Let It Sink In
Okay, so a sermon is usually about a half-hour…or 45 minutes…but what happens when I do not immediately feel like it hits me where I am at? One of my favorite things to hear from someone after I have preached a sermon is, “That was exactly what I needed to hear.” But let’s be honest, sometimes it does not feel that way. A sermon might not hit us where we are at.
I would guess that a majority of the sermons you hear, and even Bible verses you read, will not immediately feel practical or helpful. That statement might shock you. I believe all of God’s Word is God breathed or inspired by God, and as Paul puts it, “...profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV) But, that does not mean that it is all equally profitable for those things.
At first it might sound inappropriate for a pastor to write this, but I believe it is true. When God’s truth does not initially seem to apply to our lives, we need to give room for it to sink in a bit. As Christopher Ash puts it, “The Bible is not designed to give me a series of instant fixes, it is God’s instrument to shape and mold my mind and my character into the likeness of Christ….it takes time…I need to listen to the passage being preached today, and to turn my heart to God in submission and trust today, not only because I may need that truth today, but because I may need that passage tomorrow and tomorrow may be too late for me to learn it.” (Christopher Ash, Listen Up)
Sometimes God’s Word needs to marinate a bit in our lives. We need to go back and look at the lessons He has taught us in the past, the ways that He has answered prayers, and the things He is reminding us through a variety of ways. I strongly recommend keeping a journal or making notes on your phone about things you feel God is teaching you. Perhaps it isn’t even the truth He is saying, but the topic He wants to keep reminding you about. I have noticed times in my walk with the Lord when He kept reminding me of the same truth in different ways.
It is good for us to remember that God is not silent, we may just not be listening. Take some time this week to record the blessings God has taught you so far in 2024. By taking a moment to reflect on the big picture, you may notice a theme that God is saying He desires to see you grow in. I take great encouragement in Philippians 1:6 which says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” In other words, God has the big picture in mind when He speaks to us today. He is doing a good work in us!
Expectantly,
Shawn
P.S. Ray Hettinger graduated to heaven this morning after a significant battle with cancer. I join many in our church family who mourn the loss of our beloved friend Ray.
