So What Am I Doing About It? (Part 2)

Diligence

From the Scriptures it is clear that God has done everything necessary for His part so that I can know Him. The ball is in my court. I must start where I am. If I know that I should want to know Him, but I’m not sure if I really want to, then I should ask Him for the “want-to” and He will give it to me. He takes me just as I am. When I take a step toward Him, He will meet me.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8a).

Another word for diligence is endurance:

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised (Hebrews 10:35-36).

Recently I was reading in Hebrews, and this Scripture passage became a revelation word to me. I said, “Okay, Lord, I need endurance. How do I get it?”

The answer is that endurance is not something I get. It’s something I do! The way I approach goals: Step by step, one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. If I take one step toward God, I’m one step closer.

I must discipline myself to seek Him. That’s where I start. It’s communion with my heavenly Father that will cultivate my desire to know Him more. Following through with a simple discipline will give birth to more desire, inspiring me to add to my discipline, which in turn will increase my desire for Him again.

Seek the Lord continually in prayer, especially praying in the Spirit. Constantly search His Word to get understanding about Who He is and how He operates, and what He expects of us. Meditate on His Word. Praise and worship Him by listening to His music, making songs in your heart, and giving thanks to Him all day long. It is my goal to set these things in my heart, step by step, line upon line, precept upon precept, until they become life-controlling habits.

Now if I make a commitment to the Lord, in regard to Bible reading or prayer time, and I fall short of it, is He angry with me? Think of a child or a grandchild learning to walk.



Do I get angry with that little one when she falls? I don’t think so! I encourage her, clapping my hands, with all kinds of happy noises, saying, “Come on, come on, sweetheart, you can do it!!”

That’s how God is with me. And because of His great love for me, His attitude toward me that always says, “Come,” I will set my face like flint, and I will keep pursuing Him, until my discipline becomes the sheer delight of walking in the Spirit, abiding in Christ.

Jesus said,
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

He was repeating what His Father had said to Moses and the children of Israel:

"My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14).

Do I want His rest? Do I want His presence to go with me? You betcha! I’m on my way. How about you? On Monday we’ll talk a little bit about faith.