Right Understanding and Misunderstanding

Chapter 6 of (ST) - The Clarity of Scripture has a section on "The Moral and Spiritual Qualities Needed for Right Understanding" where it talks about the fact that many times the reason that we do not understand scripture isn't that we don't possess the intellectual ability, it's because we are unwilling to receive its teachings. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." Whether we approach God's word for learning more in depth about the teachings of the Bible (such as Bible school) or whether we are sitting down and doing our devotions, the mindset that we need to have is one of sincerity. Sincerity to learn and apply what God is trying to say to us through HIS Word to us. Not only do we need to have the right mindset, but we also need to seek the God's help in understanding it. James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." Ask God to help you to understand His Word then believe that He will.

Don't Doubt, Do!

I made the decision as school came to a close, to try to read through the entire book called Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem. The book contains approximately 1,290 pages. The chapter that I am currently on is Chapter 4 - The Authority of Scripture.

Many times it is so easy to forget what we are doing when we open our Bibles and read a portion of Scripture. We are reading GOD'S Word. His Word to us! How amazing is that!? Why is it that we pick up our Bibles, read a Proverb or two and then head off on our merry way without even acknowledging that what we just read is a message from God. We should be taking his word seriously and not just reading it, but applying it to our lives. James 1:22-25 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." As believers we cannot be people who say one thing and do another or read God's Word and don't do what it says.

One of the things that Systematic Theology (ST) talks about is that if we disbelieve or disobey any word of scripture then we are disbelieving or disobeying God. This is a simple but powerful and frightening concept. We cannot read God's word and expect not to be changed. There must be change. We also should not disbelieve God's word because there can be no untruthfulness in Scripture. Titus 1:2 says that God never lies. We should therefore have no reason to doubt or disbelieve the validity of Scripture.

Today I was looking through some of the top stories on Yahoo and one of them was about the sun causing havoc on our electronic devices, from GPS navigation to air travel. Sometimes I think we forget just how close the sun is, and how perfectly God placed it in space. Any closer and we would burn to a crisp, any farther and we would freeze to death. It's really quite amazing how perfect God is and knowing that can make us realize that he IS in control of everything including our lives.

Just a few interesting facts about the sun:
- It has a diameter of about 865,000 mi, about 109 times that of Earth
- It's mass, 330,000 times that of Earth, accounts for about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System.
- The Sun's color is white, although from the surface of the Earth it may appear yellow.
- Light travels from the Sun to Earth in about 8 minutes and 19 seconds.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Psalm 46:1-3