His Word in My Heart by Janet Pope

Author:Janet Pope [Pope, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8024-8723-0
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Jesus had already clarified the greatest commandment—love God. Now He tells them what love for God looks like.

Love = obedience to God’s commands.

So was Jesus teaching this for the disciples’ growth and sanctification or as part of His strategy to reach the world? Both. Our growth is inseparably linked to our witness to the world. If we want to jolt our self-absorbed, self-promoting, celebrity-worshiping society into taking notice of our alternative lifestyle, then let them see the followers of Jesus living distinctly different from other people. Let them see the divine nature in us. Let them see Christians escaping the sins the rest of the world succumbs to. That might get their attention.

Can we examine ourselves with a tough question? Does our culture mock and ridicule Christians because of the tenets of our faith or because of the incongruity in our lives? Ouch! Jesus gets a bad rap when His so-called followers don’t follow. They don’t follow the Book they claim to live by.

So how can we change that? Jesus didn’t mention memorizing Scripture, but His emphasis on obeying His commands assumed their familiarity.

What about you and me? Can we live out the doctrines and exhortations of our faith if we don’t know them? Can we be sure we will remain on the road-less-traveled in a culture that entices with duct-taped realities? Will we hear the still, small voice of God if we allow endless noise to drown it out?

God’s plan for believers involves total dedication to knowing and following His Word. Memorizing passages helps me accomplish that in my life. Time spent in God’s Word gives me a more comprehensive understanding of my faith. Reviewing Scripture periodically throughout each day and night keeps my heart in tune with the Lord and shows me how to live out the gospel—the only hope for the world.

The habit of saying God’s Word over and over throughout the day results in more obedience in my life. God’s double-edged sword exposes my hidden motives and reveals the wretched nature I’ve concealed all my life. God pinpoints what He wants to clean up or move out so that I can grow.

One area that needed changing was loving the things of the world, which, in this case, I’m taking literally. I struggle because—I admit it—I love things! I love pretty things. I love useful things. I love expensive things. I love buying things for people. I love buying things for myself. So what’s the problem? God’s Word tells us:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

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