Thirstin' for the Word Thursday

"'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.'" (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!

I am diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here are the verses that spoke to me this week:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14, NIV)

I blew it this morning. Darling daughter frustrated me beyond my own level of patience this morning. She was digging in her heels about a particular issue, and since my ballerina flats were already deep into the ground, I did not respond with self-control. Instead, I only exacerbated the issue and got us both so upset that most of our morning was shot (hence, this post appearing in the afternoon, rather than the morning!).

When I finally got the chance to sit down and work on this post, I reflected on the connection between this scripture and my reaction this morning. How can I apply these verses to my own situation?

• Pray for God's grace to help me lead a righteous life. God provides His grace and mercy, not only for salvation, but also for being Christ-like. I certainly can not live a righteous life on my own. Believe me, I have tried . . . and failed . . . miserably. Each morning I must pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me and provide the strength and self-control to say the right thing and do the righteous thing. I must yield to His guidance. I am God's child, and He wants to help me become more Christ-like so that I can spread His glory.
• Just say, "No," to the world. Worldly messages bombard me, contradicting God's Word on how I should live. How much time do I actually spend surrounded by the world's messages as compared to God's Message? I should replace sitcoms and reality shows for programs on Christian networks. I should turn my radio station to the Christian contemporary station (That is, when I get a chance to listen to "my" music. Then again, I should replace the kids' CDs with the Judy Rogers CDs they got for Christmas.). Above all, I should immerse myself in God's Word. I think I'll bring a Bible down to the kitchen to read when I get a chance throughout the day.

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.