Stirring up the Waters

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

      God has been bringing to my mind lately a time when I was younger and decided that I wanted to live in the basement. I had it all planned out- I could bring my cot down here, Dad would be able to build in a little bathroom, I had my own little kitchen planned out…. I was just positive that it would work out. For some reason however, my parents were not a huge fan of that plan. Dad wasn’t going to build a bathroom for me, mom didn’t want my cot set up down here... so I decided that I was going to slowly bring my things down there. Eventually, without mom and dad really noticing, I would be moved down in the basement. As I spent more and more time down there, I began to realize I was missing something- there was no faucet, so every time I got thirsty, I had to go upstairs to get some water.  Well, being quick on my toes, I decided to fill up an old milk jug with water. I did so and set it on a little dresser I had snuck down.  For a few days, I didn’t need the water, so there it sat. One day I was extremely thirsty, and very excited to get my first drink from my stash of water. I opened up the milk container, and a terrible stench hit my nose! All my water had gone stagnant, and soon began to stink up the whole basement. My thirst could not be satisfied by this old swampy water, and I began to realize what a terrible idea it was in the first place to try and live in the basement.

     Now, a lot of times, we act like I did as I built my “home” up in the basement. We get so caught up in our own ideas of what we want and how we want our “home” in this world that we soon begin to get annoyed because things like spending time with God and taking the time out of our day to read our Bibles doesn’t fit into our plan. Just like I did with my water, we begin to think of “brilliant” ideas to “store up” on God so that we don’t have to be “filled up” as often. We think things like “oh God, I forgot to pray today, so I’ll fast tomorrow for You”. Sometimes I catch myself saying “Well Lord, I didn’t read my Bible. I guess I’ll have to read twice as much tomorrow!”  But sooner or later, we’re going to realize that this doesn’t work. See, the children of Israel already tried this idea. They attempted to “double up” on the sustenance that God gave them as they travelled from Egypt. In Numbers it talks about God giving the Israelites miraculous food in the middle of the dessert. All they had to do was gather it every morning (with the exception of the Sabbath). Some of the people got tired of going and getting it every single morning; they decided one day to gather twice as much manna as normal so they could just eat of that stash the next day. When they got to their manna the next morning, it was rotten, and not able to be eaten.

     This is because God has called us to live a life more than that of just stagnant waters. He calls us to search deeper into His word to discover what He has for us. He doesn’t want us just to go with the flow, to follow the motions… instead He would have us “study to show ourselves approved”. For instance, if you don’t know why you believe something, search the scriptures, take the time to study, and cry out for God to reveal His heart to you! Our Christian walk gets too much like that leftover manna, where we think that if we meet the minimum requirements that God has given us, such as reading the Bible and praying, we can survive off of bread alone. But as it quotes in Matthew, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

     I know that God has been personally challenging me lately to study the scriptures and get a deeper understanding of what He has called us to. Instead of using my spare time to surf the internet, stalk all my friends on Facebook, watch a movie, or read a book, He wants me to be searching out the answers to the questions that I have in my faith. See, it’s not wrong to have questions, so long as are trusting God to provide the answers. But “trusting God” is an active phrase- we need to be pushing in, brushing the dust off of our bible and sharpening up our swords. God says He will not despise a contrite heart and also says that Christ is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. God promises not to turn a deaf ear to us when we come to Him and seek Him. He will stir up the stagnant waters of our faith as we come before Him, put aside our own little scheme of things, and seek His face.

     Another reason that we need to stop being stagnant in our faith is the same way that I figured I couldn’t live in the basement. The world sees what we have in Jesus. They see the hope that should lie within us, the peace that should encompass us, and the joy that should exude from us, just as I saw what should have been that refreshing water I desired so much to quench my thirst. But what happens when they come to us, looking for a drink of the water from “the well springing up to eternal life”, and all they get is a whiff of our own, stinky rotting flesh, in the middle of what God has sanctified to be a vessel used by Him? God has called us to be a light unto the nations. One of my favorite verses on this is in Matthew: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, a light is sprung up”. Yet how will they see this “great light” if we are not letting His light shine? How is the “shadow of death” going to be released from the eyes of those held in captivity if we are not going and showing them the way of eternal life? When people come to us, we need to be able to “be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us”.

     God has challenged me to show myself approved before Him and to make my walk with Him deeper. A deeper walk with Christ isn’t easy, but the reward is so worth everything we are called to give up for Him. Christ is our great reward, and He is all that we need. 

     Make Him your focus, and take Him up on the challenge He has presented to all who have come to follow Him.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-18
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

… He rewards those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6b
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14
The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, a light is sprung up. Matthew 4:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16