nelson's nkjv study bible

Now or the Long Run?

By Jennifer Hallmark

Several years ago, I taught a women’s class at church where we were studying “Keys to Good Relationships.”  A lot of the study was repetitive and one of the verses we talked about over and over was James 1:19-20:

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” NKJV

Why do we study these verses over and over?  We are getting ready for the long run!  Too often in church today, we want to study a subject or a verse from the Bible for a couple of weeks and then move on to the next thing.  We, at times, act like children with a short attention span.  Sometimes, in our pride, we think we can actually receive deep revelation or knowledge from studying a couple of days or weeks.  It just doesn’t work that way; you don’t learn algebra in a couple of days either. Today I am gleaning fruit from past long time studies of the Word.  For two and a half years, my major study verses have been Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” NKJV

When I first started studying this verse, I was serious for a couple of weeks and then I was ready for something else.   God wanted me to stay where I was however.  Study to me is keeping this word written in plain sight around the computer desk and Bible, asking God to help me to understand it and thinking of ways to learn to trust as the verse says.  Though I studied other things also, this was a main thought every week.  I would talk to God about going on to something else but didn’t feel released from this study for over two years!  Why?  This was a basic truth that I did not have revelation of and I needed to be strongly rooted and grounded in this truth.  We need to be unshakeable in many areas so we can stand during testing and trials.  God knew the trials that lay ahead in my life: dealing with several deaths in a month’s time and later on health problems and He knew the foundation had to be strong for me to be able to not only survive during this time but grow.

There are two verses I am studying now and hopefully I will listen and be patient:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

The point I am trying to make is that we have to be ready to do things that make a difference in the future, not just instant gratification.  It might be fun to study a couple of weeks on this and that but you won’t get rooted and grounded in the Word that way. I challenge you today to think of the last thing God told you to do or study and commit yourself to that until you feel released.  It could be to stop worrying, to work on your marriage or it could be a specific scripture like:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Go to the Word and God and let’s build a foundation that will last until Jesus comes back. I want to be in this for the long run!  Do you?