November 29, 2018 ● 18-5
1 Peter 2:2: like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
When God saves us, He fills us with His Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Because we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we have been given the ability to grow to spiritual maturity which is God’s desire for our lives (Eph. 4:15).
A few years ago I put together a manual of sorts to help people grow in their faith, simply titled, The Disciple’s Journal. As part of that journal I composed a poem about the journey of faith God calls each of us to embark on; some take that journey seriously and others do not. Peter simply wrote the church of the first century: have a strong desire to grow to spiritual maturity. Here is what I have discovered:
If I want to grow as a fully mature follower of Jesus Christ, I am going to have to die to what I want to do and live to what Jesus wants to do through me.
May God give you a strong and ever stronger desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ!
THE JOURNEY
©Benjamin M. Foxworth
The journey is open for all to do,
But the journey is taken by only a few
Sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night
The journey will help you walk in the light
By reading, by praying, by thinking and writing
Your life will be stronger to keep on fighting
He’s out there, you know, in time and space
To trip you so you will fall in disgrace
Our enemy of old, he’s as cunning as ever
The journey will give you the courage to say, ‘Never!’
The journey is open for all to do,
But the journey is taken by only a few
So dive in and strap in and commit to the cause
The journey will never give you reason to pause
To think of the time that you wanted to do
That worldly pursuit that you just knew
You wanted, you needed, you just had to pursue
And now all the others say, ‘What’s up with you?’
This journey, my journey, is what makes my day
Grow stronger, glow brighter each step of the way
This journey, my journey can be yours too,
It’s open for all but taken by few.
So join in this journey let it be your story
That has as its end that grand meeting in glory.
With those who have walked where you are walking today
That journey of faith that you’ll walk every day.