Devotional Life
Balance
Notice that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 gives us two points of scriptural teaching
Scriptural teaching is useful for rebuking, correcting
This point is unlearning
You and I many times find it hard to understand
Because of our preconceived ideas and experiences
So in your devotional time be open to “unlearning”
My experience with God has taught me to dump out my doctrine bag
At the door of my devotional time
The second point is scripture is useful for training in righteousness
This is learning and relearning
As I spend time in God’s Word, I find new tools
I also realize, as I dumped out of my doctrine bag
There were good tools that should go back in the bag with the new tools
As you and I reach for the stars to understand heaven and earth
Make sure scripture keeps you balanced
It is the Creator’s breath of life to you and I
Balance
When is the last time you got away from
the city lights on a warm summer evening?
Remember watching the
sky darken after the sunset.
The sky is clear.
Before long a light appears, it is a planet,
then another planet shines its light.
As the evening turns to night the sky reveals
the stars, and the empty sky is now full of lights.
This is a picture of our devotional time.
One light appears…
And as we study God’s Word,
other lights shine in the darkness.
As we discover more about one truth…
We realize that truth is a
part of many other truths.
When the night sky is full of lights…
We realize with all our knowledge
there is so much more.
There are many myths and
fables about the star filled sky.
Stories of god’s and aliens from other planets.
Psalms 19 says…
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Although the heavens declare God’s
glory and handiwork…
Many have missed God all
together by the study of the stars.
So what keeps us in balance? …
Scripture
Scripture is God’s spoken word to us.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that
the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
When you and I open the scriptures…
It is like looking into the heavens.
Like the early evening, we
might see only one light, one truth.
As we continue to study God’s Word,
we realize that truth does not stand alone.
As you and I study God’s Word or search
for truth, remember to keep it in context…
The context of the scriptures we are reading
and the context of all the scriptures.
There are three ways we can get
started in our devotional time.
These three things must always be connected…
The Title
The Sub Title
The Scriptures
The title is like all the stars,
the big picture.
The sub title is like a star, to be fully understood it
needs to be realized in the context of the other stars.
What holds everything together
for us is the scriptures.
The scriptures tell us what God has to say
about the heavens and each light in the sky.
You can start from any point.
You can want to know about ‘anger’.
You can do a Google search for a definition,
search Google images to get a visual of anger,
you can read articles on anger.
All these are great ideas to open your
mind to the word ‘anger’ and its effects.
Although this is a good way to start…
We cannot come to any conclusions
until we see what God’s Word has to say.
Remember…
All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness,
so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So how do we do this?
Look for scriptures that define the
point you are looking at.
Use Hebrew and Greek definitions
of words in the scripture.
Do a scan through a concordance
of the word or subject.
Notice that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 gives us
two points of scriptural teaching.
Scriptural teaching is useful for…
Rebuking, Correcting
This point is unlearning.
You and I many times find it hard to understand
because of our preconceived ideas and experiences.
So in your devotional time be open to “unlearning”.
My experience with God has taught me
to dump out my doctrine bag at
the door of my devotional time.
The second point is Scripture is useful for…
Training in Righteousness
This is learning and relearning.
As I spend time in God’s Word…
I find new tools.
I also realize…
Out of the things I dumped out of my
doctrine bag, there were good tools
that should go back in the bag with the new tools.
As you and I reach for the stars
to understand heaven and earth…
Make sure scripture keeps you balanced.
It is the Creator’s breath of life to you and I.
Scripture Reading
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Psalms 19 NIV
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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