may I seek You Lord…

I was reading through John chapter 5 yesterday, and there was a portion of scripture I want to share. Let me give you a little context first:
In Jerusalem, Jesus had just healed a paralytic man and told him to take his mat and get up. Some Jews were upset with Him because He did this on the Sabbath, and you aren’t allowed to pick up your mat on the Sabbath. They persecute Him, and Jesus responds by saying “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” The Jews were outraged because Jesus was making Himself equal to God. Jesus began to tell them that He can do nothing apart from the Father, and says that whoever hears His word and believes in Him will have eternal life. Jesus then began to talk about those who can testify about Him. The part that hit me the most was verses 39-40. “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” This just spoke so much truth to me right now in my life. Some times I feel like we all look to studying the Word as a routine. It becomes something we don’t look forward to, but something we do habitually without meaning. For me, it is quickly becoming a way to satisfy my “works righteousness.” It’s hard to say that, because I need the true Gospel everyday, not depending on my works to complete me, but Christ. It just happened so subtly. I should want to read God’s word because through it I will become more like Christ and He will be revealed to me, not because it is a check off my to-do list. We should become diligent in studying the Word so that we may be saturated with Christ!

God, I pray that I would be diligent in studying Your Word. Not for the sake of routine, but so that I may continue to seek and find you. I pray also that you would protect me from any false truths that may arise around. I am not saved by my works, but by Christ, from my sins, for the sake of making Him known to the nations.

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~ by dharps on March 20, 2009.