Growing Up In The Bible

I received the following response from a dear sister in Christ Felicia and she wrote:

    My mom made sure to start me early and I’m thankful. I’m glad that I GREW UP IN THE BIBLE. You just don’t see that anymore, even among Christians. They just take their kids to church and think it’s all supposed to be on the Sunday School teacher to do everything and they don’t give further instruction at home. It’s disheartening. You’re right; society reflects what people are doing at home. (Emphasis added)

As God would have it today’s Bible verse I have listed to write about is Psalm 119:9:

    “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”

Are your children growing up in the Bible or are they getting “all they need” from their Sunday School teacher?

The greatest struggle our children face as they advance into adulthood is purity, and not just sexual but also societal. There are so many temptations to lead our children astray that without the cleansing power of Scripture I do not know how they can live holy lives without it. The same goes for us adults.

You can even apply this to our mental purity; am I suffering from “stinking thinking” because I allow “common sense” and “political pragmatism” to cloud my vision? As Steve Deace wrote the other day:

    “What you are describing here is idolatry — plain and simple. In this case the idol is patriotism, partisanism, pragmatism, etc. These things, as you point out, are not endemically sinful when placed in their proper context. But they become sinful when the Christian prioritizes those “isms” over our fear of God and relationship to Jesus Christ.”

Has the world’s way of thinking become your idol? Are your priorities “in their proper context”? If not, perhaps it is time you take heed according to God’s Word.

Are you beginning to get the feeling that I want all of you to read your Bibles daily?

Well Dave I am not a Christian. That’s okay, you’re a smart person, and you know good poetry and philosophy when you read it, so here is my challenge to all of you, regardless your present Bible study habits.

I challenge you to read the numbered Proverb (Old Testament) corresponding with the date; today you would read Proverbs 14. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs so some months you get a bonus! I also want you to read 5 chapters from Psalms each day (also OT) and you do that by multiplying 5 times the date, so on the 1st you read Psalms 1-5 and so on. Today you would read Psalms 66-70. When you get to Psalm 119 skip that and leave it for the last day of the month; it is very long but indeed one of my favorite psalms.

I never “grew in the Bible” as a child but as a baby Christian I did. It is never too late. Where else can you read such simple yet solid advice from King David?

    “I said, ‘I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.’” (Psalm 39:1)

Has not your tongue caused you great sin? How long would the list be if you wrote down the number of times you should have kept your mouth shut? Here is some solid advice for living beloved! Why would anyone, atheist or Christian, ignore such simple rules for living?

Today we have politicians promising us a better life if we will only trust government to provide that better life. What if We the People decided to live like our grandparents? What if we lived within our means, looked out for our neighbors, thought of someone else’s plight instead of always having a pity party concentrating on our “have-nots.” Do you know if you concentrate on your “have-nots” you’re playing right into the hands of socialist Saul Alinsky? Socialism is evil in its nature because it is counter to biblical principles because is it founded in secularism.

Let me encourage you to accept my challenge and read at least the Proverb and Psalms for the day. Do this until Thanksgiving Day and then we’ll come back the day after and see what has happened. Whether you believe the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God or just a book written by men, accept my challenge and we can compare notes the day after Thanksgiving. Will you make that commitment? Let me leave you with a quote from our 2nd President John Adams:

    “Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God…What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”

Suppose indeed…oh would that be America!

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

“If you’re receiving these devotionals for the first time and would like to receive them on a regular basis, please click here and use “Please add to Devotional List” as the subject.”

    Copyright © 2009 David Jeffers

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,