| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you – this is the Lord’s declaration – plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks through the circumstances of our lives” Circumstances can be a powerful way in which God speaks to us. Sometimes he allows the circumstances of our lives to be painful and even crushing, and He then uses those circumstances to get our attention so we will change our ways. We often speak about an alcoholic or drug addict hitting rock bottom and finally making the life changes that have been needed all along. Or perhaps we have gone for years or decades eating poorly and not exercising and we end up with a stroke or heart attack. Then, finally, we begin taking better care of ourselves. Those are examples of circumstances in which God will often speak loudly and clearly to us. Another way God speaks through circumstances is through the patterns of His activity in our lives which He establishes over a long period of time. God is amazingly consistent in our lives, and He is always in the process of preparing us for whatever it is He is leading us too next. This often occurs over years and decades, with one set of circumstances serving as stepping stones that lead us to the next set of circumstances in God’s ongoing and unfolding plan. In the Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” Henry Blackaby refers to that history of circumstances as being spiritual markers that make up a spiritual map. By recording the history of God’s activity in our lives over the years, we end up with a chronological map that shows us not only where we have been, but were God intends for us to go. I have two friends who spent their careers in emergency medicine, him as a paramedic and her as an ER nurse. They both started young, completed a full career, and went into semi-retirement while only in their 50s. They also made a series of smart financial and lifestyle choices which resulted in them being unencumbered in this new season of life (and therefore flexible in terms of what they could do with their time). They both also have a love for missions and for humanitarian work. Today they serve on the Samaritan’s Purse medical disaster relief team. They are part of the very special and very small group of medical professionals who can drop everything at a moment’s notice, get on a plane and fly to a disaster situation in some remote corner of the world, staying there for weeks or even months. All of that resulted because of a long work of God in their lives which unfolded over decades, step-by-step, and brought them to this point. Once all those events were laid out like that, with all the dots connected, there was little doubt in their minds what God was calling them to do now. God speaks to you like that as well, and in the days to come we will consider what that might look like in your life. Tomorrow we will consider the sad story of someone who God was speaking to through their circumstances, but who chose not to listen. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks to us through prayer
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you.” Jeremiah 29:12-14 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks to us through prayer” The primary way that we speak to God is through prayer, and the primary way God speaks back to us is through the Bible. But God does also speak back to us through prayer. Does He do so with an audible voice? Not in my experience. I have never heard the audible voice of God in prayer or in any other manner, and I don’t know anyone who has. But still, He does speak to us through prayer. In my experience, God speaks through prayer in three ways: First, through what is sometimes called, “The still, small voice of God.” That phrase is a reference to the subtle impressions God gives us in our heart. It’s an inner sense that God is impressing upon me a realization regarding the thing I have been praying about. However, a word of caution is in order here. This still, small voice of God is subtle and it requires a good deal of discernment and spiritual maturity to distinguish it from our own feelings. It is an easy thing to convince ourselves that we are hearing a word from God when in reality, it’s just our feelings. More cautionary still is when this suspected word from God just so happens to match perfectly with the answer we were hoping for. It’s so easy to confuse our own feelings with an answer from God that we should almost never take this as our sole source of concluding that we have heard from God. Always compare what you believe you are hearing from God in prayer with what the Bible says on the issue. If what you believe you are hearing from God does not squarely align with Scripture, then you have not heard from God. Another way God speaks to us through prayer is by answering the prayer. If the thing you have prayed about comes to pass in some tangible way, then give God the glory and take it as His answer. A third way God speaks to us through prayer is by means of prayer partners. This is why we have others pray about things with us. If we are all praying about the same thing, and if God is answering the prayer, and if we are all accurately hearing God, then we will all get the same answer. If you ask three friends to pray for God’s guidance about whether or not you should change jobs, God isn’t going to tell two of you one thing and two of you the exact opposite. If all four of you are indeed hearing from God on this issue, then all four of you will get the same answer. God does speak to us through prayer. But because those answers can so easily be confused with our own feelings, this method of hearing from God has to be confirmed in other ways, such as checking Scripture, relying on prayer partners, or through the other common ways God speaks to us, including circumstances and the counsel of wise Christian friends. Seldom does God speak in just one of those ways. Usually, He will confirm for us what He is saying by saying it in two or three different ways. So, listen for Him in prayer, but be careful not to confuse this with your own feelings. Be sure to take the time and make the effort to seek confirmation. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
Does God speak through mothers?
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her; “Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!” Proverbs 31:28-29 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Does God speak through mothers?” The question is: “Does God speak through mothers?” And the answer is an emphatic “Yes! Yes, He does.” As we will learn in a future devotional in this series, one of the ways God speaks to us is through the wise counsel of fellow Christians. Without question, a godly mother falls into that category. So, God most certainly does speak to us through our mothers. Sometimes a mother’s voice can even sound like the voice of God itself. I have a vivid memory from childhood of my very perturbed mother with her hands on her hips and in a booming voice yelling, “James William Mersereau, you had better get over here right now!” I knew I was in trouble and that judgment day had arrived! But despite moments like that (which I totally deserved), I remember the words of love and compassion that were much more common from my mom. She was such a good mother, so kind and loving and wise. I experienced the love of God, and I learned about God, from my mother. Over-and-over again, God spoke to my heart through the words of my mother. This Sunday is Mother’s Day. It is the special day each year dedicated to honoring the mothers who make such an important difference in our lives, in our homes, in our churches, and in our nation. And it’s not just our own mothers that we pause to honor. We want to honor all women who have been good mothers, and who have served as a mother figure to others. Join us this Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church as we honor the godly women who have played such an important role in our lives. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you can’t make it, join us online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville. The service begins at 10:00. Does God speak through mothers? Yes. Yes, He most certainly does. God bless, Pastor Jim |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks through a Biblical worldview
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks through a Biblical worldview” We have spent many days now thinking about how it is that God uses the Bible as His primary means of communicating with us. On the pages of the Bible God speaks very directly through explicit dos and don’ts. He also provides us with many general principles that apply broadly to a broad spectrum of life situations. Beyond that, in the Bible we read about faithful men and women of ages past who can serve as role models for us. And then, we also read stories about God’s people involved in a wide range of situations and circumstances that are often similar to situations we find ourselves in. Those scenarios can be a useful guide for us, helping us to know how God would have us conduct ourselves in those similar situations. All of that taken together helps us develop and maintain what is known as “a Biblical worldview.” A worldview is simply a philosophy of life and a way of understanding the world. It provides an orientation for evaluating what we are seeing and hearing in the world, and it is a measuring rod, litmus test, or standard against which everything is measured and determined to be good or bad; right or wrong; true or false. There are many worldviews out there being promoted by a wide variety of cultural influencers. However, a “Biblical” worldview means that as the people of God we measure everything against the Word of God. The Bible is the measuring rod, it is the litmus test, the standard against which everything else is compared. We take all that we see and hear, all that we are being told, and we lay it alongside the Word of God to see how it compares. Then, the issue is determined to be good or bad; right or wrong; true or false, based upon how it compares to what God has said about it in the Bible. That is God speaking to us. If up to that point we were having trouble discerning the truth or rightness of the issue, now we know what God has to say about it. And for the Christian, that’s all we need to know. The issue is now settled. We have heard from God. In Romans 12:2 the Apostle Paul urged us to resist the cultural pressures on us and to instead have our thinking transformed by renewing our minds with the Word of God. God speaks to us through the Bible and He gives us a Biblical worldview that will help us to determine good and bad; right and wrong; true or false. When you have checked the Bible, you have heard from God. That is a Biblical worldview. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
You have to do your homework
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “The people here (Berea) were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scripture daily to see if these things were so. Consequently, many of them believed …” Acts 17:11-12 (CSB) Our thought for today: “You have to do your homework” In Acts 17:11-12 the Apostle Paul was experiencing a little bit of heaven on earth for a preacher and teacher. He had a group of Bible students who were eager to be taught and who were happy to do their homework. The passage tells us that the Bereans listened closely to the Biblical truths Paul was sharing with them, and then they opened the Scriptures and searched for themselves to be sure Paul was being accurate and that they were understanding correctly. Yes, they searched the Scripture for themselves (and all the preachers out there said, “hallelujah!”) Far too many Christians do not search the Scriptures for themselves. They don’t compare what they’re hearing to what the Bible actually says, nor do they search the Scripture for guidance from God regarding making important decisions. Sometimes it’s because we’re lazy; in some cases, it’s because we don’t know how to search the Bible like that; and also, all too often, Christians simply assume they know what God has to say on any given subject when in fact, they don’t – or at least they don’t know for sure and accurately. When needing Biblical guidance on an issue, the primary way to find what you’re looking for in the Bible is to do a word search. Select key words pertaining to the issue and then use a concordance to direct you to all the places in the Bible that pertain to that subject. Then prayerfully let the Holy Spirit impress upon you verses and passages that pertain to your situation (but be careful not to take the Scripture out of context). You can even Google it. No kidding, it turns out that Google is a helpful Bible search tool. Just type in “Bible verses about …” and almost instantly you will be directed to multiple Christian websites that provide lists of verses and passages that pertain to your issue. Another important way of seeking and finding guidance from God’s written Word is to be thoroughly familiar with Biblical principles (as discussed in a previous devotional in this series). Know basic Biblical principles so well that when faced with situations in life that require decisions and actions, you already have a general sense of how God would have you act. Then go to the Bible and review those principles (in context) to be sure you are remembering them correctly and applying them accurately to your situation. Knowing the Bible that well and frequently referring to it for this kind of guidance results in having what we call “a Biblical worldview. Tomorrow we will think about how God uses a Biblical worldview to speak to us and to guide us. But our lesson for today is: if you want to hear from God you have to do your homework. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks through the scenarios in the Bible
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction …” 1 Corinthians 10:11 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks through the scenarios recorded in the Bible” Right now, on Sunday nights at Oak Hill Baptist Church we are studying the parable of the Prodigal Son. It’s a deep-dive into the intricacies of the parable and we’re learning a lot from it. When telling a parable, Jesus took a spiritual truth and He laid it alongside a scene or example from everyday life to help illustrate how the spiritual truth is lived out in the situations of our lives. The parable paints a picture or describes a scenario that is typical in life and through it, God speaks truth that we can then apply to our own lives. God does that all throughout Scripture – He creates scenarios or He records for us scenes of His people involved in the things of everyday life, and from those scenes we receive guidance for living our own lives. The parable of the Prodigal Son is one example of that. We see another example of God using a scene or scenario to speak to us in Acts 2:42-47. There we find the early church in Jerusalem gathered for worship, prayer, and fellowship. They were united in purpose, they were generous with their resources, they were taking care of each other, and there was a powerful spiritual dynamic at work among them. Through this scene God is speaking to us about the attributes He wants us to be cultivating in our own church life. In Numbers 14:1-4 God shows a negative scenario that He intends for us to avoid. In that case, the people of God disobeyed His clear command to go forward and take possession of the Promised Land. In that scene we see the psychological phenomenon known as “groupthink” at work among God’s people. “Groupthink” is a dysfunctional decision-making process whereby one influential person convinces someone else of something; then the two of them go to work on a third person; and then the three of them convince others; and soon, everyone is coming to the same flawed decision. But they’re doing so because they have been influenced by others and the more who come into agreement, the more powerful the argument seems because so many others agree with it. In a church setting the group will usually conclude that “this is obviously the will of God because we are all in agreement.” (There is actually an easy way to avoid this, and we will discuss it in an upcoming devotional.) For now, the lesson for us here this morning is that God speaks to us through the scenarios recorded in the Bible. We can learn both positive and negative lessons from how God’s people conducted themselves in those situations. Tomorrow we will conclude our thinking about how God speaks to us through the Bible. We will consider some ways to search the Scripture for the answers we need in specific situations. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks through examples in the Bible
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “Lord, your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness is for all generations …” Psalm 119:89-90 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks to us through examples in the Bible” In recent devotionals we have been thinking about the fact that God’s primary means of communicating with us is through the Bible. As the Psalmist indicated in Psalm 119:89-90, the truths of the Bible are for all people, in all places, at all times. God speaks most directly through the dos and don’ts given in specific commands. But He also speaks more broadly through Biblical principles, also known as precepts. These are general rules of thumb that apply across a wide spectrum of situations and circumstances, and which provide us with clear guardrails to help keep us in the center of God’s will. Another way God speaks to us through His written word is by the example of people in the Bible – both good examples and bad. For instance, in Joshua chapter fourteen we find a healthy, spry, and feisty Caleb at 85 – still vigorous and living life large. All throughout scripture God teaches us to be good stewards of our bodies by avoiding gluttony, laziness, and other bad habits. Caleb is just one of the positive examples of that. There are other examples of Biblical figures who did not take care of themselves and it is always portrayed as a bad thing (The priest Eli in 1 Samuel 4:18; King Eglon in Judges 3:22). What we learn from Biblical examples on this topic is that God expects us take proper care of our bodies. God also expects us to faithfully attend worship services. We find that modeled for us by God’s people all throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Nowhere in either the Old or New Testament are we given examples of people skipping those services and it being portrayed as a good thing, or even as something God allows. Not only does God tell us in the Bible to go to church, but then He gives us example after example of people doing exactly that. Both positive and negative role models are given to us all throughout Scripture, and they teach us lessons about a wide variety of life issues. This is God speaking to us. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Deborah, Samuel, David, Mary, Jesus, John, Paul, Dorcas, and so many others are all good Biblical role models. Korah, Absolom, Ahab, Judas, and many others are not. Their examples all teach us something about how God wants us to conduct ourselves. God does speak to us through the life stories of people in the Bible – both good examples and bad. But again, we have to take the time to carefully study those examples, learn from them, and then prayerfully and thoughtfully apply those lessons to our own lives. Tomorrow we will consider how it is that God speaks to us through the scenarios, situations, and circumstances we read about on the pages of the Bible. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks through precepts (principles)
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.” Psalm 119:4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks through precepts (principles)” In Psalm 119:4 we are reminded that God commands us to know His precepts and to live by them. According to the dictionary a precept is “a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.” For instance, in our society we have a legal precept that a person is innocent until proven guilty. That is a general rule that’s intended to regulate the behavior of the criminal justice system so they cannot treat a person as being guilty until the guilt has been proven in a court of law. That legal precept is also intended to regulate the thought of our citizens regarding someone who has been accused of committing a crime. We’re not supposed to assume the person is guilty until they have been proven to be so. So, this precept is a general rule that is supposed to apply broadly across a wide spectrum of situations and circumstances. In the Bible God has given us numerous precepts, or what we call “Biblical principles” which we are to apply broadly across a wide spectrum of life. These are general principles which are to govern our thinking and our conduct, and it is another way in which God speaks to us through His written Word. Colossians 3:23 is one example, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” So, if you are at work and you’re wondering if it’s okay with God for you to give a half-effort rather than your best, now you have your answer. God expects us to do our best at whatever the task is. Colossians 4:6 is another one, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person.” So, while you should speak truth to people (salt), God expects you to do so in a gracious manner (calm and measured and respectful.) God’s precepts are also usually taught multiple times in the Bible, not just once. For instance, Proverbs 3:27 and Galatians 6:10 both teach the same basic precept: “When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs.” and “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” So, if someone needs help, and if you can help, then you should. God speaks to us through the precepts, or principles, articulated in the Bible. Taken together, they give us a guide for living. But again, as has already been noted in previous devotionals, if we want to hear God speak to us in this way, we have to take the time to search the scripture for these answers. This is an important but very neglected point. Most Christians do not regularly do this. Therefore, we will think a little more about it tomorrow. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
Obey the dos and don’ts
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!” Psalm 119:1 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Obey the dos and don’ts” When it comes to hearing God speak to you through the Bible the first and most obvious thing to look for are His clearly expressed dos and don’ts. There are many circumstances of life that are directly addressed by God with a specific do or don’t – the Ten Commandments being the primary list (Exodus 20:1-17). So, if you’re wondering whether or not it’s okay to murder your annoying neighbor, the sixth commandment will answer that question for you. Likewise, the issues of using God’s name as a curse, or committing adultery, or stealing, lying, or coveting, are addressed directly and forcefully by God in that short list. He has left little room for doubt regarding those issues. And beyond the Ten Commandments, there are also many other examples in the Bible where God clearly forbids specific behaviors – homosexuality being an obvious and very contemporary example. Then there are many times when we are explicitly and directly told there are things God requires us to do. These are the dos of the Bible. The fourth commandment instructs that we are to faithfully observe the Sabbath. In the New Testament the writer of the letter to the Hebrews makes clear (Hb 10:24-25) that God’s intent in that fourth commandment is that we are to faithfully attend the gatherings of our church family. So, if you are wondering if it’s okay with God to skip church this Sunday just because you don’t feel like going, you already have the answer. Observing the Sabbath by going to church is one of the clear dos of the Bible. There are many more. Numerous passages in both the Old and New Testaments clearly instruct us to help and care for those in need. Many others speak of our responsibility to protect the unity of the church. Still others instruct us about being good stewards of the things God has entrusted to our care. The point is that in the Bible God has addressed many of the biggest and most important issues we will face in life by giving us specific dos and don’ts. So, the question isn’t whether God has told us what or what not to do regarding those issues, the question is whether or not we will take the time to search the Bible for the answers when we are faced with those issues (as discussed in yesterday’s devotional). In a future devotional in this series, we will think about methods that help us to quickly locate God’s specific instructions when we need them. For now, when it comes to hearing from God, please understand that He has already provided you with many of the answers you need. Those answers come in the form of clear dos and don’ts. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
God speaks to us through the Bible
| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “You word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (CSB) Our thought for today: “God speaks to us through the Bible” I love Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible and it’s all about the Bible. It is 176 verses that speak of the wonder of God’s Word. In it the writer declares his devotion to the Word of God; he speaks of his love for God’s statutes and precepts; and he writes of how the Word of God provides him with the insight and clarity he needs to walk through the days of his life in a manner that is honoring and pleasing to God. Obviously, this was a person who had learned to hear God speaking to him through the written Word. The Bible is God’s primary means of speaking to us. In it He provides us (in writing) the clearest and most direct expression of His will and His ways. Therefore, when it comes to hearing from God and understanding what He wants us to do or not do, the Bible has to be the place we go to first to hear from Him. The problem is that many Christians do not do that – at least not in a thoughtful, prayerful, slow, intentional, and systematic way. Far to often, when needing guidance from God, many Christians give a wink and nod to the Word of God, or they assume, in a general way that they sorta kinda know what the Bible probably says about the issue. But they don’t take the time to systematically search the Bible for specific answers to the actual issue they are dealing with. Admittedly, doing so takes time, and most of us are in a hurry. We drum our fingers on the counter and yell at the microwave to “Hurry up!” We zip and zoom on the freeway, weaving back and forth from lane to lane, passing other cars on the right and on the left, all in order to gain an extra car length or two so we can arrive at our destination five minutes earlier than we would have. We’re just impatient people hurrying our way through life. But it takes patience and diligence and time to search the Bible for answers from God, and the average Christian today is just in too much of a hurry for that. Much to their loss. The Bible is God’s primary means of speaking to His people. And not just to speak to us in a general, big-picture way like Aesop’s fables or with old fashioned country wisdom like you used to get from your grandma, but rather, God uses the Bible to speak to the specific issues of our lives – if we will only take the time to hear Him. We will spend the next couple of days considering how God speaks to us very directly, and very specifically, through the Bible. The first step to hearing from Him through His written Word is to invest the time it requires to do so. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |