I detest running. When I think of people who say they enjoy it, I say to myself, “Bless their heart.” I thought that same thing about the drill instructor long ago who told us we were in a hurry, so we would only run for 45 minutes. Why did the military compel us to run? Because it made us stronger, every day, sometimes twice a day. Bless their heart.
In Acts 16:4, we read that the church grew stronger in faith and increased in number. How did they grow stronger? The text tells us they heard about the teaching of the apostles; not the word that originated with the apostles, but the words that came from Jesus through the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:2.) The church grew stronger by spending time in the word of God. God blessed their hearts and their number.
Spending time in the Bible is like running in boot camp. It makes us stronger. Happily, we can spend time in the Bible from the comfort of our own homes. That doesn’t mean reading, understanding, and applying the Bible is always easy. It is hard work to grow and to change. But if we will do the hard work of Bible study, God will bless our hearts. He will cause us to grow in strength and numbers.
Do you want God to bless your heart, increasing your strength and faith? Would you like to find more like-minded people to add to your spiritual family? Won’t you sit over an open Bible and see what God’s word can do for you?
Bless Your Heart
