Hosanna Restoration Church

Don’t you just love the way the New Living Translation starts out Second Peter. Verse 3 says, “As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.” Oh yes, Jesus provides everything we need. We are called to receive His own glory and goodness. And by that same wonderful power He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. Then comes the exhortation to make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to out lives. What! It takes effort!! Of course it does.

Even a child knows that you have to put out some effort. How do your presents get opened on special occasions? Do they just pop open when they are placed in front of you? No, you have to open them. Of course, we are all more than happy to expend that effort in order see what we have received. In the same way, then, we should be willing to make every effort to apply all the benefits of the promises of God to our lives.

What kind of effort is involved? Time and energy to name a couple. We need to spend time with God so that we know the promises and know His will. Time spent in prayer, bible reading, and attending church, are all efforts that reap rewards. As it says in Peter, the better we know Jesus, the more His power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. Just like you need to show up at a birthday party to get your presents and enjoy the guests, so you need to make the effort to spend time with the Lord.

There is also the time that it takes to pour out what God puts in us. As God pours His love and generosity into us, we should naturally become a conduit for spreading that. As we know Him better and spend time with Him, we become more obedient to His leading. As we pour out the things He pours in, more of the promises are applied to our lives. Remember, when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the other things are added to us.

Don’t confuse this effort, with works for the sake of works. We are not earning anything from God. We are simply applying the benefits of His promises to our lives. What fun is it for God, if He makes promises to us and we never take Him seriously enough to apply them. If you tell someone to come over to your house because you have something for them, but they don’t bother to show up what do you do? You might call them again, but if they continued not to bother, you would just find someone else to bless or maybe you would store it and hope someday they would come for it.

Well God has a storehouse of promised things for us. And it is sad to say, that many do not take Him seriously. He has healing, provision, protection, direction, comfort and well, the list goes on and on. Yet there are a multitude of Christians who have not come to know Jesus well enough to even consider His promises, let alone make an effort to apply them to their lives. Because of this, there are multitudes in the valley of decision who see no benefit in seeking the Lord. Won’t you make the effort & make a difference.