We are not given the luxury of just going through and picking out the things that appeal to us. I mean, we can do that…and have done that for a very long time. Which is why we probably have so many denominations to choose from when it comes to churches we attend.
But how does one go through that book and say ‘Oh, I believe this’ but then a few chapters later we declare: “Now I have a hard time believing that!”?
We have been conditioned to only see or embrace what fits with our narrative or our doctrines. What we end up doing is conforming God to our image and likeness, instead of allowing Him to conform us to His. (Rom 8:29)
Take for example the passages I shared Friday and probable conclusion I drew regarding Job being smitten by Satan with boils from head to toe. That is what we are told at least, in the Book of Job. Then we looked at Deut 28 where God declared that if/when His people refused to obey and rejected His law, the repercussions would be serious and harmful. One of multiple consequences listed would be that He (God) would smite them with boils from head to toe. (vs. 35) (and if you read those other verses I included there, boils seemed to be the least of their problems, although I’ve never been afflicted with a ‘boil’ )
I merely pointed out that the scriptures seem to ‘connect some dots’ and it’s very likely that all those curses were carried out by Satan/demon spirits. (I have many more verses to support this as well)
If that was the first time you have ever heard such a thing, then that would be a tough pill to swallow. Believe me, I understand. And I would have to ask you, what bothered you most…the fact that God ‘uses the enemy’ to carry out his wrath and judgments or that God Himself would ‘bring on you every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law…until you are destroyed” which is what was made clear in Deut 28:61?
We can agree that those boils were not a ‘blessing’, yes? (Oh, if you like more NT verses thrown in to balance some of this, take a quick peek at Acts 3:22-23 regarding this Prophet that Moses told us God was going to raise up (Jesus) and what would happen if we didn't hear/do all He told us.)
And if it’s easier to believe that Satan is the sole culprit and works independently of God and unchecked or unrestrained, then why is anyone left standing? He’d wiped us all off the earth by now.
Let’s be honest here…many, many people profess to love and read and ‘believe’ the bible and would say it’s ‘God’s Word’. But pinned down on multiple verses and stories in there, probably waffle or back pedal a bit. I’ve read stats before sharing how many ‘Christians’ today don’t believe in a literal ‘virgin birth’. Let alone that Jonah rode out three days in the belly of a whale, or that Peter actually walked on water, etc.
If you are in that camp of ‘selective believing’ then these postings will be of little value to you. And that is fine…I appreciate you hanging this long if you have indeed.
But if you are in the camp that does embrace the entire book as being God’s word of truth to us, have you ever asked yourself what is it that rises up within you when you see certain verses that seem to contradict what you have always ‘thought’ or ‘believed’? It has happened to nearly all of us at one time or another. And it’s probably easier to just quickly dismiss those verses while running back to a few other ones that you do adhere to and quoting them a few times until you feel better.
I mean, why open that door of discomfort and start exploring scriptures that have never made sense, right?
Or here’s another path many of us have gone down when we come across those difficult passages. We see a likely conclusion based on scripture and then immediately a ‘scenario’ pops up in your head that would want to oppose or refute that conclusion. And then we immediately conclude that those verses could not possibly ‘mean that…because of This!”
For example, Jesus taught that ‘unless a person is born again, they cannot see/enter the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Immediately a dear friend or beloved relative who had died years earlier comes to mind…and to the best of your recollection, they never darkened a church building or gave you any reason to believe they believed in God yet…you just always assumed they were in heaven.
I will say here and now that trying to figure out who went where when they died is a fruitless road to travel. That information is well above our pay grade. And it’s not our job to make those calls. I merely am illustrating this ‘attack’ that takes place against our mind when it comes to hearing God’s word. The parable of the Sower makes it quite clear that anytime someone hears the word, and doesn’t understand it, that Satan comes immediately to snatch the word from our hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. (Luke 8:12)
It’s one thing to come across scriptures and admit they seem difficult to accept and that perhaps you are not certain how they ‘fit’ with your current line of thinking. So you just ‘put them on a shelf’ and ask God to make it ‘all fit’ because you desire His truth more than anything else. But it’s another thing to reject it flat out because you find it unreasonable or unrealistic or maybe because you’ve never ‘heard it in that fashion’ before.
The danger here is obvious…when you flat out reject the Word, you are rejecting Jesus, because He IS …the Word.
That passage about ‘denying the Lord’ takes on a whole new light now, does it not?
I’m going to be ‘changing gears’ this next week. We are going to wade further in to the Word and most likely it’s going to stir the waters. My only intent is present scripture in balanced context for YOU to study over.
I can tell you I have never walked in nor experienced this much freedom in my entire life as I continue to discover more of God’s liberating truth.
And I’m even more excited about what He is going to do in Your life as well. This is not some superficial-charismatic ‘tease’ either.
If you are hanging with me this far into these postings, then you are obviously here for more than just a ‘drive-by-snack’, which I can appreciate.
I was originally reluctant to start sharing these postings here because it use to be when scrolling through FB, I might come across a random post or comment or even bible verse that would give me pause, and I’d think- ‘Oh, that’s good’. Then I’d scroll further and see some silly or dumb picture or clip or meme and immediately forget the ‘good seed’ I had just read seconds earlier. It was as if a ‘bird came immediately to snatch that seed’ from my mind/heart. Sound familiar?
I look forward to your returning tomorrow. And I cannot emphasize enough…that as I present scripture verses to you, that you need to look them up and mark them in your bible ( I like to write them out in a notebook) and remind yourself over and over…that God’s Word is Good.
You need not fear it nor avoid it. Even if you don’t understand it. Please pray and ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide and lead all of us into His truth.
Bring your bible! And have a blessed day today.
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