Ephesians 4;17-18 ''So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.''
How foolish we are when we think we know more than the Word? People say 'life didn't come with an instruction manual' but we actually did and it is the Bible.
I think the common dismissal of certain things in the Bible is just misunderstanding and lack of study. I know for myself that I didn't understand the command for women to wear a head dressing. Do the Muslims have this right? No, it is referring to our hair. We aren't to shave our heads like men do. This is just a personal example of mine on finding the true meaning.
Some commands are more simplified so that there is no confusion. The Ten Commandments for example and we can't even follow those completely without sin.
Our minds will seek to obtain it's will, if not trained in the scriptures. Do the mistakes you make everyday remind you of how often you are wrong? The Bible is the most tested and studied book ever written. Our hearts do become hardened with each rejection of His will for us. We shun the Light and give in to the darkness of evil. You may think 'evil' is too harsh a word for your choices but anything that opposes God's will is wicked. Who will we become if we follow Him whole-heartedly? Colossians 3:12-13, “Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.” We can't pick and choose sections of the gospel to believe and reject the hard parts. It all matters for your best interest.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ''Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.''
What a wonderful word, Angie. No better word can be spoken than to encourage others to be in God's Word, rightly dividing the Word of truth, trusting that it is what it says it is--sharper than a two edged sword, living and powerful, discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Thank you for the encouragement to be in God's Word. A needed message today.
ReplyDeleteI have said it before and I will say it again, "God didn't promise us an easy life....He promised us help to live it." That help cometh from the Lord and His word. It is at our fingertips. We can choose to use it or not. We can believe and keep His promises in our hearts and have them with us at all times, each applicable to whatever our circumstances are. Or we can deny them, choose to go our own way and live without the truths that set us free. I choose to believe and to be in the word. Thank you, sweet friend, for this great message today. Love you, Twylia
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