Contemplative Bible Reading

1 John 2 (New Living Translation)

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

…

26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

There is the world and what it offers, and there is the Holy Spirit and what it offers.

The world offers us things we crave. These things are great fun, but they fade.

The Holy Spirit, in contrast, offers us everything we need to know, everything that is true.

How is it that I seem to confuse the two so often? How is it that I drift back to the world so often?

God, help me in my unbelief.