Don’t Get Comfortable—Press In for More of God

Coming home from Israel, I knew something had stirred deep within my heart.

We had the incredible privilege of leading 22 people through the land where so much of the Bible unfolded. Walking where Jesus walked, seeing the places I had read about for years, and learning more about the history and culture of Scripture awakened a new hunger in me.

I want to know God more.

Not simply know more about Him. I want to know His heart, His character, His ways, and the truth of His Word more deeply.

I’ve loved Jesus for years. I’ve taught His Word, written books, encouraged women, and watched Him do incredible things in people’s lives. Just last month, we launched Into the Secret Place, and the testimonies of what God has done have overwhelmed me with gratitude.

But something has become so clear:

No matter how long we’ve walked with Jesus, we should never become comfortable with how much we know about Him.

Recently, I had a dream that brought this desire into even greater focus.

I was standing among a circle of strong, gifted women who loved God and were passionate about His Word. I approached one of the women and asked if she would mentor me so I could become a better teacher.

When I sensed how limited her time was, I asked if she might simply review my teaching notes and offer guidance. She smiled and agreed.

When I woke up, what stayed with me wasn’t the circle of influential women.

It was the realization that I want to grow in my understanding of Scripture.

I don’t want to become so familiar with the Bible that I stop searching its depths.

I don’t want to teach a passage simply because I’ve heard it explained a certain way all my life.

I want to understand the Jewish culture in which Jesus lived, the historical setting of

Scripture, and what God’s Word meant to the people who first received it.

I want to be willing to examine traditions, assumptions, and even my own understanding against the truth of Scripture.

Not because God’s Word needs to change, but because sometimes our understanding does.

And I believe that requires humility.

The humility to admit there are things we don’t know.

The humility to ask questions.

The humility to receive correction.

And the humility to remain a student, even when God has given us opportunities to teach.

Ezra 7:10 says:

“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

I love the order of those words.

Study it. Live it. Teach it.

Before we pour into others, we must be willing to let God’s Word continue transforming us.

And friend, that is my challenge to you today.

Don’t get comfortable.

Don’t become so familiar with church that you lose your hunger for Jesus.

Don’t become so accustomed to hearing sermons that you stop opening the Bible for yourself.

Don’t settle for knowing the stories when there is so much richness in understanding their meaning.

Don’t allow yesterday’s understanding to become the limit of tomorrow’s growth.

And don’t become so busy doing things for God that you neglect spending time with Him.

The apostle Paul expressed this longing in Philippians 3:10:

“I want to know Christ…”

Think about that.

Paul had encountered Jesus, preached the gospel, planted churches, and witnessed the power of God.

Yet he still wanted to know Him more.

Oh, may that always be the cry of our hearts!

Lord, I want to know You more.

More than I want opportunities.

More than I want recognition.

More than I want to accomplish something significant.

I want to know You.

I am incredibly grateful for everything God has allowed us to experience recently. The retreat, the journey through Israel, the people we’ve met, and the lives we’ve watched Him touch have been beautiful gifts.

But I don’t want to become so captivated by what God is doing through me that I overlook what He wants to do within me.

And perhaps that’s where some of us need to begin again.

Not by asking God for a bigger assignment, but by asking Him for a deeper hunger.

A hunger that draws us back to His Word.

A hunger that makes us willing to learn.

A hunger that causes us to examine what we believe and why we believe it.

A hunger that keeps us teachable, humble, and close to Jesus.

Because the goal isn’t simply to gain more biblical knowledge.

The goal is to know the God who gave us His Word—and allow His truth to change the way we live.

So today, I’m challenging myself, and I’m challenging you.

Open your Bible with fresh eyes.

Ask questions.

Study the context.

Seek wise, trustworthy teachers.

Make time to sit quietly with Jesus.

Be willing to grow beyond what you’ve always known.

And never lose the wonder of discovering something beautiful in God’s Word.

Whether you’ve walked with Jesus for five days or fifty years, there is still so much to learn.

Don’t get comfortable.

Don’t stop seeking.

Don’t stop learning.

Don’t stop growing.

Press in for more!

Not simply more blessings, more opportunities, or more things God can do for you.

Press in for a deeper understanding of His Word, a greater love for His truth, and a closer walk with Jesus.

Because at the end of our lives, the greatest treasure won’t be everything we accomplished for Him.

It will be that we spent our lives getting to know Him. 

Love,

Tricia