Delay or Preparation

 

Often, I open my email box to find newsletters from various ministries and organizations. Today was no different. But it’s not that often that a newsletter hits me where it counts. Today’s uplifting messages came from Patricia Raybon, author of much, including the fabulous Annalee Spain mysteries. If you haven’t read them, I highly recommend them (here), and her upcoming book, The Sedalia Code (here).

 

She proposed a question I’m still chewing on, even after discussing it with my husband, Dave.

“What ‘delays’ in our lives might God be using as preparation?”

And, I might add, preparation for what, exactly?

We’ve been entertaining the idea of moving since Dave retired (the second time, six years ago). With two out of three children living in Tennessee, we presume that would be our destination. But we could be wrong.

The problem is, even though we both hear from God regularly, we’re not hearing a thing about this move.

I’ve heard it said that God answers our prayers with one of three answers: yes, no and not now.

We’ve been living under the assumption that the time isn’t right for a move, yet.

At our age, it will be an endeavor to move across the country. We don’t want to step out in faith and find out it was a wrong move. Moving will be expensive; we’re used to having the US Military move our belongings for us. We’re not rich, but we’re not poor – but we certainly don’t have money to waste on an expensive move if it’s not the RIGHT move.

What if?

What if we’re causing our own delays?

What if this is a season of preparation for what comes after the move, and we haven’t been preparing as we should?

What if we’re the ones dragging out the delay?

It’s felt like a season of rest. And we’re certainly in the Word of God more than ever before – but what if that’s not enough to be prepared for what’s to come?

Rather than furthering any delays, we’ve concluded that we’ll not only spend more time in the Word, but we’ll make sure it’s quality time. No more checking off a commitment for the day. It’s time to start chewing on the Word of God and making it a staple in our daily diets. There may be days when it doesn’t sit well in our bellies – but that’s just caused by lack of understanding and not seeing the whole picture.

In Matthew 18:19 Jesus tells us, “Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

Dave and I make that minimum.

In Luke 11:10 He tells us, “For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.”

We can ask, see and knock together – in harmony and with unity.

And in James 1:5 we read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not [meaning he won’t show disapproval or criticize or be disappointed that we asked]; and it shall be given him.”

Maybe we’ve been asking the wrong question(s).

Starting today, I’m asking for God’s wisdom for right now and not concerning myself with what’s to come unless He puts it on my heart.

We’ll continue to pray, read God’s Word and meditate upon it, and study out what the Scriptures mean – and what He’s saying to us through them in the here and now….. doing the prep work!

Some Like It Cold... (Conclusion)

(picture from matador network)

In case you haven’t read it yet, here’s the beginning of this blog post: Some Like It Hot... Part I

One thought that crossed my mind, regarding being hot, cold or indifferent, had to do with shock value.

Stepping into an extremely hot or extremely cold pool of water will shock our body. It will make us feel uncomfortable, at least until we acclimate. When the body of Christ becomes lukewarm, the world looks at us and sees no difference between us and themselves; they’re not uncomfortable around us.

(picture from vintagehottubs .com)

NOT in a theatrical way at all, I think there needs to be a sense of shock or a feeling of discomfort to get their attention and show them that there IS a difference. We ARE different. We’re not necessarily better people; we’re not of greater value in God’s eyes – He loves us all equally. But WE get to experience His love on a whole new level! We get to have the God of the universe living inside of us and empowering us! When they scoff at that notion, it breaks my heart. They don’t even know what they’re missing. Christianity is not a magical ticket to a mythical place called heaven; it’s eternity in the arms of our loving Creator that begins the second we let Him into our heart.

When we’re lukewarm, we’re not advancing the kingdom of God; we’re blending into our surroundings.

When we have little value for the gospel, I think it means we haven’t actually experienced the joy it contains yet. (Keep searching with all of your heart! God said, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV)

Experiencing freedom in Christ fills us with joy and we HAVE to tell someone, anyone – everyone! When God gave sight to a blind man – he had to tell somebody. The widow whose son was raised from the dead? She surely had to tell everyone! How do you keep that kind of joy to yourself? When your sins are forgiven and your shame has been removed and you feel the embrace of your loving heavenly Father, how can you not want to tell someone?

(picture from pinterest)

When I first became a Christian I had a whole lot of zeal, but no wisdom and very little knowledge. When I tried to share my joy, I sometimes went overboard in a crazy direction that actually pushed people away instead of drawing them into the gospel. That’s one of the primary reasons we need to be discipled and share fellowship with fellow believers, but also study the Bible for ourselves, and to seek out the answers to the questions WE come up with.

It’s God’s kindness that leads men to repentance, not my zeal. But I hope my zeal and my joy and my love will get their attention so they can ask questions, whether they ask me or seek out answers on their own. We should want them to notice we’re different. We need to come in hot or ice cold (and we can do that gently when necessary). By now I know I need to use wisdom, as well. Once we’re intimate with Jesus, there’s no going back. We don’t want to live without that intimate love. We may cool off and become lukewarm when we let the cares and affairs of this world crowd the seed that’s been planted in our heart. That’s when we need a brother or sister in Christ to come along and throw some hot or cold water on us! But we may also become lukewarm when we fail to see our purpose in the body of Christ. Ice water has a purpose, hot water has a purpose, but lukewarm water is like water searching for its purpose. My last blog series was on discovering God’s vision for our lives. If you haven’t read it yet, look for it.

(picture from help4today .org)

What does being hot or cold or lukewarm mean to YOU? I’d love to hear your input. That’s what the comment section below is for! AND – if this conclusion is too wordy for you, let me know that in the comments, too.

The whole “spew you out of My mouth” thing could take up a whole new blog post of its own. But for now, I’ll suffice it to say, He can’t spew you out of His mouth if He’s never had you there. The analogy sounds a little gross, but I look back to the fact that God said He would never leave us or forsake us. I don’t think this means that He will disown us for becoming complacent or for not discovering our purpose in His kingdom. He wants the very best for us, and when we settle for mediocre it surely breaks His heart and apparently makes Him sick to His stomach over it. He’s provided the best of everything for us, and He expects us to come after it.

What I DO Know

 

(wallpapercave .com)

As I was laying in bed praying for you the other night, this is what I felt God had me write down for you.

I don’t know a lot of things. I know you believe there’s a God; I don’t know your thoughts towards Him. But I do know His thoughts towards you. (See Psalm 139)

I do know that He loves you.

I do know that He isn’t mad at you.

I do know that He isn’t punishing you for anything (Jesus already took all your punishments when He went to the cross for you).

I do know that He’s reaching out to you, always.

I do know that He’s always with you, whether you realize it or not – and whether you want Him there or not.

I do know there’s no place you can go where He isn’t already there.

I do know what great value He places on you. Jesus values you so much that He chose to die in your place so that you can live in His place.

I do know that this great value has nothing to do with what you do or choose not to do; your value is intrinsic (you were born with it).

I do know that He has a plan and purpose for your life.

I do know that God created you in His own image.

I do know that He’s filled you with gifts and talents and promise.

I do know that He always wants to communicate with you, even when you think you can’t hear His voice.

I do know that He wants you healed and whole, inside, and out.

I do know that He loves the people you love.

I do know that He loves the people you hate or are angry with. He’s reaching out to them, too.

I do know that the Psalmist David said that God keeps your tears in a bottle, and that your prayers are a sweet-smelling savor to Him.

I do know that He sings over you.

I do know that He sees you, all the time.

I do know that He knows your thoughts before you even think them.

I do know that He’s already planned a way out of every trouble you’ll get yourself into.

I do know that He wants to live in your heart and that He wants you to live in His.

I do know that He’s already provided all you need; all you’ll ever need.

I do know that He’s already positioned friends and allies for you, right when and where you’ll need them.

I do know that He breathed life into you for His own precious reasons.

I do know that He’s protected you when you weren’t even aware that He was there.

I do know that He’ll continue to be your protection.

I do know that He’s not “out there somewhere” but that He’s as close as the mention of His Name.

I do know that He’s given His children His power and authority.

I do know that He always gives you choice, the right to choose Him or to ignore Him.

I do know that God’s heart is your home.

I do know that when no one sees you or what you’re going through, He does.

I do know that He will always be speaking to your heart.

I do know that you can hear Him when He speaks.

I do know that He made you strong, but that He is stronger and that He shows up in your times of weakness.

I do know that your feelings don’t explain the situation.

I do know that He doesn’t just want you to know about Him, but that He wants you to know Him, personally and intimately.

I do know that He always wants your love and your praise and your thankfulness.

I do know that with every temptation, He’s already provided an escape.

I do know that He wants you to see yourself the way He sees you.

I do know that He trusts you.

 

I do know that I love you, too, even though I’m not always with you.

I do know that I pray for you every day.

I do know that He hears my prayers for you, every single time I pray.

I do know that He hears you, every single time YOU pray.

I do know that He gave me these words just for you, for good reason.

Apples and Apples and Revelation

(freshplaza.com)

Again, while praying and standing in the red-light booth at Planet Fitness, I found an analogy. This time, for revelation.

It’s really quite simple. I have an apple and I place it on the table between us. You take a picture of it from your side of the table, I take a picture of it from my side of the table. We trade phones and check out the pictures. It looks as though we’ve taken pictures of two different apples! Somehow, your picture shows a greener apple than mine. In my picture, the apple looks almost completely red. How can this be? (Not a fancy illustration or a difficult mystery to unravel, I know. God has to use simple points to ponder with me.)

 

Since it’s my apple, I pick it up and hand it to you. You examine the apple to see that, yes, it’s one apple that simply looks different from differing angles.

But, without holding the apple to see for yourself the magic of one apple displaying two different colors in appearance, you couldn’t have the revelation you needed to understand and unravel the mystery at hand.

Throughout life, there will be mysteries to unravel, many not quite this simple to solve. For understanding, we need revelation. And to know the truth of the matter, that revelation has to come from the One Who holds the answers, the owner of “the apple”. 

(pinterest.com)

‘God, I see what this mystery looks like from my human perspective, please show me how You see it.’

Is that too simple? That’s godly revelation. Perspective is everything, I’ve blogged about it many times. But, until we see things from God’s perspective, life can look to be too hard.

God doesn’t hide things from us, He hides things for us! He’ll show them to us when we’re ready to ask for the revelation. Sometimes we’re quite content to sit there with our puny human perspective, but why? There’s so much more to life! There’s so much more to every aspect of life than what first meets the eye.

“You have not, because you ask not.” – James 4:2

Ask God for revelation. He’s more than generous, 

He wants you to have the revelation.

Virginal Innocence, Got It?

(photo from Pinterest.com)

Wise Virgins; 

Our Innocence

The very thought of ourselves being innocent might make us laugh, at least to ourselves. How long has it been since I was innocent? That’s exactly what happened to me when a dear friend referred to me using the term innocent.

Your innocence may have been taken from you at a very young age, or because of a promiscuous youth you may have given away your innocence. But, how does that reflect on you now?

         

Not long ago I confronted these thoughts without warning. When my friend called me innocent, in my mind I instantly roared with laughter, mocking myself with split second thoughts like, “You don’t know me very well, do you? Ha! Me? Innocent? Not in a very long time! You should know the things I’ve done!” But in the very same moment I mocked myself, I heard God speak to me quietly saying, “Are you not my child? Are you not washed with the Blood of the Lamb?” As I drew in a breath of shock, I lowered my head and whispered back, “Yes.” He finished, “Then you are innocent. Now.” I had to push back tears of joy as an overwhelming shock of reality set in. After my friend and I finished talking, I walked away to ponder what God Himself had just spoken to me.

         

Can you relate to what a reality check that was? I don’t know that I had ever thought of myself as innocent. Children don’t walk around acknowledging that they are innocent. And by the time mine was lost, my mature adult brain saw it as lost for good. Boy, was I wrong! I am innocent now! Not because I’m a particularly good person, but because my sins have been washed away by the Blood of the Lamb. It’s a simple truth we all know - but I wasn’t walking in my innocence. I was continuing to walk as one who had been handed a guilty decree, just like the enemy of our soul wanted me to.

(photo from Blog - Universal.org)

The lies of the enemy are subtle, and he’s rehearsed them a thousand times before he whispers them in our ears. And, we listen. And, we believe him. Without even checking out what God has to say about it, we believe the lies of the enemy, and we suffer because of it. We go without, because we aren’t walking in the Truth.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

After we have been washed clean, reborn, made innocent by the Blood of the Lamb, we need to tell somebody, often; that would be the word of our testimony.

Determine some of the differences between the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins Matthew talks about in chapter 25. Into which group do we fall?

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. –Matthew 25:1-13

(picture from emaze.com)

It appears that the only thing that made the foolish virgins foolish, was that they didn’t take any extra oil with them. The wise virgins had oil enough to burn their lamps, even after waiting on the bridegroom for so long a time that the lamps of the foolish virgins had gone out. Both virgins knew about the coming of the bridegroom, both were waiting for his call; it even appears that they were waiting together.

         

Relating this parable to our lives, the oil for the lamps has been said to represent the Holy Spirit; oil in other places in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit. But, the oil has also been said to represent the personal relationship between the bride and her bridegroom, or her faith, or even her works. The bottom line it represents is readiness; readiness for the return of the bridegroom. Are we ready for Christ’s return?

There are many who consider themselves Christians who won’t be taken in the rapture; they have not been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. They are not watching, as we are told to do. Christ will say to them, “Depart from me, I knew you not.” (Matthew 25:13 above)  

Could the oil represent their innocence? Whether or not they had indeed been washed in the Blood of the Lamb? The foolish virgins weren’t realistic about how long their oil would last and they were not ready when it was time to go. Were the foolish virgins living in the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ? Or were they just living under the title ‘Christian’ which many do, even though they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Are we living in the reality of our salvation through Jesus Christ? If we call ourselves Christians, we are either one of the wise virgins, or one of the foolish. We are either washed in the Blood of the Lamb, or not. We are innocent, or we are not. How do we know?

 

(picture from Pinterest.com)

Ask yourself if you are among the innocent. Are you innocent, but didn’t dare to call yourself innocent? Can you say it aloud? Is that being arrogant or proud? Or is it simply the word of your testimony?

Can you look around at your Christian friends and see their innocence?

To be wise, to be ready, ask Jesus into your heart, making Him your Lord and Savior, tell someone, and watch for His soon return. Jesus doesn’t expect you to clean yourself up and then come to Him, He takes you just as you are right now.

I'm All Thumbs

(photo from howcast.com)

Watching the man beside me in church type so quickly with his thumbs amazed me as much as it does my grandson to watch me use all of my fingers to fly through words without looking, almost as quickly as I can talk. No wonder they don’t bother to offer classes in keyboarding to grade school and middle school children anymore. If they’re going to use their thumbs, it’s just a matter of practice to gain speed.

Is this a “bad” thing?

Well, to me, it’s not a good thing, but I’m still learning that my way isn’t always the only good way to do things! Others may actually come up with better ways of doing what needs to be done, in an even timelier manner. Ouch!

Just because something looks new or different to me doesn’t mean I should assume it’s inferior to what I consider normal.

Having just spent some time “back home”, accompanying my mother to mass every day, I repeatedly prayed the Lord’s prayer using the word “trespass” instead of “debt”. This brought to my remembrance the story of a young boy, who, in complete innocence prayed, “…forgive us our trash passing as we forgive those who pass trash against us…”

Ponder that.

This little boy’s understanding of his prayer could be “corrected” – but, he wasn’t “wrong”.

Who has “passed trash” our way; often piling it up quickly?

Better yet; who are we burying with the “trash” we pass along?  

(picture from barbarakoob.com)

1 John 1:9 assures us that: “God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness” – in other words, He’s faithful to forgive us of all that we do to offend Him and to clean all that “trash” off of us.

But, the people around us, whether strangers or friends, can’t always see our heart, especially if we’re busy at the work of building safety walls around it. They many find it difficult or even impossible to forgive us for all the trash we pass their way.

It’s just as hard for us to see their hidden hearts, often making it unthinkable for us to forgive them for all the trash they pile up at the door of our heart, begging us to ask, “Why are they doing this to me??”

(photo from orangemuscle.com)

Recall the Lord’s prayer says, “…forgive us as we forgive…”

That line could make this a scary prayer if we don’t have a very forgiving heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)

Notice, we’re not led to pray, “Lord, search my neighbor’s heart and point out their wicked ways….”

What does this have to do with typing with our thumbs?

Simply to say that for my heart to be set free and be healed of the piles of damage it’s sustained over the years, and in order for my life to change course, I may need to do some things differently. I may need to look at what’s going on around me from a different point of view; I may need to ask myself, “What is God’s take on this?” – and I may have to face the fact that His point of view may be quite different than mine, or even than what I think His should be. I want to line up with Him and do things the way He wants me to, even when it costs me; I may feel embarrassed, I will be humbled…. 

But, if I want to heal and grown I need to change my thinking. I need to get out of the rut of thinking that the way I’ve always seen things is the only way they can possibly be…..

What a startling revelation!

(Meme from alanon.actionboard.com)

Pastor recently quoted a paraphrase of the Serenity Prayer, I loved it! It went something like this:

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change

The courage to change the one I can

And the wisdom to know – it’s me

Selah!

(Meme from whatwillmatter.com)

Silly Sounding Obedience

(My obedience plant.)

Don’t take for granted that because it’s good, it’s God.

God may have someone right around the corner He needs you to speak with or pray for right now, perhaps someone who’s contemplating suicide. So, when we stop to chat with the homeless man begging for quarters just to be nice, we may be “chasing rabbit trails” instead of heeding the voice of God.

This is where listening for His voice; His guidance, is crucial. Every time He speaks to us, His words are worth hearing and living out.

Sometimes God speaks to me about seemingly small things, but they can have monumental effects.

A dear friend of mine tells a story about a time when God spoke to her about wearing a specific dress. At first she was taken aback, asking God, “Don’t You trust me to pick out my own clothes for the day?” But, obedience prevailed, and she wore the dress, which was a bit out of place for her day. She walked out to check her mail and a woman came shrieking with excitement across the courtyard. “My mother made me a dress when I was a girl and it looked just like that one, where did you get it?” she asked. Now, the dress was of little importance in the grand scheme of things, but being invited to a conversation with this woman was where God had some seed planting to do. My friend was able to share some truths about our living Savior, Jesus Christ, with a woman she’d never have spoken to otherwise.

God knew as my friend got dressed that morning who He would bring across her path, and just how He would draw the two together – over a dress.

We may never know the opportunities we’ve missed to share the gospel message or to be a blessing to someone, simply because we ignored the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

What joy can we bring into the lives of others by acting in obedience, no matter how silly or petty we feel God’s instructions for the day to be. Obedience is so much easier, too, when we trust that the results of that obedience are His responsibility, not ours.

I think I’ve shared this story before, but perhaps someone who needs to hear it missed it the first time.

Decades ago, while living in Illinois I crossed paths with a beautiful young Asian woman who spoke little to no English. How could I have been of any earthly good to her? This delicate creature was berated daily by a brute of a husband in the parking lot of our apartment complex. I wouldn’t say those words to my worst enemy, let alone scream them at my spouse!

But, one day I knew God was instructing me to stop at her apartment and tell her that He loves her. I put it off until it was time to walk up to the school and collect my children for the day. As a matter of fact, I put it off so badly that, upon arriving at the corner near the school, I had to inform God that if I went back to talk to her, I’d be late for the kids. Almost as if He was shaking His head and laughing at me, He said that if I’d obeyed Him sooner I wouldn’t be in that dilemma. I turned around and went back.

I was anxious and knew she wouldn’t understand a word I said, but I knocked on her door. No one answered. With a sigh, I was relieved to believe that God merely wanted my act of obedience, but that He wasn’t going to require me to actually talk to the woman. After knocking a second time and getting no answer, I turned to walk away. One step into my retreat, and she opened her door with a fearful, questioning look on her face, half hiding behind her door.

“Jesus wanted me to tell you that He loves you,” I said. (Or something to that affect.) Immediately, she seemed to understand. She nodded her head repeatedly and thanked me over and over again with a smile of joy on her face and tears rolling down her cheeks.

I never saw her again. But who knows what was going on behind her closed door when I got there? Could she have been contemplating suicide? Could she have been mustering up the courage to leave her lousy husband? Could she have just been staring at the results of a pregnancy test? I’ll never know. But, I do know that God used my words - His words, to bless her greatly. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a look of joy since.

By the way, I was at the school before the bell rang.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thin own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

"...to obey is better than sacrifice..." - 1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV)

What were His instructions today? What was the outcome? If you’re not too shy, share it with us!

(The "fortune" from my last fortune cookie at Panda Express.)

Where She Intersects With Me

(Photo from: mnn.com and Echo Energies)

Do you ever talk about yourself as if you were someone else? Or is it just me? I see little scribbles throughout my notebooks referring to myself as, “she” and “her”. Perhaps I’m not ready to own everything I say about myself.

‘It began to dawn on her just how powerful she really is……’

Her words, ah yes, it comes back to her words… and of course, the intentions and conviction behind them. Does she really mean what she says? Or better yet, do I really mean what I say? If so, those words are powerful!

I make up my own phrases; my very own terminology, when I talk to myself about myself. Occasionally, I apply these phrases to others.

One such phrase is “sensory perception overload”. I don’t think it’s a real thing, but perhaps I should Google it. Okay, I just Googled it, maybe I’m not making it up. Hmmm….or maybe someone else just stole my idea (again). From the bit I read, we’re not actually talking about the same thing, at least, not exactly.

For me, this sensory perception overload is simply a matter of the way my senses sometime perceive things and can cause me to temporarily short-circuit, or overload; rather a hand-in-hand idea with “too much of a good thing”. When I’m reading a book, for example, and it gets too exciting or too intense for me, I can get flustered and need to slow down or reread the paragraph a time or two. When listening to someone talk on a topic I find exceptionally fascinating, I can’t always put them on pause or replay what they’re saying, because sometimes it’s in real-time, in real life, as opposed to watching and listening on YouTube or some other internet site. When the information they’re feeding me tantalizes the senses I’m using to understand it, I can get a bit overwhelmed. Since I can’t stop them from adding more information so quickly, I sometimes block them out. That’s a lose-lose situation for me, because I then lose the points they were making in the first place.

Am I being too transparent? Or do you encounter this as well?

Going back to what I quoted from a notebook earlier, ‘It began to dawn on her just how powerful she really is……’ I can perceive the power; it’s just beyond my reach. It’s a little too exciting to grab onto – yet. But, I will. It’s not far beyond my reach, I can see it. I’m just in the process of wrapping my head around it. Perhaps that’s what keeps it at arm’s length….my need to understand it before I depend on it.

Must we always understand everything we use? No. I don’t understand how electricity works. I simply flip the light switch and the darkness is instantly banished from the room. I don’t understand how my body heals itself when I obtain an injury, but in a matter of days, I can behold a cut become a scar and most often, disappear entirely. I don’t understand how I can spend so much and still have a positive balance in my checkbook, but praise God – I haven’t been overdrawn in decades.

Where does understanding intersect with faith? Is it even necessary to draw that line?

Are even the faithless faithful? Are those who question the very concept of faith, actually walking in faith daily but refusing to see it?

Personally, I’m quite convinced I don’t need to understand God completely before I can, by faith, believe Him. And sometimes, He totally blows my perception circuits!

“Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

One Brick at a Time, Sweet Jesus

So, those stones, or bricks, of which we speak, are made up of our own sin – requiring repentance, and of the sins of others – requiring forgiveness. What else might they be made of or cut from?

If I grow up thinking my neighbor hates me because she never comes out to see me or play with me, but the reality of it is that she’s got some sickness I know nothing about that keeps her housebound, what can we call the material that makes up this brick? I call it deception. It wasn’t the neighbor girl that deceived me, it was lack of knowledge.

When I think I know everything, or enough about a matter to form an opinion or belief about it, I might be ripping myself off.

We can never know enough about God and His Word; this is why we’re instructed to stay in His Word continually. About the time we think we “know it all” deceptions come in like an avalanche and it commonly looks like confusion or loss or the belief of an outright lie.

That (imaginary) neighbor girl had no intention to deceive me; I created the  deception in my own mind. Enlightenment about her sickness could have saved me from those feelings of rejection.

We can apply this on a broad scale and we can shine it into the smallest deceptions in our lives.

Just a few of the scriptures that speak to us of the lack of knowledge or sense, include:

Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.

Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

And Proverbs 29:18 tells us: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.  – And without the knowledge of the things of God, any vision we have is askew.

So once again, I’m going to point us back to God’s Word; back to reading, listening to and obeying God’s Word. There we will gain the knowledge we need to see as much of the picture as we need to see in order to not be deceived and to uncover the deceptions already in place. This is where we’ll learn to prosper and live lives pleasing to God.