I took Bob's advice. At first, I thought it was strange that it was so easy for me to read a 300-page biography in a short period of time, while I found it difficult to read even one page of God's word on my own. Eventually, I pressed on in the New Testament and found that it is a wonderful love letter full of many treasures and precious promises.
Peter wrote that if we tasted that the Lord is gracious, we would desire the sincere milk of God's word, so that we may grow thereby. I have tasted God's graciousness, and I desire God's work upon my life. I sometimes get so excited about what the Lord is doing for others that I forget the true message of what all those life stories and devotions is. The message is to know the Lord Jesus for yourself. Read His word, the Bible, and let Jesus reveal Himself to you. Jesus said, "Come onto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest onto your soul: for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." He also said, "Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (the provisions of this life) shall be added onto you."
Seeking the Kingdom is reading your Bible and praying to know God's will and guidance for your everyday walk with Jesus. The religious would make things more complicated than that. They would have you turn to the heroes or saints of this or that church for accurate teaching and indoctrination. A true Christian will point you to the true hero of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer who died for our sins and is risen from the dead and is now alive for evermore. Though He has ascended up to heaven, He still leads and guides His children in this realm. Jesus promises that He is with us always, and that His Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth.
We can know Jesus firsthand. In fact He would have it no other way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me." In John 10, Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture." He also said, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine." Jesus condones no other way to God's kingdom. John 10:1 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." Each Christian must have his own real life experience with Jesus alone. We must know Jesus and hear from Him firsthand through the peace that passes understanding, the comfort of God when we experience tribulation, or the revelation of His hand in our lives. The Lord reveals Himself to His children. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:21 to 24 that if we heard from Jesus and were taught by Him our lives would be right and holy. If we are taught by Jesus we will bear His fruit and will be fit for heaven. Jesus tells us in John 15, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
My friends, I point you to Jesus; pray to know Him for yourself. ----- Betty