Change Through Knowledge...

I've started the day right with Joyce Meyer this morning (Starting Your Day Right Devotions for Each Morning of the Year) and have continued on my lesson for the week, it seems, on what I can learn from the Bible. This is the main verse for the day -

"Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass," - Psalm 37:5 AMP

Joyce then writes -

"We are all eager for our situations and relationships to change, but nothing will change in our lives without knowledge of God's Word. In Hosea 4:6 God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.""

Joyce then goes on to say how change comes through prayer, and how we then must wait patiently on God, and not complain whilst doing so! She tells how God wants us to trust Him, and not put our trust in people who may be involved in the situation. In closing Joyce writes -

"...He is asking us to trust Him. There is a difference. He is faithful to rescue us from all our troubles."

One of the lessons here is that we can choose to live man's way, or we can choose to live God's way. I've done both, and I know for a fact that the latter is the way to go. I've learnt many valuable lessons over the last few years about life, human relationships, myself and God. From a human perspective I could complain and say that life is unfair, humans can be cruel, I am a failure and God has deserted me. But, as a Christian, I know that life is filled with an abundance of blessings, helping other humans is why we exist, I am exactly where I am meant to be right now, and that God is great and loves me more than anyone else ever has! And He never, not once, ever, deserted me!

Another lesson is that God gives us all the tools we need to build a wonderful life, to develop fulfilling human relationships, to gain a real view and appreciation of self, and to build a deep love of Him. These tools come in the form of His Word. My previous post touched on learning the simple, yet valuable lessons we need to live life from the Bible, and I feel that today's scripture reminds me of that message.

My friend Lelia, from Write from the Heart, talks about the Bible in her post on 'Worn Boots'. Please pop over and have a read. You will be glad you did, as you will gain a new found appreciation for the signifigance of the Bible. Lelia, who writes so wonderfully when conveying the message of our Lord, writes, "The Bible is God's way of teaching His children things only a Father can teach." Amen!

So, back to Joyce and her message and how it all ties in. We are humans who have been given the opportunity - the immeasurable blessing - of walking life alongside the best. What we do with that opportunity is up to us. We can blow it and return to being a mere mortal, or we can continue to learn and grow, and change, through knowledge that we gain from His Word - His gift of life - to us. The Bible is right at our fingertips, yet sometimes we forget the importance of it. It's our handbook, our instruction manual, our encyclopedia, our '66 step program'. All the self-help books in the world will never give us what God has in His Word.

If we want to succeed in our walk with God, we must use what He has given us. We must develop a strong bond and knowledgeable understanding of the Bible and what it holds inside for us. If we want change, if we want progress, if we want peace, and if we want to help others, then Joyce's message today is a valuable lesson on how we can gain the tools to build on all these things.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful gift of your Word. I pray that I grow in the knowledge that You have provided within it's covers, and that I continue to change to be the person you intend for me to be. In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen.