Today’s scripture: Ephesians 4:14 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Sue Robinson):
Many of us have had a smooth, easy road to following Jesus. Childhood Sunday school, parents who led by example, and early acceptance of God’s love for us have made being a Christian as an adult just another step forward. But there are others of us who have had a more bumpy journey.
I didn’t have consistent teachings as a child, so I sought faith in many ways. In my early years, I thought the more rules I imposed on myself, the holier I would become. So I gravitated to a church with many do’s and don’ts. Then I fell into a cult situation and was, thankfully, delivered from that. My next step was deep involvement in the area of Spiritualism and the paranormal world. There are many stops on my journey . . . some helpful, some not so much.
Verse 14 says, “Then we will not longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in the deceitful scheming . . .”
How can we be sure to get the truth? Is there a way to be certain that we are following the way of Jesus? I wish there was a guide book. Well, the good news is that there is such a book. God’s holy Word, the Bible, is the treasure map that is our sure guide for living. People can give us their opinions and lead us in many directions, but we need to search for ourselves. One of the best virtues of LifeJourney Church is the fact that our pastor doesn’t give pat answers. His stock answer is, “Search out for yourself what God is saying to you.” Falling back to old patterns, there are many times I wish that he would just tell us what to believe! But we are encouraged to find our own way to truth by consistent Bible study, small group study, private worship and prayer time, and time alone with God.
Make a promise to yourself today that you will not be tossed back and forth by every new revelation you hear, but will search the scripture for yourself and hear God’s voice leading you toward God.
Prayer for the day: Dear Heavenly Parent, thank you for giving us a guide book for our lives. May we take full advantage of your road map for our lives. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.