KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD IS A POWERFUL THING
Job 22:23-26 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.
Is it possible to be a Christian and not have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit? Yes it is and sad to say many if not the vast majority of Christians do not have a personal, intimate relationship with God even though they could and it is the desire of God.
Most Christians have little real knowledge and understanding of their beliefs, doctrines, dogmas or even the Bible as a whole. The good majority simply have grown up in the church, maybe went to Sunday School and heard the same major Bible stories over and over again, but they never heard indepth teaching. Most adults rely on the pastor to give them all they need in the twenty minute sermon on Sunday morning that is filled with jokes, illustrations and outlines of subject matter you could get from a course on psychology. As good, funny and entertaining as these may be they do little good when fulfilling God’s will, dealing with Satan, the powers of darkness and the evil of this world. Try quoting a funny story from the pastor’s last sermon and see how far that will take you with Satan!
The sad thing is most Christians do not know any different. This is how their grandparents, parents and all the other people in the church are so why should they be any different. So what are the consequences? Sad to say it is sin, wicked and even sometimes even evil. It can be seen in the leadership including the pastor, all the way to the nursery. Ignorance of God’s word led Israel time and again into sin and punishment from God, and it continues today in the churches and lives of Christians that do not know, study and practice the word of God. Without it, it leaves them spiritually weak, immature, ignorant and often deceived. God does not funnel his knowledge and understanding in our mind so it can travel to our heart and everyday lives. It is up to each and every one of us. Trying to use the blame game like Adam and Eve did just doesn’t cut it with Satan or God. Satan has no sympathy and will attack children as well as the elderly and everyone in between if he or the powers of darkness can. This is why Ezra saw the importance of knowing God’s word so much that he every day from the first to the last. (Nehemiah 8:18)
What is the real wealth you strive for each day? Is it a little more gold or silver to hoard away like we hear on some of the advertisements on TV? I have even heard major Christian leaders stress the importance of putting away as much gold as possible for these end times. Well, if I read today’s
verse correctly we might as well put that stuff in the ground and return to the Almighty! Matthew 16:26 says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” I guess the answer is not much if you want to go to heaven to be with Jesus for all eternity!
There can be only one answer for the church today is return to the Almighty, and if it does it will be restored. It is not even hard to do. All it takes is al little desire, discipline and faith. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” If God did not want us to have insight and understanding of his word that helps us understand him, then he would never have given it to us. The monkey so to speak is squarely on our back, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please put within us an unquenchable desire to know your word and will. Please give us the wisdom, knowledge and insight we need to not only do your will, but have victory over Satan, the powers of darkness, the evil of his world as well as temptation in our everyday life. We ask this in Jesus name.
