Heart To God

This is Part 1 of 2 of Lesson 8: The Intensity of His Walk. Click here to return to the introduction of this lesson.

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. I John 2:6 (NLT)

Deep Into Scripture From An Early Age

The Bible doesn’t say much about the early years of Jesus’ life, however there are a few things we can know about this part of His life (see Luke 2:41-52).

• The episode with Jesus as a boy being ‘left’ at the temple for three days shows that spiritual matters were of utmost interest to Him, even at a young age. He was actively listening and asking questions of the temple scholars.
• He wasn’t a precocious child though because v 51 shows that Jesus was ’subject’ to His parents.
• His early years were well balanced, with Him increasing ‘…in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.’ v52. He would have been progressing in all of the spiritual, mental and physical realms.

Later in His ministry He was recorded quoting a lot of Scripture. When did he commit this to memory? It would have been from reading and memorising Scripture from an early age.

Do you think it’s important for our own children to learn Bible texts these days? Even though now we can search the entire Bible in seconds using software or the internet?

And what about ourselves…should we be actively memorising if we’re not already?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Ps 119:11 (KJV)

Memorisation came in handy when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Jesus overcame Satan’s three challenges by simply quoting an appropriate text – interestingly He didn’t launch a longer well reasoned argument.

I think it is true that Biblical guidance or the many promises, if brought to mind, can sustain us through difficult times.

Prayer

The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. Mark 1:35 (NLT)

Despite His busy schedule, Jesus spent a large amount of time with His Father. The lesson points out that:

Mark 1:35 seems to be describing not just one instance but rather a pattern, when it speaks about Jesus rising “a long while before daylight” (NKJV) and going out to “a solitary place” (NKJV) for prayer.

On the night before choosing His twelve disciples we find this:

… Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 6:12 (NLT)

I can’t say that I’ve ever prayed all night. While that level seems a bit beyond me at present, I need to pray more than I do. The study guide this week asks us to consider:

…what roadblocks have kept you from an ever deepening experience with Jesus?

The guide then advises us to make a list of those roadblocks and to think of ways to overcome or remove them. One suggestion given is ‘Turning off the television’.

While this is sound advice, I wonder why I often find it more attractive to watch TV or read a book, or surf the internet, than seeking God in scripture or prayer? I suspect I’m not alone in this regard. So yes, we need to turn off the television or whatever it is getting in the way of time with God, but I also need to ask God to give me a heart that naturally seeks after Him such that these other distractions lose their pulling power.

Our natural ‘busyness’ and addiction to always being ’switched’ on in some way also contributes to a lack of time set aside to be quiet and to commune with God. Are our very real commitments and tasks a good enough excuse to avoid time with God?

What aspect of Jesus’ devotional life here on earth do you feel like you can imitate more in the upcoming week?

Click here to go to the last part of the lesson for this week – Hand To Man.