To recap…

Knowing God’s Word + Believing God’s Word + Applying God’s Word = God’s Will

The more of each element we have, the more of God’s Will we’ll be able to do.

So how can we grow in each of these elements?

Let’s just take “Knowing God’s Word”.  How can you grow in Knowing God’s Word?

Obviously you could start with church and daily devotions.  But you can’t just stop there.  The scriptures are so deep that we can’t get everything out of it just by reading some random chapter each night.

Pretend you read this verse during your devotional…

1CO 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ. [2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. [3] You are still worldly.

Now, who was the author of the passage?  Who was he writing it to?  Why was he writing it?  What problems was he trying to address?

So you might know what it says, but do you know what it means?

If you don’t know what it means, how can you believe it?  How can you apply it?

This is where the limits of your own understanding stop and you need to call in help.

I’ll talk about where you need to get help in a different devotional, because before you get to the help, you need to realize that we all need help.

A lot of times when things are going relatively well and we’re fed, clothed and sheltered, we get lulled into a feeling that we have things under control. And when reliance on God and Scripture isn’t really tested, our devotion to his Word sometimes doesn’t take the priority it should.

It’s kinda like only watching what we eat and exercising when we’re overweight.  We really should be doing it all the time, but it’s only when things are bad does it become a priority.

If we are doing our best to stay healthy, then when we’re needed like having to save a bunch of kids from the tenth story of a burning building, we’ll be in shape to go into action.  Or we’ll be able to swim further and longer, preventing ourselves from drowning when things get bad.

But we have to realize we need to work out.  We can’t think we’re awesome on our own, because that would be pride.

So we’d want to get pride out of the way first.  And how do we eradicate any sense of pride?  With it’s opposite…

Humility.

We must understand we are like helpless children who need guidance and protection.  We don’t hold the right answers.  In fact, a lot of times we hold all the wrong answers.

So what do we do?  

We have to realize that our spiritual lives are a lot like our physical lives.  We need to work on humility, knowing that we’re not where we should be, then we need to exercise daily – if we are to be ready for action (ministry) or keep ourselves from drowning (getting upset when things go wrong).

Come up with a plan for your ‘exercising’, for staying spiritually healthy.  It’s not enough to say, “I’m gonna lose weight.”  How are you going to do it?

How many times a week will you run a mile?  How often will you meet up with your friends at the gym?

The humble know they can always improve.  And that’s why the Scripture says,

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

The humble will be ready to minister when the time comes and will be able rely on Him when things get tough.

MT 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

MT 18:2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. [3] And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

PHP 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

PHP 2:6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

PHP 2:7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

PHP 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!

PHP 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,

PHP 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

PHP 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

PHP 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Today’s Fruit of the Spirit: Love, love for God and His Word

Take time to pray: Ask God to help you with humility and for wisdom to come up with a good plan of spiritual exercise.