Seeing the Measure of our Mighty Weapon | Chapter 7 | Becoming Book Club

Good Morning, all!First, I must ask for your grace. The video for our chapters today is not uploading properly {insert my "ugh" face} and taking some time to fix. Deep breath. Instead of delaying our post for today I opted to post our written portion and then follow up with the video once it loads properly. Technology is a two sided coin, ya'll - it's a fantastic blessing one minute and then the next minute it can make you want to pull your hair out at the roots. Grace upon Grace for all as this Monday morning heats up. :) This week the chapters nail down how the Word of God authorizes and releases authentic and lasting freedom and joy in our lives. I loved the subtitle for Chapter 7 - Seeing the Measure of our Mighty Weapon.

"Christianity is not a settle-in-and-live-at-peace-with-this-world-the-way-it-is kind of religion. When Jesus said, "the truth will set you free" {John 8:32}, he didn't mean without a battle. He meant that truth would win the war of liberation in the soul. Christianity is war. It is declaration of all-out combat against our own sinful impulses. The apostle Peter said, "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" {1 Peter 2:11}. To become a Christian is to wake up to the reality that our soul - the eternal joy of our soul - is at stake. Therefore Christianity is mortal combat for true and lasting joy." {page 103, When I Don't Desire God}

My hope when you read chapter 7 specifically is that it would wake up the worth of being committed to knowing and loving God's Word. With our video not loading just yet I decided to spend a heavy amount of time on Chapter 7 in this post and then plan to post more on Chapter 8 tomorrow. These last four chapters are some heavy hitters so taking time to work through them is important. At least I know for me I need a little more time!I spend so many of the hours in my life speaking, preaching, writing, posting, filling journal spaces with, chatting about and developing content over this most important fruit of the Christian life - knowing and loving God's Word. Not because I have this aspect of the Christian life nailed, but on the contrary I am so easily lured away from the refreshing nature of it's Spring. My mental energies allow circumstances to cloud my perspectives at times and the Living Word of God is the only tool having the capability to slice through the delusions and adjust my heart navigation.  Without the Word of God at the helm to bring me back to life each day I would fall to the darkness of discouragement and sin no matter how "good" I think I am. My flesh is too strong, the enemy is too sly and the world is too distracting....we MUST develop the delight and desire for God's Word above all other things to refresh, refuel and refocus our hearts. 

"A thousand interesting things compete for our attention to the Word of God. I confess that after fifty years of loving and reading and memorizing Scripture, I can be lured away from appointed times in the Word by something as insignificant as a new computer device. The illusory pleasure of newness can temporarily trump the far superior benefits of keeping my appointment with the Word of God. This is evidence in me of what Paul calls indwelling sin {Romans 7:17, 20, 23}. It is part of the remaining corruption lingering after the death of the old self {Romans 6:6}. I am not proud of it. It grieves me. At times it frightens me. It is part of the reason I speak so much of the fight for joy. I know this sinful inclination must be fought to the death. It is this fight Paul has in mind when he says, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you." {Colossians 3:5}. We will speak shortly about how the Word helps us do that. But first we must fight just to keep our appointments with the Word." {Piper, page 96 & 97}

I would love to think the only distraction from me making and keeping my appointments with the Word of God has to do with the newness of fun toys like technology or an adventurous trip or a new home.....but the reality for me is I am distracted by far lesser things producing a much greater domination in my heart. I can be distracted and tempted to walk out the door to life without a filling of God's Word based on the quickness of my schedule, the expectations I want to meet with friends, the demands of maintaining a clean home, the allure that "I've got this".....ALL of those nuances about my flesh to pull me away from God's Word are danger zones and my life, my relationships and my sanity would ALL benefit from the time I commit to spending mediating on God's Word.I'm a real woman though. I am not John Piper. I am a coach's wife. I am a mom to three kids. I am a sister, friend, taxi cab, chef, cheerleader, etc...you get the idea, right? Fill in the blanks for all the real life roles you play. We are real flesh and blood people and I can't just stop the entire flow of my life, sit in a candle lit room and read scripture all day. Not my calling. However, what I DO feel God inviting me and ultimately inviting you into is this sacred dance of making His Word a constant flowing river in my life.My Bible is always with me. I am constantly and intentionally making appointments for coffee with individuals who make God's Word a priority. Scripture is up in my house where we can all see it at any given moment. If I missed my quiet time in the morning because life happens and I was up all night with a sick kiddo I simply work it in another time throughout the day. Don't make this legalistic either, view time in God's Word as the ultimate gift of love, grace and compassion you allow yourself to indulge in.The point is we want to have this fixed thought every day - {ya'll, this is literally what I repeat to myself on hard flesh-filled days}...Cari, "Come hell or high water I am getting my heart before the Word of God and allowing it's truth to love me, lead me and take my hand to Jesus."Discussion question and journal focus for today:

1. Piper lays out 10 benefits to the worth of Scripture. {page 97-113} Which do you connect most with? Why does it motivate you to keep pursuing God through His Word?