40 Posts in 40 Days | Day 8

Planned for God's Pleasure
Originally Written August 24, 2009
Today, I read Matthew 7 - 13!

Point to Ponder:

• I was planned for God's pleasure.

Question to Consider:

• What could I start doing today as if I was doing it for Jesus?

First things first: in my reading today, I hit upon another of those non-coincidences that have been following me around, and happened across this passage - which seems to speak directly to the concerns I voiced at the end of yesterday's writing:

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

How wild is that?!? So, I'm going to forge ahead.

That wasn't a totally random aside, either. I've thought about today's question quite a bit and it finally hit me that the best thing I can do - and the best thing I can start doing as though I'm doing it for Jesus - is to stay on top of my Bible reading. And it doesn't require much of a theological leap to recognize that reading the Bible regularly IS something I'm doing for Jesus as I continue to seek him out.

I'm only three days into my Bible-reading, but I already feel as though I'm gaining momentum where I had been stuck for a while. Finding things like that passage from Matthew 7 is just a bonus to an already fruitful process.

I'd like to think that the process I'm going through right now is at least somewhat pleasing to God. Yes, I'm still sorting out the questions I've always carried with me, but I know for a fact I'm closer now than I've ever been to finding answers. Hopefully, actively looking for Him is at least second place to actually making the transaction.

And so there we go. My humble act of sacrifice, my personal way of worship, will be the same as for many, many who have come before me - to spend thoughtful time with God's word, working to discern what it means for me. I feel like I'm moving, and through Matthew 7 even Jesus is saying "don't give up!"

Verse of the Day

"For the Lord delights in His people..."

- Psalm 149:4a