Dave’s Monday Blast – May 23, 2016
I know many of you enjoy the wit and wisdom of Pastor/Author Max Lucado. I was reading a short devotional from him yesterday entitled “Let God Have You”. It is an excerpt from a chapter in his fantastic book, “Just Like Jesus”. He asks the obvious question, “How long has it been since you let God have you? How long since you gave Him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for His voice?”
I think listening is hard! I believe I understand its value, but as one examines the “Listening Life of Jesus” a distinct pattern emerges and I realize that this area of my life needs work. Jesus made a deliberate effort to spend time with God, praying and listening. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” In each incident where Jesus uses this pattern He comes away with a new direction from the Father.
Lucado says, “Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of mankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t it be wise to do the same? INTENTIONAL men answer with a resounding…YES!
Not only did He spend regular time with God in prayer, He spent regular time in God’s Word. We see the stunning example of Jesus, in the throes of the wilderness temptation, using the Word of God to deal with Satan. Three times He is tempted, and each time He repels the attack with the phrase: “It is written in the Scriptures” (Luke 4:4,8,12), and then quotes a verse. Jesus is so familiar with Scripture that He not only knows the verse, He knows how and when to use it.
We are given the picture of a person who knows His way around the Scriptures. If Jesus thought it wise to grow familiar with the Bible, shouldn’t we do the same? I want to be just like Jesus. If I am ever to accomplish that lofty goal (one I was created for), I must have that regular time of talking to God and listening to His Word.
