Responding to God’s Word: Part 1 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

2 Peter 1:12-15

Transcript

Good morning. Hope you’re headed into a good week this week. Well, as we start off our day the best way possible by some time with God, I just want to remind you that your life is shaped by things that you put into it, right? The things you put into your mind and heart and allow to go on there in your thoughts, shape your values and come out in your words and actions.

There’s no way around that. So what are you sewing into your life?

There’s nothing better that you could sow into your life than taking time with God each day, and that’s why we start each weekday morning this way, going to God’s word, the Bible, and saying, God, shape my life. Help me become what you want me to be.

We’re going to talk all this week about our response to God’s word, the Bible, in our lives, and I want to take our thoughts for this week from 2 Peter chapter 1.

Peter starts off this chapter talking about different qualities we need to focus on and add into our lives. But then he says something interesting starting in verse 12. He says,

Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

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I think it is right as long as I am in this body to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

Jesus in John chapter 21 in his walk with Peter on the beach, let him know how he was going to die.

And so Peter here says, I know I will be going to be with the Lord soon as he made clear to me, and I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Well, Peter has a focus here that I think reflects the focus of all of Scripture, and that is that we need to be constantly reminded of the truths of God, the principles by which God has designed the Christian life to operate on, and to refocus our lives around His priorities and agenda in this world.

So Peter says, I intend always to remind you.

And again I think it right as long as I am in this body to stir you up by way of reminder and then later, and I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

He is focused on the people that he’s writing to, the people he cares about, the people he loves, the people he wants to see grow spiritually and grow to know and love and honor God in their lives.

And he says, if you want to move down that path, you need to be constantly reminded of the things of God. Well, that’s one of the reasons why we take such a focus on God’s word in our daily lives. And if you want to be a person who is growing spiritually and moving forward day by day, then I just encourage you to build into your day, into your daily habit.

Just like you build into it, brushing your teeth for your dental health, build into your daily habit, reading God’s word in the morning, setting your mind for the day, reading it with an open heart that’s listening to God and saying.

How do you want to shape me through what I’m reading in your word and then be responsive to him, talk to him about what he’s saying to you and agree with him to move down his path for your life. This constant daily reminder and refocusing of your life will shape you in ways that you will always be thankful to God for.

I’m John North.

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