Skip to main content

Everything I Need


 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (II Peter 1:3-4)


          I’m struggling with some issues right now. I’m handling my knee problems well, I think, but I’m uncomfortable with the quality of my quiet times, my weight keeps spiraling up and my expenses are exceeding my income. Those things bother me and they are at least partly issues of self-control. It seems to me that to the extent that my knee problems are bothering me, they are also an issue of self-control.
          Today’s passage suggests that my real problem isn’t a lack of self-control. It’s a problem with lack of knowledge of Him…. It is our knowledge of Him that provides what we need for life and godliness. It is through our knowledge of Him that we participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Escaping those things is what we need for life and godliness.
           I’ve been telling people that my knee problems are part of how God has been providing me with direction this summer. He keeps telling me “Not that way.” What I need is not a summer job. It’s not to go out birding or taking pictures, as much as I enjoy those. What I need is to know Him better. These things that are problems in my life, they are nothing more than opportunities to get to know Him better. Instead of seeking solutions, I need to seek Him.
           The adventure of the summer is beginning. God seems to be saying “That way!” Knowing Him. Participating in His divine nature. His promises. I’m back to Abram leaving his home and going where he did not know. It’s a good feeling, but it’s also intimidating.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more