Dave Scott Bottle Rocket Theology … The simple art of following Jesus Son of God
http://bottlerockettheology.com
Dave Scott Bottle Rocket Theology … The simple art of following Jesus Son of God
http://bottlerockettheology.com
You can’t see in the dark, and neither can I.
That is the thought that came to my mind several days ago. When we sin, often involving the way we speak to the people around us, we are not walking in the light but darkness.
Our confusion as to the result of our actions, although inexcusable, is understandable because we can’t see in the dark.
Disobey God’s truth and you step out of the light. Step out of the light and you step into darkness. Step into darkness and you will not be able to comprehend the implications of your disobedience because you can’t see in the dark and neither can I. No one can.
And that is often true as we realize that we have caused more damage than we intended. However sometimes this protest is plainly a lie as the person fully intended to be mean and hurtful. It can also happen that the protest is partially true because a person only wanted to inflict just a certain amount of pain and things got out of control.
But that is what happens when you walk in the darkness.
You can’t see where you are going. You can’t tell what you are doing. Even when we do not restrain ourselves and intentionally try to hurt, we still do not understand the full scope of our sin before God and the devastation of our sin in a world only too eager to exploit the darkness.
Read the following text in James and think through how clearly and decisively God describes the harm. Ponder the implications. Is God merely using hyperbole? Is he overstating or is he trying to open our eyes to the potential devastation?
Maybe call your mind to the description of the tongue in James 3 the next time you hear yourself saying: “All I said was …”
The fact is that contrary to the nonchalance and indifference we display as to the words we let loose on the world, we should find ourselves desperate for God’s instruction and warning, eager for any words from the One who sees everything.
By default we run to the darkness. By default we love dark more than light. You may not believe this to be true about yourself, but if so, you maintain a stance contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Remember you can’t see in the dark, and your deception is only another form of darkness. The blind who led the blind into the ditch thought they could see.
The good news is that we can see in the light, and, in fact, our awareness of God and his involvement in our world grows as we continue to live his truth.
Walking in the light does not mean a mere intellectual grasp of the truth of the Bible, or an ability to see the benefits of an upright, moral life. Walking in the light means that we persistently live the truth because that is who we are. And that person gains a broadening perspective of God and his truth from the small details of life to God’s grand plan and purpose.
…and taught him to read in that vast book opened over our heads which they call heaven, and where God writes in azure with letters of diamonds.
EXCERPT FROM
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The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexander Dumas Category: Classics 381 Ratings |
Dumas, Alexander. “The Count of Monte Cristo.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
I love technology. Listen to Count via Audible. Follow with free iBook on my iPhone.
There they had a bit of a skirmish in getting rid of the duties; the excise was, in truth, the everlasting enemy of the patron of The Young Amelia. A customs officer was laid low, and two sailors wounded; Dantes was one of the latter, a ball having touched him in the left shoulder. Dantes was almost glad of this affray, and almost pleased at being wounded, for they were rude lessons which taught him with what eye he could view danger, and with what endurance he could bear suffering. He had contemplated danger with a smile, and when wounded had exclaimed with the great philosopher, “Pain, thou art not an evil.”
EXCERPT FROM
| |
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexander Dumas Category: Classics 381 Ratings |
Dumas, Alexander. “The Count of Monte Cristo.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
TEST TWO 120612
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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Where does wisdom come from?
And … Do we believe our answer?
As professing believers in Jesus Christ our obvious answer is not always the one that rings most true in our lives, i.e. the answer we give in our group Bible study might not match our daily choices in responding to the people around us and the various circumstances of life.
Established behavior and thought patterns often trump our Lord’s instruction.
If we truly bow before our God in reverence, then we will find wisdom at it’s Source.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’
23 God understands its way, And He knows its place.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens.
25 When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure,
26 When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt,
27 Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out.
28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.”
