My Very First Blog

Name: Josh

Scripture: Luke 10:25-28

“25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Observation – I like how Jesus’ first response to the man’s question is to ask him if he knows what is written in the Law, the Jewish Torah. The man is an “expert of the law” and obviously does know this, but it’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t just give him a straight answer. He would rather have the lawyer personally interpret the Word and find out for himself what is important, what he must do to gain eternal life. This reminds me of how Charlton was urging us to work out our own salvation and to spend time in the Bible to hear what God’s trying to tell us. Jesus’ answer seems remarkably simple as well, saying that if you love God and the people around you with everything you have, you have the gift of life.

Application – One of my recent problems has been discerning between what my conscious and my flesh is telling me and what God is telling me, It’s been slightly comforting to hear one solution echoed through multiple people lately, that to start recognizing God’s voice, you must be familiar with his Word. My application is to begin a long-term commitment of indulging in the Bible to better familiarize myself with His voice. Hopefully this journaling, and the fellowship it will no doubt give birth to, will train my ears and my spirit to distinguish His presence in my thoughts. I also desire the ability to continually love on the people around me, because in thinking about it, I realize I tend to be a Christian Flasher as Charlton described it.

Prayer – Lord, I pray for strength of body and mind to be constantly studious in your Word. Grant me the will to make this a new habit in place of my current flesh. Also, God, give me the patience I need to love others in my life as you first loved us. Thank you for giving me access to such a rich and living source of knowledge in the Bible and for the comfort of a group of friends close enough to work through this together. So be it.