In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, God's Word declares:

(15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

(16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

(17) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

What a blessing to understand God's perspective on spiritual growth, in that the inerrant, infallible, eternal, God-breathed Scriptures are both the source and resource of all spiritual life and growth.

The first aspect of spiritual growth is salvation, seen in verse 15, which comes only through the wisdom of the Scriptures. Thereafter, verse 16 shows that the process of sanctification is accomplished as the doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness declared in the Scriptures are employed. Finally, in verse 17, the ultimate goal of spiritual growth is realized in the maturity of Christ-likeness that accurately declares Him to our world.

In doctrine and reproof, we LEARN God's heart, mind, will and purpose;
In correction, we understand a directional CHANGE in repentance;
In instruction in righteousness, the need for a PLAN going forward.

May God bless you today, as God uses His Word in your life, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

(C) 1993 N.A.Collins - Limited copy permission for one personal file copy

God's Word teaches us that as new creatures in Christ, we are to be His ambassadors, representing Him accurately in our sphere of influence.

As we face various trials and difficulties, He has provided us ALL that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet.1:3). He has has taught us there is NO trial greater than we can handle (1 Cor 10:13). He assures us that ALL things are being worked together by Him for our ultimate good, which is progressive conformity to Jesus Christ. He obligates Himself to NEVER withhold anything from us that would accomplish that great eternal purpose for our eternal good and His eternal glory (Psa. 84:11). He guarantees us that His grace is sufficient and has given His eternal, infallible and unfailing promises to His blood-bought children (2 Cor. 12:9).

Hebrews 12:15 gives us clear and definable instructions on the importance of maintaining a biblical perspective on trials. It reads " Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; ". When we lose confidence in God and forget God's absolute promises, we cease to know the peace of God in our hearts, and start to demonstrate the conflict of sin. When we fail of God's grace by failing to view situations as He views them, we take inappropriate steps of action to resolve problematic areas. It is then that the root of bitterness is born. Thereafter, we see the inner conflict of our troubled heart, as well as an influential defilement upon those lives whom we touch.

What is it that cases us to struggle against that which God declares is for our ultimate good? Have we forgotten that we are His workmanship, created for His purpose and glory? Have we placed our own temporal will and purposes above His eternal ones? It is only as all of our expectations are from Him (Psa. 62:5) that we will view people and problems in His way, reject taking up offenses, and will understand and submit joyfully to His will, according to His Word.

May God help us to respond to Him in ways that please Him, then to reflect and report Him accurately today so that we do not fail of His grace, thus preventing a root of bitterness from springing up in our own hearts.

(C) 1993 N.A.Collins - Limited copy permission for one personal file copy
(c) 1993 N.A.Collins - Excerped from Topical Bible Study Meditations

When I think about questions, in my mind I quickly go to the first question that was asked in Scripture, when the question that was posed there was in direct opposition to the integrity of God. His character and nature was assaulted by the serpent, when he asked "hath God said?" As we begin this kind of consideration together, it is imperative that we remember WHO God is. In Isaiah 45:5a, God says "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:". In Isaiah 42:8, He reminds us " I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." We need to recall, according to His Word, HOW He declares His work. In Revelation 4:11, we read "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Again, in Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." In considering questions of a blood-bought believer to the One Who has purchased His redemption at Calvary, I think of these: WHO?, WHAT?, WHY?, WHEN?, WHERE?,HOW?, and HOW LONG ? Each of them provides instruction, or steps of action to be taken, with the exception of one. That one is "WHY?" It seems, rather, to offer resistance, in an attempt for personal validation. There are times when situations or circumstances arise that are different from, or maybe not even remotely distinguishable to, that which we had planned or envisioned in our mind. At those times, the old nature habit patterns of the flesh would so quickly ask God the" WHY?"question. However, in taking a deeper look at that, such a response seems to define a forgetfulness of His Romans 8:28-29 promise of working all things together toward the ultimate good end of our conformity to Christ. His other promises which come to mind are those of Ephesians 1:11 , regarding how He works all things after the counsel of His will; and Psalm 84:11 which assures us that He will withhold no good (conforming) thing from us; finally, Jeremiah 29:11 with its joyful hope of God's thoughts of peace to us, not evil. How much better for us to imitate the prayer of the Lord Jesus in the garden, found in Luke 22:42, when He prayed "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.". Thereafter, we should utilize the remaining instructional questions of just how and when and where to use this trial to His glory.

May God help us to trust the character and nature of our God, seeking ways to extend His grace and declare His glory.

(C) 1993 N.A.Collins -Copy permission limited to one personal file copy

We live in a world that is full concerns, worries, and fears from the human side. Yet God, in His sovereignty has taught us in John 16:33 that in the midst of predictable and anticipated trials, we can be if good cheer, because of the incredible fact that He has overcome the world. What a wonderful reason!!!!

The age old question that often arises is simply "How?" God has clearly given definitive answer to us in this matter. He has taught us in Colossians to set our mind on things above, not on things of earth. In Psalms, we are instructed to meditate in His Word day and night.  James teaches us that as we draw near to God, He draws near to us. Isaiah assures us that the believer has perfect peace to the extent that his mind is stayed on the Lord. So...we only need to practicalize those clear instructions and do so, on the basis of His Word, rather than on the basis of our fears or feelings.

Through the years, I've had 85 biopsies, 2 of which were malignant and required surgical intervention. There was always that waiting period prior to finding out the results of each biopsy. Often the time period from the new lumps and the wait on reports from former biopsies would overlap. I found that as I would focus on the problems, even to pray about them, they grew like weeds in my mind. So, when I would awaken in the night with fears, etc., I began to pray regarding the character and nature of God, as revealed to me in Scripture. I wrote them out and learned them in times of quietness, so I could draw upon them in the times of storm. As I memorized them, along with the attendant passages, I never got through rehearsing them all in praise to God, before falling back to peaceful sleep. We maintain a God-centered focus by meditation on His character and nature in times of difficulties.

The following list that God used in my own life is simply called "How To Maintain a God-centered Focus".

God 's Person             Perfect                           Psalm 18:30
God's Purpose            Conformity to Christ      Romans 8:28-29
God's Plan                  Counsel of His will         Ephesians 1:11
God's Promise            Perpetual Presence         Hebrews 13:5
God's Performance     Faithfulness                    1 Corinthians 12:9
God's Peace                Focus dependent            Isaiah 26:3

May God help you today to keep your mind stayed on/focused on Him!

(C) 1990 N.A.Collins (Limited copy permission for one file copy)

Some of the most frequent comments I hear are related to not knowing HOW TO DO those things that they know WHAT TO DO. This matter of application of scriptural truth seems to be a big black hole to many Christians who admit to real struggles in this area. What IS the answer? We are going to need to think theologically about God's plan and purpose for our lives, then restructure our thought patterns with predictably resultant life changes. We know from Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20that we are to please / glorify God. Jeremiah 29:11 communicates that God has thoughts of peace toward us, to bring us to an expected end. Romans 8:28-29 reminds us of that purposeful end as being conformity to Christ. So - with that foundational understanding of our singular life purpose to be like Jesus, to the magnification, exaltation and glory of God - how can we infuse that into a practical application of the Scriptures each day? From each passage read, ask God which verse within that passage that He would want you to focus on for the remainder of the day. Identify in your mind the character and nature of God that you have seen either within the passage, or from your basic knowledge of Scripture. In this life, we demonstrate our hearts by the allegiance we give in our thoughts, our walk, and our talk, that is, the fruit of our lips. Thus, in order to make a basic life application to God's Word, we can use what I have called an ABC application. The following explanation will help you to see the suggested manner in which to do so: Read Philippians 4:4-7, the key verse being 7. Write vs 7 out on a 3x5 card. Under the verse, thinking of God's character and nature, write: A for the attitude that is like Christ....what to THINK. (Confidence in God) what specifically B for the behavior that is like Christ....how to WALK ( peace & stability) what will you do, to whom, when as God brings to mind C for the communication that is like Christ...how to TALK (prayer/praise) specific items, people, places as God brings to mind throughout the day, every hour or so, thoughtfully read that card aloud, along with the reference at the beginning and at the close. May God encourage your heart as you strive to apply His Word today!

(C) 1993 N.A.Collins - limited copy permission for one personal copy