Thursday Devotional…

SCRIPTURE: Read - 2 Peter 1:3-9

THOUGHTS: Early in my relationship with God I did not know what I was supposed to do. I knew I was supposed to change and I knew that the Bible was supposed to be involved. I was told to read the Bible and be like Jesus, but I just didn’t get into it. I didn’t know what to do with the words on the pages. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. It was story after story, not some kind of list of things to do to be more like Jesus. So, I gave up for a while, I was at a dead end. Eventually I learned more and began to understand more of the Bible and came out of the dead end.

Sometimes I still feel like I have come to a dead end in my faith. Not that I have reached the end, or am perfect; just that I feel like I have no direction and don’t know what to do or where to go. The verses listed above are a place that I can go and see exactly what I can work on any time I feel like that. It helps me to not waste time, or to get down on myself. That is part of the reason God has given us His Word (the Bible). It is a way to see what we should be doing and how we should live even when we don’t feel like God is close to us.

Now, to address His closeness: God is always with us, no matter how we feel. Part of His closeness is brought through the Bible. Those are His words and they are meant to change lives. That means He must be close enough to touch us if we are to be changed by Him. Another part of His closeness is through the Holy Spirit. It is God living in and with us to let us know what His words mean.

Never believe that you are alone, or that God is far away.

PRAYER: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what the words mean when you reread the scripture from above. Ask God to teach you what those words mean. Ask Him to give you opportunities to build on your faith.

CLOSING QUESTION: What, from the list in 2 Peter 1:3-9, does God want me to work on next?

John Flowers has been on staff with IGNITE for a little over 15 months. John helps our ministry in many different ways such as planning games, writing skits, coordinating our mission activities, etc. He is really EXCITED about getting married in December.