That's Not Enough
Three years ago, I overcame my dental phobia; to God be the glory. However, when I left the dentist from my initial visit I was traumatized. Nevertheless, I followed his instructions to the letter and, today, I have healthy teeth and gums. I am truly grateful to the Lord for the whole experience and He has taught me many things along the journey. For the sake of space and time, I will share with you the one that continually comes up in my spirit and ministers to me.
For years I was only brushing once a day for barely a minute. I suffered greatly for this. Now that I brush like I am supposed to, along with flossing, brushing in between and rinsing I am the better for it. The thing that amazes me about all of this is that after brushing and rinsing, I still have food in my teeth that comes out with flossing. After flossing, I still have food in between my teeth. Finally, after brushing in between my teeth, I get the last particles of food out. From that, this is what the Lord often speaks, "That's not enough."
What's not enough? Just as brushing for 60 seconds once a day is not enough to get all the food particles out, neither is only reading the Bible enough to promote a healthy spiritual life. In fact, doing the minimal can be detrimental to your spiritual life. This truth is found in these verses.
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
James 1:22 (NKJV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
In order for Joshua 1:8 to bear fruit in your life, you must do all that it says. You must speak it, meditate on it and do all of it. In order for James 1:22 to bear fruit in your life you must do the word that you hear. If you don't you will be frustrated, disillusioned and hard to get along with. In order to bear fruit you must abide in Christ. Live in Him and let Him live in you. In short, learning is NOT enough. It is imperative that you live out day to day the truths that you receive from the Word. Also, getting saved is not enough. In order to progress in your spiritual journey, you must desire the milk to grow in order that you will be able to handle the meat.
What I am saying to you today is that doing the spiritual minimum is NOT enough. Therefore, if you are only doing the minimum, I pray that you make the necessary mid-term corrections to grow up in all aspects of Him. Read, study and pray every day. Set up some kind of program to memorize scripture. Speak the Word over your life that pertains to what you are dealing with every day. Seek the Lord for ways to enhance your spiritual life so that you don't fall prey to the trick of the enemy. He will lure you with a logical lie saying that all you need to do is read your Bible. He will lie and say that praying on the way to work is enough. He will lie and say that you are ok as long as you go to church once a week.
Don't listen to his lies! It is not enough to do just enough to get by! Delight in the law of the Lord! Meditate in it day and night! Press toward the mark for the prize of the upward call in Christ. Be determined to know more of Him, to please Him and to be made more like Him. Press, pray and pursue your purpose like never before. Spend your life being spent by Him.
I pray that you have been blessed by today's devotional and remember, if you are doing just enough to get by in your walk with the Lord, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!
Prevailing in Him,
Dr. Sheila
For years I was only brushing once a day for barely a minute. I suffered greatly for this. Now that I brush like I am supposed to, along with flossing, brushing in between and rinsing I am the better for it. The thing that amazes me about all of this is that after brushing and rinsing, I still have food in my teeth that comes out with flossing. After flossing, I still have food in between my teeth. Finally, after brushing in between my teeth, I get the last particles of food out. From that, this is what the Lord often speaks, "That's not enough."
What's not enough? Just as brushing for 60 seconds once a day is not enough to get all the food particles out, neither is only reading the Bible enough to promote a healthy spiritual life. In fact, doing the minimal can be detrimental to your spiritual life. This truth is found in these verses.
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
James 1:22 (NKJV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
In order for Joshua 1:8 to bear fruit in your life, you must do all that it says. You must speak it, meditate on it and do all of it. In order for James 1:22 to bear fruit in your life you must do the word that you hear. If you don't you will be frustrated, disillusioned and hard to get along with. In order to bear fruit you must abide in Christ. Live in Him and let Him live in you. In short, learning is NOT enough. It is imperative that you live out day to day the truths that you receive from the Word. Also, getting saved is not enough. In order to progress in your spiritual journey, you must desire the milk to grow in order that you will be able to handle the meat.
What I am saying to you today is that doing the spiritual minimum is NOT enough. Therefore, if you are only doing the minimum, I pray that you make the necessary mid-term corrections to grow up in all aspects of Him. Read, study and pray every day. Set up some kind of program to memorize scripture. Speak the Word over your life that pertains to what you are dealing with every day. Seek the Lord for ways to enhance your spiritual life so that you don't fall prey to the trick of the enemy. He will lure you with a logical lie saying that all you need to do is read your Bible. He will lie and say that praying on the way to work is enough. He will lie and say that you are ok as long as you go to church once a week.
Don't listen to his lies! It is not enough to do just enough to get by! Delight in the law of the Lord! Meditate in it day and night! Press toward the mark for the prize of the upward call in Christ. Be determined to know more of Him, to please Him and to be made more like Him. Press, pray and pursue your purpose like never before. Spend your life being spent by Him.
I pray that you have been blessed by today's devotional and remember, if you are doing just enough to get by in your walk with the Lord, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!
Prevailing in Him,
Dr. Sheila
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