by Buddy Lipscomb

Well, It’s almost the New Year again. We hear of people talking about their New Year Resolutions. It is almost hilarious that even though there is so much talk about them, in actuality, most of them are not kept beyond January at the latest. Therefore, I decided many years ago not to make them at all. Instead, my focus is and has been to be passionate about God’s word. I have tried to follow the practice spelled out in Ezra 7:10. To paraphrase that verse, Ezra, a trained Scribe, believed it was important to study His word, put it into practice, and instruct others in living those words.

Years ago, the Lord laid on my heart to look at the lives of the people of the Bible to see how they came to be the men and women God wanted them to be. I came up with an acrostic that I have shared with many others since that time. It goes like this: If we desire to know God, He will first equip us to meet Him. Then through His word, prayer, and worship, He will allow us to encounter Him. From that encounter, there are two other factors that occur: We are to sense His expectation for each of us. Finally, we are to put into action what He expects us to do. It makes for an exciting and growing life as we make it our focus.

God keeps reminding me of my responsibility in the growing relationship I am to have with Him. Just this morning Rose Mary and I were listening to Dr. David Jeremiah. In his broadcast, he shared from Colossians 1:9 the same message that we find in Ezra. We are to know God’s word, put it into practice, and share what we have come to know with others.

I was reminded once again recently how important it is to be consistent in each of these areas. At a Christmas get-together, I had a conversation with two ladies I have known for ages. They were in Bible Study classes I have taught from the time they were teenagers into their twenties. Thankfully each has continually stayed involved in different churches, so I do not see them very often. What thrills my heart is that each of them has now developed a greater passion for knowing the Scriptures. This is the same desire that I have had for the many years of teaching, that everyone who has heard me teach would take the path of growing into adults who want to share the good news with others.

If you think it is too late in life to start thinking about your approach to God’s word, we can use these ladies who are now in their sixties as an example of how we are to approach our time with the Lord. This does not say they have neglected the Bible over the years because both have remained very active in church and the study of the Scriptures. These stories keep me energized after fifty years of making studying, practicing, and teaching God’s word a priority in my life.

Hopefully, this is the direction you will want to take over the next twelve months and the years to come. Only in this way will you have true meaning in your life. Let’s make 2023 the year that we study the Bible, practice the principles, and share the message found there. When you and I come to the end of 2023 let us look back and be able to say how gratifying the time in His word has been.