The Word of God for wisdom:
Proverbs 20:27 (NLT)
27 The LORD's light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
The Word of God for inspiration:
Psalm 29:11 (NLT)
11 The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace.
The Word of God for encouragement:
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 (ESV)
1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human?
My observation:
There is nothing that will weaken or kill a church more than division from within the Body of Christ. This is the big problem that was causing trouble in the Corinthian church. Paul was not pleased with this development, and he addresses the issue in this portion of the letter.
A church, if it is to remain alive, must be a growing church. Things that are living grow, and things that do not grow die. The members of the living church of God must grow, and the way they grow is by the nourishment provided by the word of God. Show me a Christian that does not read and study the bible, and I will show you a Christian that is not growing. SPOILER ALERT: Churches with too many members like this are in danger of dying.
1 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV)
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
4 But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
You need the milk of the word, but there comes a time in your life that you need to begin to partake of the meat of the word. If you don't have an appetite for the meat of the word, see if you have any of these sins in your life, and put them away. If we are full of these things, we have no room for God's word.
1 Peter 2:1 (ESV)
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
My prayer:
Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that I will not be satisfied with anything but the word of God; Father, I want the entire word of God, and not just infant milk. Father, feed me, and fill me with thy holy word.
Father, what I pray for myself, I also pray for those who are weak, I pray that they will become meek. Father, I pray that they will eat a balanced diet of milk and meat from your table of life. In Jesus name, Amen.
John 6:35 (KJV)
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
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1 Corinthians 1:2-3 (HCSB)
2 To God's church at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord—⌊both⌋ their Lord and ours.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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