Jesus is the greatest teacher who ever lived. One of Jesus' techniques was to relate spiritual ideas to common everyday life. Pensamiento piadoso para hoy (devotional thought for today) is an attempt to follow Jesus' method of teaching. Its title is in Spanish because we recognize the importance of multi-culturalism. We hope to translate some of these messages into Spanish soon.
Pensamiento piadoso para hoy (devotional thought for today)
The Light of God's Word
Comparison of Maple leaf buds--one from a tree in light and one from a tree in shade
My house in Belleville, New Jersey is built on a hill. On the west side of the house at the bottom of the hill grow a few maple trees. These trees get little sun because they sit in the shade of the house. As I look out my window I can see very small buds have begun to form at the ends of the branches. Across the street my neighbor also has a few maple trees, but the buds on his trees are much larger and it won't be long before they sprout leaves. Every spring his trees are green with new leaves a few weeks before the trees by my house. The warmth and light of the sun is what makes the difference. Because the light from the sun is blocked by the hill, the trees at the bottom of the hill are much slower to produce new growth.
In our spiritual lives we need the light of God's word to illuminate our hearts and minds so that we can grow. But sometimes the light of God's word doesn't reach us. Something is keeping it from reaching us. Many things can prevent the light of God's word from reaching us. Wrong priorities can be one of the biggest light blockers. We are all busy, but we usually find time to do the things that are important to us. If we are not getting enough light, it may because we don't believe we need it. Another reason why the light of God's word may not reach us is because we only read it superficially. We must open every area of our life--our activity, our thought life, the motivation of our life--to the light of God's word. We must allow it to penetrate and expose those areas of our life that need to grow.
Every winter should have an end. We all look forward to the new life and growth that comes with the added hours of sunlight that spring and summer brings. We too need to have growth and new life. Since we are not like the trees near my house planted and rooted in the ground and unable to move into the direct light of the sun, we can make a few simple adjustments so that the light of God's word can shine fully into our hearts. First, decide to make the reading of God's word one of the most important times of your day. Don't let anything cause you to cancel this most important appointment with God. Second, as you read the word, read with comprehension. Use the handy
SCOPE to help you get the most from your reading. See if it reveals any
Sin to confess,
Commands to obey,
Observations to note,
Promises to claim, and
Examples to follow. Jesus tells us, "
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63)." Let his words reach your heart so that you can experience the full blessings of his spring.
Reaching for the Light,
Pastor Steve
March 9, 2007
Find more afterthoughts at Mas Pensamientos
(more thoughts)
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