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Episode #139 - "The Light of Delight"
Transcript
The guy who “delights” in God’s Word is the guy who finds great pleasure in reading it. He can’t wait for the moment when he can open its pages and study it, just to hear God speak to him. He’s the guy who sees the value in using it to address his problems; and he’s anxious about living it out in his life. Do you feel that way about your Bible? Do you delight in God’s Word?
Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #139. In this episode we continue our journey through my book entitled “Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel”. This week’s episode is entitled “The Light of Delight.”
For those of you just joining this podcast, and for those of you who just need a refresher – we are walking through a series on how to be a Super Man of God – God’s man of steel. Much of what we’re covering in this series is being taken directly from the pages of my book with the same title “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel” available on Amazon.com.
Warning: I’m gonna get sappy for a moment—but hey, I’m the host of this podcast so I can do that.
I remember back in college when my wife and I were dating. As I got to know her, I found myself constantly thinking about her. Every moment we were apart was sheer agony. I couldn’t wait until class was over and I could be with her again.
The long walks we took as the sun set were pure heaven. I hung on her every word (her thick Bostonian accent didn’t hurt either). The more I learned about her, the more I wanted to know; and the more time I invested with her, the more I wanted to be with her. I truly delighted in her—and still do. Today, over 42 years later, every moment we’re apart my heart aches (In case you didn’t figure it out, there’s the sappy part). It’s true though. I can’t wait for the workday to be over so we can be together again.
I look forward to sitting at the dinner table and listening to her as she tells me about her day. I am so privileged, honored, and humbled to be able to say that more now than ever before I truly delight in my wonderful wife!
OK. So why the mushy gushy stuff here? The guy who “delights” in God’s Word is the guy who finds great pleasure in reading it. He can’t wait for the moment when he can open its pages and study it, just to hear God speak to him. He’s the guy who sees the value in using it to address his problems; and he’s anxious about living it out in his life. Do you feel that way about your Bible? Do you delight in God’s Word?
Oh, but that flies in the face of everything we’ve been taught about being men! Delighting in God sure doesn’t sound very manly. It doesn’t growl like a 2.2-liter twin turbo V-6 putting out 700 hp. It doesn’t pop and kick like a Kalashnikov AK-47 Assault Rifle. It’s not like running 10 grueling miles through 500,000 gallons of Grade-A mud, 40 tons of ice and over 20 excruciating obstacles, all designed to wear you down and drag you out of your comfort zone. Now that’s manhood! Right?
I agree that “delighting” in God and His Word doesn’t sound very manly. But I challenge you—no, strike that—I DARE you to try it. Try delighting in God’s Word while the world around you is screaming in your ear for attention. Just try focusing all of your heart, mind, and soul on growing in your walk with God while the job is stressful, and the car is giving you fits, and the bills are mounting. Go ahead and see if you can go deeper in your relationship with God in spite of all the sexual lust that surrounds you on every street corner and with every click of the mouse. Ain’t no two ways about it, delighting in God and His Word is tough! It takes a real man, a Super Man, to do that.
Do you want to be a Super Man of God? Yes? Then find delight in God’s Word. Do you want to be a man of integrity, a man who garners respect from those around him? Yes? Then you need to long for the time each day when you can sit down with your Bible and listen to your Father speak to you. Seriously, dude—I’m not joking here!
I like the way author and preacher Tony Evans put it in his book “Life Essentials” when he said: “You know you are getting somewhere in your spiritual growth when you can feed yourself from God’s Word, instead of having to have it all chopped up and prepared and spooned into your mouth. And when you can help feed someone else on the Word, you are showing the marks of a mature believer.
“To develop spiritual maturity requires that you read God’s Word so you know what it says (Revelation 1:3), study the Word so you know what it means (2 Timothy 2:15), memorize the Word so you can use it when you need it (Psalm 119:11), and take every opportunity to hear the Word of God proclaimed and taught so we can learn to live life and make decisions based on it (Hebrews 5:13-14).
A Super Man of God gives that kind of serious attention to his Bible. Guys, BE that Super Man!
OK, I want to read a couple of paragraphs to you from my book “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel.” It’s a simplified story with a powerful point. So here we go – and I quote:
“Eric stood as tall as he could while his dad knelt in front of him. He had been looking forward to this day all week long. Every day after school he would run downstairs to the basement, drag the chair over to daddy’s chin-up bar, wear dad’s two-pound weights around his ankles, grab hold of the bar and hang there for two whole minutes!
“Mommy said that the doctor said that Sissy grew a whole half finch. I’ll bet I’ve growed at least a foot, Daddy!” he exclaimed as his dad placed the ruler on top of his head and then drew a mark on the wall with the pencil. Dad smiled and simply said, “We’ll see.”
“Turning around with great expectation, Eric’s smile vanished as he looked at the line his dad drew. Nothin.’ He hadn’t growed at all. Seeing his disappointment, Daddy wrapped his big, burly arms around Eric, gave him a hug and said, “It’s OK, son; I bet you’ll grow two feet next week!” Eric smiled and said, “Oh, Daddy, I already have two feet!”
End of Quote. OK, now here’s my point: When a child is born, that baby is expected to grow and develop. As grandparents we have been blessed with 14 amazingly awesome grandchildren. As each of them began their walk-through life, I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the rocking chair while holding them in my arms, talking to them, singing to them as I give them a bottle, and then watching them smile at me (okay, I know it’s just gas, but I still love those smiles). But to be honest, I’m always looked forward with great anticipation to the day when I would no longer hear the words, “Grandpa will change your diaper!”
I was excited for the time when I could sit on the couch with my grandkids snuggled up next to me while I read them a book or take them out on a Grandpa-date so we can have a McWonderful time. I got super excited when I was able to throw a Frisbee or football with them in the back yard. I’m especially pumped when their grandma and I get to attend their ball games or concerts to cheer for them. But at the time of each of their births I was fully aware that all of that was contingent upon one very crucial thing—their growth. They must grow up some before those things can happen.
As they were in their early stages of development, my grandchildren saw their pediatrician regularly. The doctor checked their vitals, examined their bodies, pushed here and wiggled there, measured this and weighed that, all for the purpose of ensuring they were growing as they should. Praise the Lord, they are presently developing and growing exactly as anticipated. However, at the first sign of something wrong, I know their parents will have them right there in the doctor’s office, seeking guidance and help.
Now, if human parents and grandparents are that concerned about the growth of their kids, is it any wonder that our Heavenly Father is concerned about our spiritual growth as well? To be a Super Man of God, you must continuously grow in your relationship with Him. No two ways about it. And to grow, you must eat—eat properly, that is.
It makes sense that an infant can feed only on milk, right? There was nothing wrong with me holding my infant grandchild in my arms while giving them a bottle. But what about my 16-year-old grandson? Something would be drastically wrong if his mother were still rocking him in her arms while feeding him a bottle of warm milk. It’s expected that by now he has grown to the point where he can handle eating meat, potatoes, and those ever-so-yummy vegetables.
Here's a fact: God’s Word plays a vital role in your spiritual growth. Listen, my friend, your Bible is a book to be eaten and digested, not just read, and understood. To be a Super Man of God you need to grow up! And to grow up healthy, you need to feed on God’s Word daily.
In my book “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel” I posted what I call a “Spiritual Growth Chart” – Each letter in the word GROW stands for something. Let me summarize it for you.
Give Him your heart and mind—Proverbs 23:19 commands us to “hear ... and be wise, and direct your heart in (God’s) way.” And then in verse 26 God says, “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” Scripture tells us in Proverbs 4:23 that above all else we must guard our heart.” And in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart.” So, yes – to Grow in your walk with God you must daily GIVE Him your heart.
Secondly, you must choose to Read your Bible daily— why? Because, as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And those words are found in Scripture. Never forget that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and (all of it) is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the (Super) man of God may be complete, equipped for ever good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So, to GROW in your walk with God, you must daily GIVE Him your heart, secondly you must choose to READ your Bible daily.
Third you must always choose to Obey whatever God reveals to you. Jesus says in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In other words, Love Prompts Obedience. 1 John 2:4-5 warns us that “Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments (In other words, chooses NOT to obey what God says in His Word) is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps (God’s) word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this (by our obedience to God) we may know that we are in him.” (1 John 2:4-5) Now here’s the exciting thing, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3)!
OK- so, to GROW in your walk with God, you must daily GIVE Him your heart, secondly you must choose to READ your Bible daily. Third you must always choose to OBEY God’s Word. And
Fourth, you must daily (moment-by-moment) choose to Work out your faith. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Christian in Phillipi these words: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) The words of Hebrews 12:1 are critical to our point here, where we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
That is our Spiritual Growth Chart. G = Give Him your Heart. R = Read your Bible Daily. O = Obey whatever God reveals to you. And W = Work out your faith.
OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our journey through my book “Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel.” If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry and how we minister to men across the globe who are struggling with sexual purity - be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com.
If you are a faithful follower of this podcast, then you know that we’ve been taking a deep-dive look into this book I’ve written (in which we are taking a deep-dive into in this podcast) entitled “Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel.”
“Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel” is a 12-week men’s Bible study that is a fun look at what it means to be God’s Man of Steel in a world that is Anti-God, Anti-Christ, and Anti-Bible. So, let me encourage you to go to Amazon.com today and purchase your copy of “Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel.”
And if you have not yet subscribed to this Point of Purity Podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!
So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.
Please understand that your involvement in this program does not provide any guarantee on the part of Steve Etner, The Purity Coach or The Pure Man Ministry. In other words, we are coming alongside of you for the purpose of coaching you toward accountability and purity. I am not a professional counselor and I cannot guarantee you specified results. I am, however, a man who has been where you are and has seen God work in my life in a mighty way. This program is what changed me. And God has used this program to impact the hearts of countless men across the globe!
I'm here to encourage you, to challenge you, to pray with you, and to share with you what God has taught me. I look forward to coming alongside of you in this journey!