Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised...But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. — 2 Peter 1:2-5, TLB

If you’re like me, you’re looking for ways to love God more. Not just to obey him—although that’s what proves we love him—but to love God with a passion. With spirited affection. Intense desire. I’m talking about longing to know God better and better with fire in your eyes and a furnace in your heart. The passage for today explains exactly how. If you want to increase your desire for God, then get to know him in a deeper way. And there is no better way to know him than through his Word. Get into God’s Word, and you will get a heart for Jesus. Get passionate about Scripture, and your passion for him will increase. Feelings follow faith…and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Take a look back over the past week. How much time did you spend in the Word? What does that say about the direction your relationship with Him is going? Mark down specific times in your calendar to be in the Word this upcoming week. Be realistic but stretch yourself a bit. After all, you want to know God better, don’t you?

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...You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. — Joshua 23:14 He stood out in a crowd—a tall, handsome, black man from Jamaica with a big smile. I saw him shaking people’s hands and heard each person tell him how encouraging his testimony was. As the crowd thinned, I wheeled up to him, leaned forward, and lifted my arm, a hint to let him know I wanted to shake hands. He smiled and leaned forward to extend his hand. Then a wonderful thing happened: I realized he had no hands. This joyful Christian wore black fiberglass hands. We commented that even though we couldn’t feel it, our handshake sure looked good!

He smiled broadly and said, Sister, aren’t you glad we have Jesus?! We have his promises! Jesus and his promises. They are virtually one and the same.

This disabled man from a poor country has staked his life on God’s promises. His promise to lead. To sustain. To protect and provide. To meet every need. How can I be so sure this Jamaican thrives on God’s promises? Because he loves Jesus; and as 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, For no matter how many promises God has made, they are Yes in Christ. To believe in Christ is to believe in God’s promises.

What promises anchor your faith? Can you say that not one of them has failed? You can if your anchor is Jesus. He and His promises have been there all along—consistent, faithful, tested, and true. If you ever bump into a tall, black Jamaican guy with no hands, just ask him.

Father, help me to sink my anchor deep in your promises. As life’s waves broadside my boat, enable me to remember that every promise has its beginning and ending in Jesus.

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