“All scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
I have only been writing regularly about
the scriptures and how they inspire and teach me since the beginning of the
advent season in December, but already, I am gripped by how powerfully it has
affected my daily life. I look forward each day to finding a quiet moment to
sit down and reflect upon God’s word and what God has to teach me through
it. I have always loved to have 2-3
devotionals by my bedside table, often reading several at one time. I do this
because one may be dry to me that day while the other touches the very spot I
needed comforting in and helps me breath a sigh of relief, knowing that someone
else understands my life and has encouraged me to keep the faith through their
own experiences and insight from God and His word. And even though I have my
own dry spells where I fall asleep at the end of a day without having read any of
the devotionals and Bibles resting right beside me, I never stay away for long,
and for the first time in a long time, I am finding God’s word coming back
alive in so many ways. Even Genesis, which is mostly a history of the early
days of the world is fascinating; whereas, in the past, I must admit, it felt
not so exciting because it was so far removed from my own life. But now, I just
want to know and understand God and the world better, and Genesis explains so
much of why we are where we are now in the modern world. People today are no less sinful, no more wise
that they ever were. We are just as impatient, just as insecure, just as unfaithful
and untrusting of God and His plans for us as Abram was when he was waiting on
God to give him and his wife, Sarai, a son along with His covenant to make him
and his descendants into a great nation.
He committed more than one sin trying to make God’s plan come true in
his time, not God’s, and because of that he brought more sin into the world
through the conflict and strife brought about by his son, Ishmael, that he had
with Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar, because Sarai started to distrust God’s plan
and tried to make it happen through Hagar. So much of the conflict in the
Middle East, even today, goes back to Genesis. Absolutely astounding!! We
humans are so stubborn and prideful and unable to let go, but instead we hold
grudges, we seek revenge, we fight for what is “rightfully ours” when all we
are really doing is trying to be God, to do His job for Him, to show others
that we know what’s best, even if it’s in direct opposition to what His word
says about love and servanthood and in contrast Jesus’s example revealed to us
when He was here on earth. Simply astounding. If we really considered the whole
of God’s word without prejudice, without worldy judgment, considered it with a
prayer for God to help us understand it the way he intended us to read it, can
you imagine how humbled we would be, realizing that we have had it all wrong? We
are not in control of anything; no one owes us anything; we do not deserve
anything. We are lowly, sinful, misguided humans who need our God to save us
and guide us, to correct us and help us find the right path. Life is hard
enough as it is. Why not see if God and His word can’t help us to find that
peace that only He can give, to find the answers that only He really fully
understands and can lead us to. God’s word…that’s where it’s at. If you haven’t
read much in the Bible, I encourage you to find out for yourself what God has
to say. Hey, it couldn’t hurt, right?
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