THE
JOURNEY BEGINS
READ:
2
Peter 1:5-11
If
anyone is in Christ, he
is
a new creation; old
things
have passed away.
-2
Corinthians 5:17
Eighty-one years ago today a 9-year-old
boy prayed to ask Jesus to be the Savior of his life. His mother wrote these words in a memory
book: “Clair made a start today.”
Clair-my dad-has now walked with Christ
for 8 decades. He marks the day when he
made his decision to follow Christ as the beginning
of his journey. Growing spiritually
is a life-long process-not a one-time event.
So how does a new believer feed his faith and continue to grow? These are some things I observed in my dad’s
life over the years.
He read the Scriptures regularly to
increase his understanding of God and made prayer a daily part of his life (1 Chronicles
16:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Bible reading and prayer helps us grow
closer to God and withstand temptation (Psalm 119:11; Matthews 16:41; Ephesians
6:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:2). The Holy Spirit began to develop
the “fruit of the Spirit” in him as
he surrendered his life in faith and obedience (Galatians 5:22-23). We display God’s love through our
witness and service.
My dad’s spiritual journey continues and
so does ours. What a privilege to have a
relationship in which we can “grow in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”! (2 Peter 3:18). - Cindy Hess Kasper
I
want my heart to be in tune with God,
In
every stage of life may it ring true;
I want
my thoughts and words to honor Him,
To
lift Him up in everything I do. –Hess
*************************************
Salvation
is the miracle of a moment;
growth
is the labor of a lifetime.
INSIGHT
Peter
begins today’s Scripture with the words “for this very reason” (v.5). This phrase suggests that what is about to be
said is connected to what has just been said in verses 1-4. We are to “add to” our character traits in
verses 5-7 because God in “His divine power has given to us all things that
pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by
glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious
promises” (vv.3-4)
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