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“Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart.” Psalm 119:2 (ESV)

Spent one Sunday afternoon at the shooting range – yes, me little Annie Oakley! My husband is teaching me how to shoot a pistol. So before we got to the range, I thought this is going to be a piece of cake. A pistol is so much easier than a shotgun – no real kickback. Easier to aim, I thought – not so. TV makes it look ever so easy to shoot a gun. They run, jump, glance back and aim perfectly. Me, I was lucky to get a part of the target – easy it is not.

Same is true in so many areas of our lives – we think a task or goal is easy, breezy. We see the results in others and are confident we can do it until we attempt it. Then we realize it’s not as easy as it appears. My husband graciously reminded me it takes a lot of practice – we were there for the practice. Practice is a lot like discipline – we just have to keep at it until we achieve it.

Perhaps we’ve set some spiritual goals for the year or we’ve desired some changes thinking it’s gonna be easy, breezy but we didn’t count on the practice and discipline part. Or perhaps we’re discouraged about the work required for change and haven’t even made an attempt to strive towards anything.

Life always looks easier from a distance than upclose and personal…..where the real work resides. If we want to grow closer to God, then we’ve got to schedule time to study, memorize and mediate on His word. If we want to deepen our relationship with God, then we’ve got to carve in strategic time for prayer and quietness to hear His voice. If we want to share our faith in 2020, then we need to engage with others and accept open doors. Basically we’ve gotta put into practice the very things we desire, discipline ourselves to stay the course and embrace His grace for those moments we fall short.

We’re almost through the first month of 2020 – great time to reflect on how we want to grow and deepen our faith. There’s plenty of time to make the adjustments for hard work……which yields great results….you won’t be disappointed.

“Father, You reward those who diligently seek You and discipline themselves for godliness. Our faithfulness and obedience will not go unnoticed.”

For His Gory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life