|
|
|
I’ve known people who seem to always be questioning God and His Word, seeming to always put Him on the defensive.
To start with questions is logical, proper, even Biblical. But when dealing with an infinite God there has to come a point where you STOP... And start BELIEVING.
0 Comments
It is interesting that this "hardening of the heart" came to the disciples (Mark 6:52). Usually I would first associate the phrase or condition with the Pharaoh of Egypt, or some other really bad person! But this verse indicates that a believer can also suffer this judgment -- and that's exactly what it seems to be portrayed as.
It should be thought-provoking at least, as it is the kind of thing that renders the "infected" person oblivious to the fact that he does, in fact, have it. A believer with a hardened heart probably does not realise it. In fact, he may think he is totally right in whatever matter is on the table. Only by God's grace can this be reversed, as the Holy Spirit points out truth and sin, and we have the spiritual sensitivity to respond correctly. The opposite would be to continue blinded by our pride, assuming everyone else is wrong. Lord, give me a sensitive heart that is always on the alert. My deadliest enemy is probably the one inside. ("For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.") The glorious will of God for you will happen as you keep adding one obedient day to another. (Matt 6:34)
Each of us today will make a decision between two ways to live.
BY SIGHT. We can live by sight, thinking and reasoning exclusively on the basis of the circumstances we see around us - family problems, church issues, financial challenges, health matters, etc... If we live only on this level we will always be bouncing back and forth, banged around by events that hit us from all sides, and life will be mostly sour. BY FAITH. Or we can live by faith, understanding that reality is not only about what we see. In fact, what we see is the lesser factor. There is an invisible God who with infinite wisdom governs every detail of our life and of everyone else on the planet. Living with this perspective will bring peace and joy and hope. THE CHOICE IS OURS 2 Corinthians 5:7 God loves to surprise;
We are often broadsided with events we could never have imagined. But He himself is never surprised. Jer 33:3/Isa 44:6 Worry is much about our focus.
Our world is quite obviously a big mess; but maybe so is our family, our church, our city, or our nation. Nothing has changed in a very long time. The nation Isaiah prophesied to 2600 years ago was fretting as well. Inside and outside their borders there was nothing but disaster and hopelessness. So God sent a message: Isaiah 40:22-23 You can focus on all the grasshoppers jumping around, thinking they are the ultimate thing; or you can fix your eyes on the One sitting on the eternal throne, the One who supervises and governs everything from a tadpole to a galaxy. As Christians we have a choice... Or maybe we don't. (It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing;) For some it may seem like a strange title or metaphor for God.
But sooner or later, it will make a whole lot of sense... When your world begins to shift. When tragedy strikes and family members die; when a son or daughter walks away from the home; when your faith in a friend is shaken by a lie; when fellow believers let you down; when spiritual leaders fail you; when society changes course; when your plans fall apart; when the basic foundations of what you've always known begin to tremble... You want something solid. Something that won't move or change. Something that you can count on. And suddenly Moses does make a lot of sense. HE IS THE ROCK. (Deut 32:4) One of the great Christian joys is to serve others in Jesus' Name--how sad to see some who never learn the lesson. It is one than can never be fully understood until put into practice. (Mk 10:45)
There are things to forget; there are things that don't really matter; and there are things that we should never, ever forget.
God, who gave us the ability to remember, does not leave us in a fog. He tells us to use our mind, to control what we think about, and know what we should ignore. Isaiah 51:12-13 says that we have no business paying attention to man while forgetting our Maker. Is this not the issue that so often bends us out of shape? Do not others--in a bad way--have too much effect on our thinking? And is it not the easiest thing in the world to forget that God is the ultimate Comforter because He made us, knows what we need and don't need, and has all power to provide? May we learn to forget-- Or not. "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die . . . And forgettest the LORD thy maker" Does it make any difference?
Some will stew over how it can be possible for an omniscient God and a human prayer to mesh. And in stewing, they don't pray. Others skip the anguish through pure and simple faith. They realize that we will never understand the mysteries of eternity from this earthly platform in time. So they just believe, and pray. In Isaiah 37:21, God delivered a pretty straightforward message to Hezekiah: BECAUSE YOU PRAYED... I WILL SPARE YOU. Now what would have happened had Hezekiah not prayed? Well, we can speculate, or wish for a fuller explanation, or beg for more light on the subject. But we cannot claim ignorance of God's will. He wants us to pray. He wants us to pray more than He wants us to understand how prayer works. He wants us to pray so He can show us His interest, His love, and His glory. "Lord, teach us to pray." |
Humorous stories from 50 years on the mission field!
Categories
All
Archives
August 2024
|
RSS Feed