Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, of all deceit, hypocrisy, and envy, and of all the ways there are of speaking against people; and be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the word; so that by it, you may grow up into deliverance. For you have tasted that Adonai is good (1 Peter 2:1-3)
As followers of Jesus Christ, we must make the most of our times of rest, when we are not being persecuted for our Faith in Jesus. In these seasons, we must be diligent to rid ourselves of the desires associated with the old nature, while simultaneously resting in the finished work of the cross, feeding ourselves with God’s pure spiritual milk through prayer, reading of his word, and meditating on the things of heaven. If we are not careful, we will suddenly find it very difficult to respond in faith when we inevitably face an unmanageable time or true persecution.
Why should we take this initiative so seriously? Because when we do not continually renew our minds by discovering how God operates through his written word, we will find ourselves still thinking with carnal minds and earthly or worldly logic rather than a heavenly perspective. As it is written, “Your laws I meditate on day and night, your word have I hidden in my heart, for me to live is Christ” [Ps. 1:2, Ps 119:11, and Phil 1:21]
Therefore, if we are renewing our minds according to the truths written in God’s word when we face a trial and find ourselves starting to rely on our own reasoning or feelings, we can properly reevaluate our circumstances through the lens of God’s word and walk in step with the Holy spirit who is the truth! (Gal. 5:25)
