Greetings, fellows! Today I'd really like to draw your attention back to Scripture itself. The Book is perfect and complete and infinitely more beautiful than anything I can write. I expected for this post to be only God's Word but, turns out, I had much more on my heart to say:
Remember that when reading God's Book, don't make yourself the main character. Seek Christ and you will find Him, but seek yourself and your own circumstances, trying to read it into Scripture, and you will only end up finding yourself. The spring of Living Water and the peace He offers is not easy to obtain, and it won't be obtained by rereading passages in the Bible that don't challenge you and make you feel "good" about yourself. When we do that, we cut out parts of Scripture that don't serve our emotions immediately. Jesus flipping tables in anger? I'll just gloss over that. All the minor and major prophets talking about the wrath of God? Not the encouragement I need. All those old laws in Leviticus? Too boring. How could that teach me anything?
Here is the hard truth- when we do this, we are making idols out of ourselves, and we're also forcing an all-powerful God into the mold we want. We make the whole purpose of the Bible to serve us, to serve our needs. After a long day, we want to see the side of God that we want to see. In doing so, we're not serving the God, we're crafting one of our own. We skip hard passages in the Bible, because all that justice, wrath, fire, anger, and fear doesn't really look like the gold calf we made. We confine God to what we want Him to be, but in doing so we severely cut down on His power and His ability to do even the things that make us feel good. Like love, forgiveness, and patience.
But what is all that if He isn't a jealous God who tries to get us back when we're lost? Would He really love us much at all, then? But what is all that if He isn't just? Would we even be able to trust Him, then? Does He even really love His church at all if He doesn't get angry to see it defiled? Afterall, doesn't pain come when someone you love is hurting?
Simply put- make sure you are serving the God of the Bible and not one of your own creation. When we do that, we miss out on all He is. Complex and almighty, yet gentle and near to the brokenhearted. These things aren't contradictory, they come together in harmony as a beautiful mosaic of His nature.
Let us seek to gaze upon the true, everlasting beauty of the Lord, Who is much larger than we could even fathom.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of sjoy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.
Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
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