I've learnt that I benefit more on my devotional life when I focus on understanding biblical doctrines or reading a particular book in the Bible..If I just read the Bible,then I become all over the place and I don't get much.So,I normally read 2 books-I try to.I normally read one book from the Bible for my morning devotions and then read the testimonies for midday devotion.I realize it works out better when I have a devotional study during the day that will need me to focus a lot.So,during evening I normally choose to memorise a certain chapter or continue with my morning devotion;since I'm sometimes too tired.But I must admit,it comes with resisting feelings of waking up or just going to take a shower.So,we are to constantly cultivate an appetite for spiritual things until it becomes our nature and believe it does become our nature.Personally,if I don't pray over a long period of time,I become drained and it becomes easier for me to give in to temptation.
I have learnt that if you want to get the most from the Word of God,you must study the Bible with intent and certain goals you'd like to work towards.It must not be a lifeless study.By goals I mean learning-say you don't understand the Sabbath doctrine;so your devotion should be able to answer such question.Or to just learn from the experiences of others.
For this month I'm studying the book of numbers.It's one information filled book and it clearly stipulates the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness.I've learnt much;but I've figured that writing everything here is sometimes taxing-nah I actually dread writing everything here and I don't want my blog to turn into a devotional blog.Before you stone me,let me explain what I mean:there was a point in my life last year where I started reading Christian blogs for my devotion and pushed the Word of God away.That is bad and I decide to limit my content so that I can encourage people to go read for themselves.
But back to the book of Numbers,for the third or fourth time in my life,I found myself struggling to finish a chapter because it was heart-wrenching and scary.I never came across such rebellion towards God as I did in this book (after the book of Judges).It also hit home that,like the Israelites,I also rebel against God.
So,I read Numbers 14 and it got real.I found myself angry.How dare these people murmur against God?Mind you,they murmured and God consumed those who did by fire.Few verses later,they continue to do the same.Shocking,isn't it?How can you do the exact sin that killed those around you?Truth is,sin is very deceitful and whenever self is exalted,we will always choose to sin,regardless of the penalty we might suffer .Adam and Eve are one of the examples for this.Even worse,how can they not be thankful to God for giving them manna which is best?Instead,they wanted leeks,garlic,meat etc?But I also saw myself in them.I realized I am like them because I also do not want to embrace the health reform fully.I say things like,"but biscuits and bran muffins are way nicer than apples/fruit";when God knows that reform in health is about me being sober so that I am able to discern between good and evil and resist the devil.
I learnt that it is so easy to be spiritually blind.Blind to all the blessing that God bestows and focus on what you do not have at the moment.It was just Friday when I complained to God and I'm glad God revealed such lessons to me.
It's so sad that we can be so blinded that we cannot even appreciate God's presence in our lives.If there is one thing that scares me,then it's being without God's presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.Imagine sinning and thinking that God approves because you can no longer be convicted.So,I am always grateful when the Holy Spirit rebukes and convicts me-this is proof of God's presence.But I am not comfortable in my sins.Being comfortable in your sins and constantly rejecting the convictions of the Holy Spirit only results in this:
"Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man," said Christ, "it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him." Matthew 12:32. These words were spoken by our Saviour when the gracious works which He had performed through the power of God were attributed by the Jews to Beelzebub. It is through the agency of the Holy Spirit that God communicates with man; and those who deliberately reject this agency as satanic, have cut off the channel of communication between the soul and Heaven. God works by the manifestation of His Spirit to reprove and convict the sinner; and if the Spirit's work is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul. The last resource of divine mercy has been employed. The transgressor has cut himself off from God, and sin has no remedy to cure itself. There is no reserved power by which God can work to convict and convert the sinner. "Let him alone" (Hosea 4:17) is the divine command. Then "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Hebrews 10:26,27-Patriarchs and Prophets,ch 35,page 405.
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