Light – Page 12 – Praying Pint

Lamb of God

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

“who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

The Lamb of God. We hear this but to understand it we first must understand what “Lamb” meant to the Jewish people. In the Old Testament an animal blood sacrifice was required at the altar of God for the redemption of sins (forgiveness). … We also see the symbolism when the Israelites were freed from Egypt. . For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you…. The lamb became the symbol of prime sacrifice. Jesus, by his death on the cross, became the sacrifice for all man’s sins.

Urgent command

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” It is clear there are those who have been blinded by the god of this world. They are unable to see the grace of God and good news of Jesus Christ. When you stop and think about it, we too were in this same state of mind and unbelief until God opened our heart and mind to see His grace, mercy, and love through the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross. We never know when or to whom God will use us to draw a lost soul to Him. Aren’t you glad that someone in the past spoke the gospel (good news) into your life? Aren’t you thankful God opened your heart and mind to see it? Telling others of the gospel of Jesus Christ is not request but rather an urgent command. If you saw a person heading down a path with a hidden cliff that would certainly lead to that persons death, would you not get their attention, say stop, warn them of the danger, and tell them of the correct path to follow for safety?

I send My messenger

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 3:28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’

Isaiah 40:3-5 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 3:1-11 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Mark 1:1 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 13:24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

John came to prepare the way before Christ and preached repentance and baptism. He bore witness to Christ. John’s purpose was to prepare the way for Christ (the anointed one). It is important to note that there were those who were cut to the heart by what they heard. Some, who were so moved, confessed their sin, repented and were baptized. Others who were also so moved did not. They chose to deny the conviction in their heart and became stiff necked and hard hearted to the hope being offered. Not much has changed with mankind. Their are still those who believe and those who do not. We were given a great command – go into all the world telling them the Good News (gospel) making disciples. We are to be a reflection of the light of Christ – A reflection of the hope, love, grace, mercy, joy, peace, power, strength, and might of God. Each day we have opportunity to read His word and reflect this light. Each day we have opportunity to speak of these. Look for this opportunity today.

Darkness to Light

Psalms 82:5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness

John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

2 Timothy 2:19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

There is one thing that keeps coming to mind from these scriptures. People without Christ walk in darkness and they have no clue they are. In fact they do not even know what the light is or how it will help or where to find it. We are to be a reflection of this light, able to tell them of the light, and where it can be found. Being a reflection means our way of light ought to be easily recognized as different from the world we live in. The way we talk, react, think, and respond. Our lives should reflect joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, hope, love, generosity, strength, courage, and concern all in the help and name of Jesus Christ. Is it possible, as christians, that we too choose to live in darkness or with the light set to very dim. Are we drifting away to a life of complacency, neglecting our calling to be light unto a lost generation. Do we set our expectations so low for being a follower of Christ that there is no visible differences between us and those lost other than going to church on Sunday? I think we have fallen into and follow a lie. That lie is “it is up to the pastor, preacher to tell the gospel and up to me to go hear him teach and preach” rather than being a reflection of Christ and telling others of His great love, hope, joy, peace ……. Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth will speak. If nothing is coming out and nothing can be seen differently in our lives then we certainly need to look at what is filling our heart. Living to be a humble servant, honoring, following, and obeying God requires us to choose to be in His word with the desire and intent to know Him and how to serve Him and be able to discern His leading each day. Our reflection of the light of Christ will grow brighter and brighter as we choose to be in His word and be used by Him.

Handiwork of God

Psalms 74:16 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Psalms 136:7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalms 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

“The heavens declare the glory of God.” There is so much we take for granted. We see the sun come up every day and as well the moon and stars, yet we forget the awesome power of God who spoke them into existence. In Romans it says that “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” We chase after so much and so easily turn a blind eye toward the handiwork of God. I recently heard a man speaking from back in 1975 on the expanse of the galaxies and how many stars are estimated. We seem to be able to see more and more with the latest technology which shows the expanse of God’s creation. This same man said it appears as though we are being allowed to come out of a designed permitted ignorance. There have been so many new discoveries in the last 25 years about the universe we live in. These discoveries, though new to us, have been there since creation. It seems as though God is allowing mankind to see more of His creation. Don’t get lost in the science and discoveries. Keep grounded in knowing God is the creator of all there is. Commit to humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.

Heals the brokenhearted

“Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

“And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”

“who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,”

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

Psalms 85:9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Isaiah 66:1 Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.

Hosea 6:1 “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.

Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

We serve this God – “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” This is the God who’s hands have made and by which all things came to be. God seeks those with a humble and contrite heart. To these there are many blessings and promises given. It seems like today we have so much information at our finger tips that we lose sight of God and trust rather in what we find on a google search. Remember to put Him first and seek His guidance and direction. Yes He surely can direct and lead us through all of our decisions, trials and troubles. He is the mighty awesome powerful creator.

I must decrease

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”

“A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Mark 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’

Luke 7:26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John 3:28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Acts 13:24-25 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

There was a 400 year gap between the last prophet and the coming of Christ. God sent a messenger to prepare the way and His name was John. John preached repentance in line with humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying God. This was the single purpose in John’s life. Honoring God through complete submission to His will. Notice how John new his place – “I must decrease” and again when he says “I am not worthy to untie His sandals.” John committed to God. He served Him with his whole heart, mind and soul. It would be good for each of us to remember to be humble and allow God in our lives to increase and our fleshly desire to decrease. Think about and seek God in what areas of your life He should increase.

Walking Blameless

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,”

“there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

“ They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common,”

Malachi 2:7 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Jeremiah 23:22 But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

James 5:19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Psalms 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

Titus 1:7-9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

What does it mean to walk blameless before God? How do you know if you are? How do you know if you are a worker who has no need to be ashamed? How do you know if you speak wisdom? What is a persons life like if they have wondered from the truth? What does it mean to stand in the council of God? What is proper instruction? These questions come to mind when reading these scriptures today. The answers to these are as many as the stars in the sky. However the foundation for answering them is found first in believing in God, having reverence for Him, knowing you are a sinner and in need of redemption, looking to and trusting in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, repenting and truing away from sin, and choosing to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God. Staying in His word will continue to refine the answers asked above.

Ponder what He has done

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

“Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Psalms 64:9 Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

Psalms 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Psalms 53:5 There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

Psalms 119:20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

Jeremiah 51:10 The LORD has brought about our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

Psalms 107:42 The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

Isaiah 5:12 They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.

Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Daniel 12:10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

Have there been times in your life where the hand of God was so present and real that you just pondered what had just happened? Where one step, one glance, one decision, or one word at the wrong time would have changed your life in another direction completely. How many times have you said “I was very lucky”? People of God ponder these acts of God and give Him praise. They do not say it was luck or chance but by the sovereign hand of God working in their life. How do they know this is the work of God? Because they know Him. They know His promises. He is their rock, refuge, hope, faith, love, joy, power and they rely on His steadfast love. The Holy Spirit within them confirms to their spirit it was the work of God. They absolutely know. His hand, power, love, joy, peace, kindness, strength, might, forgiveness, hope, mercy and grace is known to them. They find anchor to these in His word. They cling to, rely on, and trust in Him. To the world and those who know Him not this all seems foolish, but to those who have put their hope and trust in Him it is the purpose and meaning for life this side of eternity. Desire and seek to know Him and to be able to hear His whispers into your life. Humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him. Believe in His promises. Trust in Him. Cling to Him. Rely on Him. And you will see His hand at work in your life.

No Time

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

“ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

“and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”

Psalms 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalms 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalms 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:

Psalms 119:55 I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.

Psalms 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Psalms 149:5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.

Lamentations 2:19 “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”

Psalms 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Psalms 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

To desire God is to long after Him with a want to know Him more. To know Him and long for Him is to be at the well of living water. To remember Him at night while laying on our bed brings rest to our soul. To meditate on Him in the night is to have hope for the morning. In the shadow of His wings there is absolute safety, peace, joy, hope and rest. How many days go by where God is but a second thought if a thought at all? How are we to find rest for our soul if we spend no time desiring/seeking the only one who is able to give true rest? It is hard to find something that you are not looking for. It is hard to walk by faith in the promises God speaks in and through His word you do know. It is hard to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God when there is no time spent with Him. It is hard to proclaim praise to God for something you give hardly a second thought. Neglecting God’s word has many detrimental affects – all of which seem to compound over time to a place where your heart, mind, and soul do not hear whispers of God. If your heart, mind, and soul are void of His word do you ever wonder what fills that void? I can tell you – SELF, PRIDE, COMPLACENCY, WORRY, ANGER, ANXIOUSNESS, UN-REPENTANCE, SHORT TEMPER, LACK OF KINDNESS, LACK OF GIVING and SACRIFICIAL GIVING, UNCERTAINTY, UNFULFILLED, UNFORGIVING, NO PRAISE, NO DISCERNMENT, LACK OF DISCIPLE MAKING, UNABLE TO SEE THE LOST, UNABLE TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THE HOPE IN YOU, WEAK OR NO FAITH, and NO DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE COMPARED TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST. God’s word does not magically fill your heart, mind and soul. Nor does it find solid ground if it is only thought about once per week for an hour while at church. Commit to place Him and His word first in your live each day. Do not let the busyness of the life and what it has to offer over shadow and void your life of knowing God and humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.