by Christine Ingram
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” ~ I Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NASB)
The last four months have been challenging. We have all worked responsibly to limit COVID infections – to be a good neighbour. It has been a time of loss for a lot of people – loss of income, future plans put on hold, family members and friends who can’t be physically present, grief that cannot be fully supported or mourned, and the list goes on and on. We are living in uncertainty and we do not like it.
It is so easy to let go of spiritual disciplines that feed me when I am distracted by the news, have concerns for family and friends, or when extra responsibilities are added on. It is so easy to let go of the physical exercise that I need to keep my mind sharp and my heart healthy when I cannot get to the gym or motivate myself into new routines. And let’s not talk about comfort food that I have indulged in – have you been baking more too?
So how am I trying to keep my feet planted and my soul calm despite all the uncertainty? Through an online conference in the spring, I learned about the Precept Ministries Canada online Bible studies. They motivate me to dig deep into my Bible where I am reminded of important truths that feed me spiritually and are a plumb line for my foundational beliefs. Last month I participated in a four-week Bible study on Tuesday nights via Zoom, “Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible.” This month I am doing a six-week study of I Thessalonians and the verses above are a wonderful encouragement that I have memorized. The classes vary in size – over 30 men and women participated in June’s class and July’s class is much smaller and more personal, only seven participants who are zooming in from across the country, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. The classes are free, you just need to purchase a small workbook. If you are interested in checking out available courses, go to preceptministries.ca.
Let’s encourage one another to grow and to keep our minds and hearts firmly fixed on the One who calls us and loves us.
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