Habits

Whenever there’s a change, it’s a good idea to look for new routines, new rhythms, new practices, to ask the Lord, and oneself, what should I be doing the same, and what should I be doing differently? What should I start, and what should I stop all together?

I tend to forget to ask God first what plans He has for me (though I’m trying to be better about that). All too often we make plans, and then ask God to let our plans come to fruition. It should be the other way around. We should seek that which God has planned for us first, because so long as we knock the door shall be answered, and so long as we seek, we shall find through our Great Sustainer, Holy Spirit.

I certainly can’t speak for everyone else, but I know that I can be pretty dense at times, and I’m not doing too much knocking or seeking, but this summer, God impressed upon me to create a new habit: a renewed and intentional study of scripture.

Prior to this past summer, I treated scripture reading as an item to check off my list each day. It wasn’t really about delving into God’s word. It was lip-service at best. During a camp meeting in June I had the opportunity to hear two phenomenal speakers—Richie Halversen and Shawn Boonstra, and while both men had different focuses and methods of speaking, a foundation of each of their respective messages was a regular immersion in God’s word. That in the Bible, we discover who God is, what he wants for us, and how he reconciled us back to Him through the sacrifice of His Son. If we would but take the time to read the Bible, we could learn not only these truths, but truths about ourselves as well. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, or joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

It was a revelatory moment for me. If I am a Christian then I should, by the Grace of God, commit myself to learning as much as I could, and apply that to my life. I ordered a physical copy of the Bible, my first in years, and began studying using a plan from the Bible Project to guide my reading (their goal is to show Bible ad one unifying story pointing to Jesus).  And as I’ve read, the habit has grown to the point where if I do miss a day, I don’t feel bad because I can’t check it off my daily list, but I feel bad because I miss spending that time with God, because we really do see who He is and what he wants for us.

We live in a time that is noisier than it’s ever been, and there are so many voices telling us how we should be living our lives, especially our young people.  But there’s really only one voice we should be listening to, and that’s THE Voice. Last week, Pastor Kevin preached about the Good Shepherd whose sheep know His Voice.

We are entering into yet another busy season. Doesn’t it always seem like we’re entering into a busy season, and amidst that busyness and amidst the noisiness of the world, it’s easy to be discouraged, but in John 14:1, Jesus says “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me…I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And later in John 16:21-22 (one of my new favorite passages) Jesus says, “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

I encourage you to start or continue digging into scripture, and to bring your Bibles with you to worship.

Be well. Take care of yourselves, and others.

Huzzah,

Purdy