The Bible In 6 Months: Preparing Our Hearts (Part 2)
Click HERE to read Part 1
In Part 1 we looked at The Word through the eyes of the writer of Psalm 119 which is the center Psalm in the Bible and is all about Gods Word
Today I want to just briefly share a couple things that have been very important to me in setting my heart as I've read the scriptures or approached The Lord in any way even in my thoughts about Him. I am writing them in case they help or encourage anyone reading along especially through the Bible in 6 months.
I won't go in to the back story of these lessons to me of The Lord for now...
1. Do not be offended with or fall away on account of God.
In Matthew 11:6 Jesus says "and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!"
Other translations say "does not stumble on account of me" or "do not turn away because of me"
Here Jesus is talking to the disciples of John the Baptist who have come to see if He really is doing all the things they have heard. Initially it looks like John is in prison doubting and he needs Jesus through his disciples to send word back to him that He is of course the Messiah! Then verse 6 seems out of context but as you read on you see Jesus defends John and explains He is a strong man of faith who has lived his calling to be a messenger ahead of Jesus preparing the way and how he isn't a reed blowing in the wind.
So, why the offended comment? because, even though Jesus is performing all these amazing miracles and demonstrating His awesome power.... Jesus and I believe John too knew John was going to loose his life. Jesus isn't going to stop that though He clearly has the power to do so. He is preparing the hearts of these disciples to trust Him even when it doesn't make sense!
Sometimes in scripture and I guess in life we come across tough passages, tough accounts, tough scenarios... things we can't understand and answers from the Lord we were not expecting.
We need to live in the tension; bringing the hurts and confusion to Him every time and letting Him teach us about ourselves, about Him and about His big picture Plans through it all.
This ultimately is a decision of the Will. Don't close the book and walk away when you're confused. Don't hide from Him even if you have big feelings "I don't know if I understand God in this!" because the power and strength and growth comes in persevering and pushing through the testing that comes in The Word and in our walk with Jesus.
Sometimes things are not as WE would like it to be but who are we? we need to allow these emotional trials to produce deep Trust in the Sovereign God who has created our world our very existence and sustains our life! If we are immovable from Him no matter the struggle He is Faithful to meet us there and reward us every time!!
2. Come to the point we can agree with God in His Ways.
Revelation 19:1/2 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:“Hallelujah!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,2 for true and just are his judgments.
We see here the saints agreeing with and affirming God after the fall of Babylon.
Which echoes the earlier verse in Chapter 16 where the angel in charge of the waters cries out “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One" as another bowl is poured down and a voice from the altar says...
Revelation 16:7 Then I heard the altar say, "Yes, ADONAI, God of heaven's armies, your judgments are true and just!"
Some say the voice of the altar is another angel, some say he represents the martyrs.
(See also Revelation 15:1-4 for agreement God even in His judgement)
This is also perhaps a surprising phrase to come across. It makes me question my heart to the depths. To agree with the Sovereign Will of The Lord even unto the judgements He makes means I have to deeply understand His Goodness, His Character, His Restoration Plan and the depth of depravity we as a fallen earth are in! Then I can Trust Him and I won't be shaken.
3. Keep in context to reduce the risk of error.
The enemy in the garden right at the start of the Bible tricks Eve by twisting Gods Word.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
We also see misuse of scriptures or themes in the temptation of Jesus. The enemy here challenges the identity of Jesus as Son as just spoken over Him publicly by the Father at His baptism and He also challenges Jesus' understanding of the plan of God. So a deeper understanding and a knowledge of the context is so important to be grounded in Truth.
The Temptation of Jesus
As we read from Genesis to Revelation over the coming months we will have many opportunities to be offended by God, to disagree with Him or to have the Word tested in us by the enemy.
In every instance we need to take that to Him and even wrestle when we need to. It's also important in the safety of our trusted Godly friendships to be able to bring doubts and confusions and hurts and openly wrestle it out together. I have done that many times and it is a rewarding process for both my own understanding and for the friendships themselves.
I hope that was of help to someone!
Enjoy Day One of our 6 months... I'm praying for us all for revelations of the heart and nature of God, of His plans and purposes for us individually but also importantly as a global body and that even through the Word would come deep inner healing from hurts we have carried even through misunderstanding Him.
God Bless,
Lisa
The Imperfect Sojourner
In Part 1 we looked at The Word through the eyes of the writer of Psalm 119 which is the center Psalm in the Bible and is all about Gods Word
Today I want to just briefly share a couple things that have been very important to me in setting my heart as I've read the scriptures or approached The Lord in any way even in my thoughts about Him. I am writing them in case they help or encourage anyone reading along especially through the Bible in 6 months.
I won't go in to the back story of these lessons to me of The Lord for now...
1. Do not be offended with or fall away on account of God.
In Matthew 11:6 Jesus says "and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!"
Other translations say "does not stumble on account of me" or "do not turn away because of me"
Here Jesus is talking to the disciples of John the Baptist who have come to see if He really is doing all the things they have heard. Initially it looks like John is in prison doubting and he needs Jesus through his disciples to send word back to him that He is of course the Messiah! Then verse 6 seems out of context but as you read on you see Jesus defends John and explains He is a strong man of faith who has lived his calling to be a messenger ahead of Jesus preparing the way and how he isn't a reed blowing in the wind.
So, why the offended comment? because, even though Jesus is performing all these amazing miracles and demonstrating His awesome power.... Jesus and I believe John too knew John was going to loose his life. Jesus isn't going to stop that though He clearly has the power to do so. He is preparing the hearts of these disciples to trust Him even when it doesn't make sense!
Sometimes in scripture and I guess in life we come across tough passages, tough accounts, tough scenarios... things we can't understand and answers from the Lord we were not expecting.
We need to live in the tension; bringing the hurts and confusion to Him every time and letting Him teach us about ourselves, about Him and about His big picture Plans through it all.
This ultimately is a decision of the Will. Don't close the book and walk away when you're confused. Don't hide from Him even if you have big feelings "I don't know if I understand God in this!" because the power and strength and growth comes in persevering and pushing through the testing that comes in The Word and in our walk with Jesus.
Sometimes things are not as WE would like it to be but who are we? we need to allow these emotional trials to produce deep Trust in the Sovereign God who has created our world our very existence and sustains our life! If we are immovable from Him no matter the struggle He is Faithful to meet us there and reward us every time!!
2. Come to the point we can agree with God in His Ways.
Revelation 19:1/2 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:“Hallelujah!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,2 for true and just are his judgments.
We see here the saints agreeing with and affirming God after the fall of Babylon.
Which echoes the earlier verse in Chapter 16 where the angel in charge of the waters cries out “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One" as another bowl is poured down and a voice from the altar says...
Revelation 16:7 Then I heard the altar say, "Yes, ADONAI, God of heaven's armies, your judgments are true and just!"
Some say the voice of the altar is another angel, some say he represents the martyrs.
(See also Revelation 15:1-4 for agreement God even in His judgement)
This is also perhaps a surprising phrase to come across. It makes me question my heart to the depths. To agree with the Sovereign Will of The Lord even unto the judgements He makes means I have to deeply understand His Goodness, His Character, His Restoration Plan and the depth of depravity we as a fallen earth are in! Then I can Trust Him and I won't be shaken.
3. Keep in context to reduce the risk of error.
The enemy in the garden right at the start of the Bible tricks Eve by twisting Gods Word.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
We also see misuse of scriptures or themes in the temptation of Jesus. The enemy here challenges the identity of Jesus as Son as just spoken over Him publicly by the Father at His baptism and He also challenges Jesus' understanding of the plan of God. So a deeper understanding and a knowledge of the context is so important to be grounded in Truth.
The Temptation of Jesus
As we read from Genesis to Revelation over the coming months we will have many opportunities to be offended by God, to disagree with Him or to have the Word tested in us by the enemy.
In every instance we need to take that to Him and even wrestle when we need to. It's also important in the safety of our trusted Godly friendships to be able to bring doubts and confusions and hurts and openly wrestle it out together. I have done that many times and it is a rewarding process for both my own understanding and for the friendships themselves.
I hope that was of help to someone!
Enjoy Day One of our 6 months... I'm praying for us all for revelations of the heart and nature of God, of His plans and purposes for us individually but also importantly as a global body and that even through the Word would come deep inner healing from hurts we have carried even through misunderstanding Him.
God Bless,
Lisa
The Imperfect Sojourner
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