Simply In His Word 8-5-13

Simply In His Word 8-5-13

Why is it that some things are harder to read than others? For instance we read the story of Jesus' life time like it was an easy reading story book, yet when we have to read through Numbers, or Deuteronomy, or even Judges; it seems that there are a ton of words and no so much scope for imagination. Or maybe its just the day we are in that the time of Jesus' life story is more useful in our lives than an old History book?

I think its all how you look at it; are you looking for an exciting story or are you looking for life giving principles to live by?

“ I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than gong through the gate,must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opened the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice.”Those who head Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant. So he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:1-10

Don't be a thief trying to only get in the New Testament without first understanding the Old. 

It is important to read the old, as much as the new because the new teaches us about the old and the old of the new. We are taught in the old testament of things that would happen in the new.

In our own lives we can learn a lot by looking back and seeing how we went through things before; both good and bad things we have been through have a purpose.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Psalm 33:10-12

It is not about us how ever we look at it but it is about how we can learn to do things rightly, and grow close to God. For when we grow closer to God then and only then will we understand, the reason, or purpose for our lives. Funny, how we think we are in control of so much of our lives; we make choices each day that seem to influence our lives outcomes and yet God is still on the throne. He is still in charge, in the old or the new. The difference in our lives is that we have acknowledged that He has the key to our heart, our lives and our purpose is in His hands.

For you see your calling, brethren that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

… that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, “ He who glories, let him glory in the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

It is written was written in Jeremiah, old story, Jeremiah 9:24.

God knows, God knew, what we were going to walk through as people and wanted to help us with a way out, so He sent His son to help us. Some days we walk in our lives as if He is not in control, we think we an handle a problem ourselves and so we do not ask for help. Other days we choose to leave it in His hands because we realize life as we know it is a lot easier to deal with if we just allow God to direct our paths, and stop trying to figure it all out on our own. Proverbs 3:5-6

So if the old story supports the new one, can our old life support our new life in Christ? Well, yes and no. We find in our old self that we needed Christ; our new self lives and walks an breaths Christ.

The life we lived before our realization that we needed Him in our lives was a stepping stone. The things we lived through alone with out Him may have been harsh, or not, but either way we did it on our own and we had no idea that God was waiting there with an outstretched hand until the light bulb came on in our head illuminating the fact that Christ was always there for us.

I think the light bulb is the Holy Spirit; He opens our eyes to see and ears to hear what He has for us; without Him we are left in darkness of this world.

We would not know that we cannot do things on our own if we did not try to live on our own and realize the difficulty in trying to live as a perfect person. People in the Bible proved to us in the OT that we are fallible, we are weak and we are unable to walk a straight and narrow life without help in our lives. We as people have fought to the death, we have been ruthless, we have been mean and nasty; but God always forgave us. Strange as it may seem the people of the olden days made a path that shows us how they prospered in many ways when they were following God's directions; as well as how they failed, were utterly destroyed and made slaves when they did not.

So what can we learn from those 'boring pages' of the Bible? We can learn to live for Christ. To walk in His Word means to follow after what God would have us do; He would that we follow Him.

So when you read the Old Stories in the Bible this week lets stop and think about how those people pointed the way to Christ.

When I first God saved I had decided to believe the Word in the Gideon's New Testament I had. When I read my first full Bible I found that the old supported the new and little by little I decided I had to believe the whole thing, or not at all.
Well, when I accepted that Christ was to be my Lord of all, I accepted 'all' of His Word as truth.

So this week when you read, think on these things.

Dear Heavenly Father; thank you for your Word and Truth. Help us to understand what and why You gave us in Your Word, our Bibles, and help us to apply it all to our lives as You would have us do. In Jesus' name, amen.

Suggested reading: John 10:1- Psalm 33:1-22, Jeremiah 9:1-25, 1 Corinthians 1:1-31.