Ok, so here we go. Can you imagine being in this group of people who were getting ready to go and take the promise they have heard about for years and years? What would it look like? How soon Lord? What price? Can you imagine the excitement of finally doing something instead of wandering in the desert? I'm sure you can, as many of us have been wandering in a spiritual desert trying to force the promise on ourselves as if we had the power to it. If we had the ability within ourselves to be happy all the time wouldn't it makes sense that we would choose that? If we had the ability to walk right into the promise of God (we'll discuss what that is) on our own wouldn't we?
We have in my opinion been walking in our own abilities to long. Let me paint a picture of what I mean. Have you ever done a jigsaw puzzle of 1000 pieces or more? Oh, the picture on the box is so cool and you start out with very good intentions to finish. Then a busy life takes you away and the pieces get put back in the box. This happens again and again until one day we say I'm going to get the puzzle out and this time I mean business. The ambition is there and after some time you notice some pieces are missing. You are clever and crafty so that is not going to get in the way of you finishing this puzzle so you get a cardboard box and a sharp exacto knife and make the missing pieces yourself. You even pain them and shalack them, place them in the empty spots and then present your finished puzzle as complete, frame it and display it for all to see. But when you look real close you can tell somethings wrong with the picture so you hide it or cover that part of the picture up. You shine a display light on the parts that look right and leave the others in the shadow. Hmmmm. Sounds like how we put our christian life of understanding together.
I live my life by the scripture that say's in all things gain understanding. In other words I would have called the manufacturer of the puzzle to see if I could have bought the missing pieces or if the puzzle was available in its entirity for purchase. Why did I go this far to make a point? Every word in the Bible is there for a reason! Amen! We have skipped over things that have been hard to understand or boring to read. We have skipped them sometimes because we thought there was no value there and like the missing puzzle pieces we have filled in the blanks with our own understanding created with our own abilities with our own hands. Instead of relying on the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things we for whatever reason have taught ourselves with books and teachings of man or just left that part of the puzzle blank. Either way we have to do better church.
Scripture like Deuteronomy 7:1 that lists names we can't read are easily often skipped over instead of saying Holy Spirit teach me. The dreaded he begets and listing of the tribes are often not looked at let alone studied and taught. Let me encourage you today to take the puzzle off the wall and remove what was not made from the manufacturer. Holy Spirit of Truth teach us and show us your ways! Amen! Don't be discouraged when things are not working as you thought they should. Let's re-focus on what God has really said and be obedient to His word and then let God be God. We can't make a thing happen as if we were little gods. I'm sorry that is what the TV preachers have taught but it is wrong! I'm sorry you are walking in disappointment but trying to make God work in the way and manner you or somebody who taught you thought up will never work. We will see what God said is his promise and how to receive and keep that promise. Hang in there! You will make it!
1 comment:
I would never have thought of your analogy of the missing puzzle pieces. We would always throw the puzzles away if there were pieces missing. Calling the manufacturer, now there's a novel idea. I don't understand why anyone would go through all that trouble to make the pieces. But I see how we do that in our spiritual lives. I stand guilty of having gaps in my understanding and filling them in with what seemed right in my own eyes. Your words stir up a desire in me to gain a deeper understanding and ask the Holy Spirit to show me, teach me, reveal His truth to me every time I go to the Word of God.
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