Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Nehemiah

Read Slowly

by

The more I study the Bible, the more I recognize when it comes to God’s Word, we should read slowly. Scripture is replete with admonitions to meditate on the words of God. Meditating and delighting on God’s instruction is a regular theme throughout the book of Psalms (Psalm 1:1-2, Psalm 19:7-14, Psalm 77:12, Psalm 119:15, Psalm 119:23, Psalm 119:27, Psalm 119:48, Psalm 119:78, Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:99, Psalm 119:148, Psalm 143:5)

read slowly,God's Word,Bible,reading plan,commitment,priorities,discipleship,Bible study

and many other places throughout scripture (Joshua 1:8, Jeremiah 15:16, Nehemiah 8:1-3, Matthew 7:24-25, James 1:22-25, Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:16). The Bible is not a book meant to be read like other books. We don’t read God’s Word to get through it, but to let it marinade our souls. When we read too quickly, we often miss the details and subtle nuances. There is no part of scripture we can afford to miss or gloss over (2 Timothy 3:16).

[Read more…] about Read Slowly

The Tragedy of Neglect

by

Few things are more detrimental to your walk with Christ than ignoring the little things. The tragedy of neglect is that good habits disappear quickly when left untended. The disciplines you’ve instilled in your life that have allowed you to make great strides in your walk with Christ can dissolve overnight if you don’t do the work of maintaining them every day. Cherished relationships wither and fade if we do not feed them.

tragedy of neglect,focus,priorities,mission,God's Kingdom,discipleship,commitment,Kingdom of God

We must renew our commitment to living the life of a disciple every day. We can never take our foot off the pedal and begin coasting. There are no days off. Without daily attention and determination, the pull of sin will undermine everything we live for and relegate us to a weak and wasted life.

[Read more…] about The Tragedy of Neglect

The Joy of the Lord

by

Since the beginning days of the coronavirus and the drama that unfolded in the response to it, the racial tensions that began exploding soon after, and a crazed political environment, the world has seemed to have just gone mad. Every issue seems to polarize us, dividing friends, family, and most disturbingly the church. In a matter of months, what we considered the normalcy of life has been discarded. I’ve seen a lot of dramatic changes in my lifetime, but never ones that occurred so suddenly and were so divisive.

Joy of the Lord,joy,happiness,mission,love,God's presence,Presence of God,priorities,Nehemiah 8:10,lord is my strength,

I don’t know when or if this all ends, or what life looks like on the other side of this seemingly unending tunnel of darkness. But somehow, in the middle of all the chaos and uncertainty, I have found my joy of the Lord increasing. I am more aware of His presence than ever, and despite the anger and confusion swirling around me, I am at peace.

[Read more…] about The Joy of the Lord

The Purpose of Life

by

What did you do yesterday to build the Kingdom? What will you do today? Those two questions may be the most important you can ever ask yourself. Indeed, these questions frame the purpose of life. There is nothing else worth living for other than Jesus. We will spend our lives building His Kingdom or building our own.  The Kingdom of God is eternal.

purpose of life,commitment,discipleship,mission,God's Kingdom,Kingdom of God,Nehemiah 6:3,doing great work,Luke 4:17-21,Jesus reading Isaiah,Matthew 25:31-46,sheep and goats,James 1:27,orphans and widows,Matthew 22:37-39,greatest commandment,John 15:12,love as Jesus loved

It will exist long after our own little kingdoms have faded in history, washed away by the tides of time. But Jesus remains. His Kingdom endures forever. Why would we spend our lives pursuing things which will not last when we can spend it for that which lasts forever?

[Read more…] about The Purpose of Life

God is Not an Afterthought

by

The way many of us live relegates God to an afterthought. After we’ve done everything we want to do, spend money on things we want to buy, and talk to the people with whom we want to speak, then we are ready to communicate with God. We owe God the firstfruits of all our offerings (Nehemiah 10:35-37). This implies we also owe Him a tithe on our time. He should get the best of our time, not the leftovers.

God is not an afterthought,God is no afterthought,Jesus firts,priorities,passion,purpose,prayer,quiet time,Nehemiah 10:35-37,firstfruits,tithe,Genesis 4:3-5,Cain and Abel,Keith Green,asleep in the light

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash

To me, this means beginning each day with God. To not begin the day with God is a recipe for disaster. I see how He rejected Cain’s offering but accepted Abel’s (Genesis 4:3-5). I don’t want to insult God with the time I give to Him. It needs to be my very best, and it needs to be the first I have to offer.

[Read more…] about God is Not an Afterthought