Post by Cindy on Apr 21, 2016 11:24:56 GMT -5
This is a bit awkward... I found this article in my notes by John 4:14, and the note color said it was written by me, but while it certainly sounded like something I'd write, I don't remember doing so. I've searched the web, but couldn't find it anywhere, and that really surprised me as I normally don't have any problem finding things like this. So, I suppose I did write it, but if I didn't, then I thank whoever did and hope they will let me know it's theirs. It certainly is something I've said over and over again, which is another reason why I guess it could be mine... Either way, here it is:
What well have you been sinking your bucket in?
John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
These are such wonderful promises the Lord gives us! We have the Holy Spirit living inside us to guide us and teach us how to be holy and perfect just as He is. Yet so few of us take advantage of it, partly I think because so few of us understand it now days. God wants us to grow and He wants us to know Him and be close to Him. He tells us: Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Yet we don't obey Him and open our bibles and study. We sing songs and say that we "thirst for Him", that we "hunger for Him", and yet our bibles stay closed. How very sad. Why don't we realize that He can be found in His Word, and that it is from His Word that He feeds us? He has led each one of us to water and it's "living water" better then any that can be found on this earth, and yet, like stubborn horses we refuse to drink! Let's look at some of the cross references to this:
Deuteronomy 32:47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.
Joshua 1:8-9 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? ...”
Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
He speaks of His Word and our need to study it so often in the Bible that we can't help to hear something about it those few times we do open our bibles and read them. Yet still we go looking for love in all the wrong places. We know we're hungry and thirsty but we've bought into Satan's lie that the Bible is dry and boring and won't help us, and besides you need a degree or two to understand it anyway… why waste our time.... But that's what the Holy Spirit will do for us if we ask! He will teach us and explain to us what God's Word means (John 14:26; John 16:13-15; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 1:9). God offers us grace and peace in abundance and He tells us how to get it: 2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. And where do we get that knowledge? Through the study of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit. He tells us in Colossians 3:16 to let His Words dwell in us richly, but how can we do that if we don't study our bibles? We can't! Jesus even asked the Father to sanctify us by the truth and said that it was His Word that was the Truth. (John 17:17) If we don't study His Word how can we be sanctified and continue to grow more like Him? Over and over we are directed to the source that will feed our souls and quench our thirst. That source is Jesus Himself and His Word - our Bibles: Proverbs 4:4-5 he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. In fact there are so many references to this that I haven't found anything that's included as often as this is. It's obviously very important to God and He obviously wants us to know this. That's why He repeats things in His Word. He tells us the consequences of what will happen when we don't study His Word too:
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. What well have you been sinking your bucket in? Do you sink it into close personal prayer time with Him, pouring our your heart in love and praise and thanksgiving? Do you sink it into His Word to feed your spirit and soul and help you grow and please Him? I pray that this is something that we'll all do more and more of.
What well have you been sinking your bucket in?
John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
These are such wonderful promises the Lord gives us! We have the Holy Spirit living inside us to guide us and teach us how to be holy and perfect just as He is. Yet so few of us take advantage of it, partly I think because so few of us understand it now days. God wants us to grow and He wants us to know Him and be close to Him. He tells us: Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Yet we don't obey Him and open our bibles and study. We sing songs and say that we "thirst for Him", that we "hunger for Him", and yet our bibles stay closed. How very sad. Why don't we realize that He can be found in His Word, and that it is from His Word that He feeds us? He has led each one of us to water and it's "living water" better then any that can be found on this earth, and yet, like stubborn horses we refuse to drink! Let's look at some of the cross references to this:
Deuteronomy 32:47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.
Joshua 1:8-9 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? ...”
Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
He speaks of His Word and our need to study it so often in the Bible that we can't help to hear something about it those few times we do open our bibles and read them. Yet still we go looking for love in all the wrong places. We know we're hungry and thirsty but we've bought into Satan's lie that the Bible is dry and boring and won't help us, and besides you need a degree or two to understand it anyway… why waste our time.... But that's what the Holy Spirit will do for us if we ask! He will teach us and explain to us what God's Word means (John 14:26; John 16:13-15; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 1:9). God offers us grace and peace in abundance and He tells us how to get it: 2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. And where do we get that knowledge? Through the study of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit. He tells us in Colossians 3:16 to let His Words dwell in us richly, but how can we do that if we don't study our bibles? We can't! Jesus even asked the Father to sanctify us by the truth and said that it was His Word that was the Truth. (John 17:17) If we don't study His Word how can we be sanctified and continue to grow more like Him? Over and over we are directed to the source that will feed our souls and quench our thirst. That source is Jesus Himself and His Word - our Bibles: Proverbs 4:4-5 he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. In fact there are so many references to this that I haven't found anything that's included as often as this is. It's obviously very important to God and He obviously wants us to know this. That's why He repeats things in His Word. He tells us the consequences of what will happen when we don't study His Word too:
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. What well have you been sinking your bucket in? Do you sink it into close personal prayer time with Him, pouring our your heart in love and praise and thanksgiving? Do you sink it into His Word to feed your spirit and soul and help you grow and please Him? I pray that this is something that we'll all do more and more of.
!!
