Bless Yourself

 

9/18

Psalm 119:41

Some Christians want to make a law out of studying the Bible or spending a certain amount of time with God. But we should be motivated to read God’s Word and spend time with Him because of our love relationship with Him, not because of a commandment to do so.

 

Jesus said, “If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands” (John 14:15). What He really meant was, “If you love Me and walk in fellowship with Me, you will keep My commandments.” If you concentrate on loving God, then keeping His commandments will become a natural part of what you do. It is a promise He makes to you.

 

 

Bless Yourself

9/17

 Proverbs

8:17

Our motives are misplaced if we think we read the Bible and pray to please God or to keep from making Him mad at us. God once told me, “You think, when you read the Bible that you are making Me happy. I am going to be happy whether you read it or not. No, if you read the Bible you’re happy. If you pray, you’re happy. If you give, you receive.”

 

Every single thing that God tells us to do, He tells us to do so to bless ourselves. He doesn’t ask us to devote ourselves to study and prayer for Him; it is for us. The good life is our choice.

 

Accept God’s Invitation

9/16

Psalm 32:8

The devil wants to keep us believers subject to legalism. If he can’t condemn us for what we do, he will try to torment us for what we don’t do. He wants us to feel guilty when we don’t read the Word and pray, suggesting that God isn’t pleased with us, or that He is even mad at us for what we haven’t done.

 

 God never condemns us for not being disciplined, but He lovingly invites us to spend time with Him. Heaven is available to us through simple trust in Jesus, but the good life is enjoyed when we act the way Jesus acts. We should want to read the Word because it holds the keys to knowing God intimately and enjoying Him fully.