited about our journey together and I am anxious to hear how you are doing each week with applying the proactive and defensive verses! 

Until next week, my prayers and blessings go with you!

Kelley

Proactive Verse:  2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

Defensive Verse:  Psalm 138:7 – “Though I walk in the midst of trouble You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.”