CBS News closed 60
Minutes last week with viewer comments on a recent story about the
election. Half raged at the way that the
story was so favorably slanted in favor of the Republican Presidential candidate
while the other half fumed that the story was obviously biased to show the
Democrat in a good light. The same story produced
dramatically different conclusions. How
can that be? Because when we are sure
that we are right about what we already believe about life, our pre-judgment
frames how we see what is happening around us. It is not just true about
politics. That is why getting the Truth
of the Scripture into our mind and heart is so critically important. If we form our understanding about God and
the world He has made around faulty beliefs, the effect can be spiritually
deadly!
Is God cruel or loving?
Is He capricious or constant? Is He involved or aloof? Does He desire to
save or destroy?
Those are not just theological questions. They form the
basis for the way we live – either as beloved children or fearful orphans.
Perspective matters,
Christian. Look at the ground, you
see rocks. Lift your eyes, you see mountains!
Paul prayed and we borrow his words "asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all
spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live
a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in
every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all
power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and
patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to
share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has
rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the
Son he loves." (Colossians 1:9-13, NIV)
There is a terrible arrogance of Self that causes many to
judge God by the limited wisdom of the human mind. Are there things that happen around us that
leave us questioning our faith? Yes,
there are, friend. I do not live in a perpetual state of bliss untroubled by
the pain and suffering in this world. I personally have walked a steep path of
sorrow for the last 4 years, with loss after loss, situations for which I have
no present explanation. I could accuse
God of being uncaring or impotent – except for the Truth that the eternal Word
reveals to me. That prayer of Paul
sustains my faith.
He does not teach me to beg for ease, to pray for a smooth
path, to ask for removal of every challenge. Rather I am taught to ask for ‘knowledge
of God’s will’ so that my life will be worthy of the Lord, full of spiritual
fruit of holy and good behavior. The truth creates a vision! I lift my eyes beyond the present trials to
trust in the eternal purposes of the One who has already completed the work of
making me ‘qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints.’
Are you accusing God of forgetting you, mistreating you, or
of being unfair? Pray for a change of
point of view, asking to see all the way to Heaven!
Here’s the word from the Word. As you read it, give thanks
that the Spirit calls you from darkness to Light, from petty religion to
eternal glory, then lift your eyes and live like a King’s kid today.
"This mystery has
been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted
everyone… to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of
their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a
nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to
sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message.
We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a
spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity.
To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less." (Colossians
1:26-30, The Message)
____________
Be Thou My Vision (Slane)
Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light
Be Thou my wisdom
Be Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I with Thee one
High King of heaven
When vict'ry is won
May I reach heaven's joys
O bright heaven's Sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all
Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne
© Words: Public Domain
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