Most people enjoy puzzles and riddles. Fewer people enjoy mazes and funhouses. One thing is for sure, they were designed to be unclear and not straightforward on purpose. And knowing this brings us more enjoyment and fulfillment in working on them than a problem just happens to be difficult to solve.
When we look at scripture, one of the things you see almost immediately, or shortly thereafter, is that the big picture is not that easy to grasp. There is no one concise chapter on forgiveness or righteousness. There is no one complete book about salvation, God’s character, or any of the major subjects that are supposed to be essential to building faith. Why is that?
I would think that if God really wanted us to get to know Him as much as He says He does that He would make things easier to understand. Why make things so unclear? Why make us search for truths at the risk of missing something or coming to an incomplete understanding of such important issues.
Yet that is where the genius of God is so powerfully demonstrated. Think back to Jesus’ way of teaching. He used parables and stories that were not always straightforward. In fact, they were almost always challenging to understand. Sometimes people didn’t really get what was said. On occasion some were actually stumbled and turned away from following Jesus altogether. The parables were unclear on purpose. Only those who truly wanted to understand made any attempts to dig deeper beyond the surface to find out what He truly meant.
In much of the same way, it’s as if scripture allows itself to be easily misquoted and misused by those who aim to use it selfishly and wrongfully. Those who are bent into finding a message that suits their personal agendas and lifestyles will be able to find enough verses to back up what they want to justify.
Its indirect and difficult nature seems to be its own security measures to guard itself from the selfish and the power-hungry. Those who want to find something for themselves will most definitely find it. Those who want to fuel their own gratification will get enough of what they want hear. And those who genuinely want to find God will find Him as well. As the Lord says in His word, “you will seek me and find me, if you seek me with all your heart”. The Lord keeps the treasures of His truths hidden away from those who aren’t really looking for Him. They are safe-guarded and stored for those who are truly searching for Him.
The Bible as we know it consists of 66 books and about 40 authors. Most of the writers never met each other. In fact the writings are spread out and separated by hundreds, if not thousands of years. Yet the Lord brings it together so beautifully, in a fearfully amazing way- with its own ability to defend itself against those who are not really seeking after the Lord of Glory.
God’s genius is demonstrated in the elusiveness of His own holy scriptures. How amazing! “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”(-Romans 11:33)
God Bless
March M. Villareal
When we look at scripture, one of the things you see almost immediately, or shortly thereafter, is that the big picture is not that easy to grasp. There is no one concise chapter on forgiveness or righteousness. There is no one complete book about salvation, God’s character, or any of the major subjects that are supposed to be essential to building faith. Why is that?
I would think that if God really wanted us to get to know Him as much as He says He does that He would make things easier to understand. Why make things so unclear? Why make us search for truths at the risk of missing something or coming to an incomplete understanding of such important issues.
Yet that is where the genius of God is so powerfully demonstrated. Think back to Jesus’ way of teaching. He used parables and stories that were not always straightforward. In fact, they were almost always challenging to understand. Sometimes people didn’t really get what was said. On occasion some were actually stumbled and turned away from following Jesus altogether. The parables were unclear on purpose. Only those who truly wanted to understand made any attempts to dig deeper beyond the surface to find out what He truly meant.
In much of the same way, it’s as if scripture allows itself to be easily misquoted and misused by those who aim to use it selfishly and wrongfully. Those who are bent into finding a message that suits their personal agendas and lifestyles will be able to find enough verses to back up what they want to justify.
Its indirect and difficult nature seems to be its own security measures to guard itself from the selfish and the power-hungry. Those who want to find something for themselves will most definitely find it. Those who want to fuel their own gratification will get enough of what they want hear. And those who genuinely want to find God will find Him as well. As the Lord says in His word, “you will seek me and find me, if you seek me with all your heart”. The Lord keeps the treasures of His truths hidden away from those who aren’t really looking for Him. They are safe-guarded and stored for those who are truly searching for Him.
The Bible as we know it consists of 66 books and about 40 authors. Most of the writers never met each other. In fact the writings are spread out and separated by hundreds, if not thousands of years. Yet the Lord brings it together so beautifully, in a fearfully amazing way- with its own ability to defend itself against those who are not really seeking after the Lord of Glory.
God’s genius is demonstrated in the elusiveness of His own holy scriptures. How amazing! “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”(-Romans 11:33)
God Bless
March M. Villareal
2 comments:
God's genius at work. Never underestimate His "wisdom" at what He does. You are indeed correct to say that His truth, the treasures of His word, are safeguarded and stored for those "who seek ye first the Kingdom of God..."
great read. I would love to follow you on twitter.
Post a Comment