Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

GROWING TOGETHER

This entry was posted on 07-17-2009 and is filed under SPIRITUAL FORMATION.

Most everything I have read or hear about spiritual formation seems to be directed at the individual. And indeed we must be responsible to feed ourself and disciplined enough to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." Yesterday we brought up the idea that spiritual formation is also a collective endeavor. I want to continue in that vein of thought today.

Here is an excellent passage to consider. It is Paul's prayer for the Ephesian Christians as a whole. I will italicize the parts that seem to be indicating this collective endeavor. "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you [remember that "you" here is plural, not individual - V.K.] with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19 NIV).

May God grant us the wisdom and desire to come alongside one another in our journey of faith. No man walks the road to Heaven alone. Along the way we must pick one another up, encourage one another, exhort one another daily, you get the picture. This is the way God designed the church. This is why we have church assemblies. This is why God's plan includes godly leaders (shepherds). "They keep watch over you as men who must give an account" (Heb. 13:17).

Hymn: "We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows the sympathizing tear...This glorious hope revives Our courage by the way; While each in expectation lives, And longs to see the day." (John Fawcett)