Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
The late Christian pastor and author, A.W. Tozer, wrote, “God has not bowed to our nervous haste nor embraced the methods of our machine age. It is well that we accept the hard truth now: the man who would know God must give time to Him!” What a great gift God has given us that we can know Him – our Creator who is good and pure in all His ways, the One who loves us perfectly and is eternally faithful to us. The more we know God truly, the more we can experience His love and goodness, presence and guidance, peace and joy each day. But just as it takes a great investment of time to get to know a person deeply, so it is with God.
We can, of course, see God’s creativity and power in His creation. But where we see God most clearly is in His Word, the Scriptures. That is especially true in the accounts of Jesus, God the Son, who lived among us, demonstrating the character of God; and who died for us, revealing the love of God.
So, let me encourage you to spend regular time with God in His word. And don’t rush through it. It is better to read short passages slowly and thoughtfully, reflecting on their meaning, than rushing through long portions of Scripture but not absorbing their truth.
Another way, as I mentioned in the sermon last Sunday, is to spend time with God in prayer. As the Lord’s Prayer begins with the two word, “Our Father,” it is good to pause right there and reflect for a moment on God’s fatherly love and care, tenderness and faithfulness. As you do, not only will your understanding of God grow, but so will your sense of gratitude. You will be able to live each day confident of His care for you.
Another way to help us know God more deeply is by doing a focused study on the life of Christ. And so, following our six-month break due to Covid restrictions and cautions, we will resume the Adult class on the Person and Work of Christ this Sunday, Sept. 27 at 9:30 AM. The theme this Sunday will be the death of Christ, what it accomplished, and what it means for us. It would be great if you can join us!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob