Exceedingly Growing Faith !

Exceedingly Growing Faith: 3. GIVING THE WORD OF GOD FIRST PLACE, The Training, development, and education of our spirits comes by giving the word of God first place in our lives. Many of us have had the training and development of our spirits by the devil, the world, and the mind, and the flesh. (Proverbs 4:20--22) "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. [When it says sons it also includes daughters] Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." God says in this passage, "attend to my words [give heed to them--- put them first]; incline thine ear unto my sayings [listen to what I have to say]. Let them not depart from thine eyes [keep looking in the word of God]; keep them [my words]. . . In your hearts." There are rich dividends for doing this. Why is it that God tells us to put His word first, to listen to what He has to say, to keep looking at His Word, and to keep His word in our hearts ? It is because "they [His Words] are life [spirit life] unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." The margin of the King James reads, "and medicine to all their flesh."] Notice that there is healing in The Word. It is strange to me that some people won't put God's word first in these areas. In the 15 years our pastored, there were members who will get sick, go to the hospital, and asked for prayer afterwards. I am not saying that it is wrong to have a doctor, certainly not. We believe in hospitals and doctors and think God for them. But I am saying why not put God's Word first ? It is because human beings have been trained in reverse ! Sometime believe was turned to the Word as a last resort. A Baptist minister who didn't particularly believe in divine healing and the time, told how he had had problems with his tonsils. His doctor kept telling him that they must be removed, so that date will set. Each morning he and his wife would read the Bible and pray with the children before school. On the very date in was scheduled to enter the hospital, their Scripture passage was the one which details of King Asa who got a disease in his feet, and instead of seeking the Lord, he saw physicians and died. The minister said that he was struck by this. He realized that he hadn't even prayed about his tonsils. He shared this with his wife and children and asked that they prayed together about his tonsils. When they prayed, the Lord told him not to have them removed. To his astonishment, the Lord healed the tonsils and he has had no more trouble with them. There is a lesson to be learned here. The Bible does not imply that King Asa died because he put the physician first. However, it does imply that he should have put the Lord first. We should train ourselves to put the Lord first. We should train ourselves to ask concerning any matter, "what does God's word have to say about this ?" We should ask ourselves what God has to say about anything that may come up in our lives--- and then put that Word first. Sometimes family and friends will try to rush you into things, but you need to think about what the word of God says. It is written, Jesus, said Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) it is obvious, that we spiritual beings have learned how to put other things first. There are many voices in this world, and they are competing for your attention and in many cases they are designed to distract you from seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness ! Because the enemy of all humanity no that if he can distract you long enough then your minds would be renewed to the things of this world. Put God's Word first in every area of your life, for your life is hid in Christ Jesus.