This 14th verse: To make every effort; to be diligent He says. Be diligent. And in what direction? Well, you’ve got to seek food for your souls. You’ve got to get away… to a conference; travel a long distance to be here. Drive 15 hours. Drive through the night. Drive just to be here. And search for things that can nourish you and build up your knowledge and your graciousness. You don’t want to be unfruitful and static, but there’s a dynamism, and a maturing, and a beauty; and a fragrance, and a loveliness about your life. You’re seeking for truths that will do that; that will produce love, and joy, and peace, and long-suffering, and gentleness, and goodness, and faithfulness, and meekness, and self-control. You’ve got to fall in love with the Bible. You’ve got to search it. You’ve got to ransack it. You’ve got to sit under the best ministry you can on a Sunday. You’ve got to read the best books. You’ve got to sit and listen to older Christians as they talk together and they reminisce about how God has dealt with them over the years. And learn from them the mysterious influence that one Christian can have over another. You seek good fellowship with other Christians, and you hunger after truth. You want the Word of God to come not in word only, but in power and the Holy Spirit and much assurance. Fall in love. Meditate upon Scripture. And, praying Scripture. So you read a verse like this, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior,” and you say, “Lord, me too. I want to grow. I want to grow. This week, I’ve got a special time here; special privileges. Help me to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ.” Because your souls won’t grow without food. And there’s no food for the soul like the Word of God. There’s no place to be better than before the face of Jesus Christ.
Excerpt taken from the exhortation that Geoff Thomas gave at the prayer meeting prior to the start of the conference.
