(Taken from Daily Readings from The Christian in Complete Armour written by William Gurnall edited by James s. Bell Jr. Date: April 5)
Christians who are not instructed in the fundamentals of Christianity are not likely to mature into solid saints. I sincerely believe a poor foundation is the reason many are not steadfast today. Dear saint, do not be too proud to go back and learn the basic precepts of the Gospel if you have not yet mastered them. Too many are more concerned about their reputation than their salvation.
Wait on the ministry of the Word. The apostle cautioned the Hebrew Christians not to neglect church attendance (Hebrews 10:25). If you say you want to know God’s truth, but you neglect to go where the Word is preached, you are as insincere as the man who says he wants to watch the sun set but will not bother to turn his chair toward the west.
To know God, you must come to where He has appointed you to learn. If there is a church, go. If there is none, study your Bible diligently and wait on the ministry of the Spirit at home. You can trust your heavenly Father to use extraordinary measures to honor your demand for spiritual food. He is like a father who, if there is no school in town, teaches his child at home and turns him into an excellent scholar. God, Paul tells us, “maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
God’s Word is filled with good things for your soul. He wants you to have them all, so see to it that you are a wakeful and attentive student. Strive to be like Lydia, who “attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14). When you go to church, try to fix your quicksilver mind and set yourself to hear the sermon. Above all, make sure your heart is consumed with love for God, and your will is in submission to His desires. The mind goes on the will’s errand; we spend our thoughts on what our hearts purpose.
