Sunday, February 08, 2009

Reading Scripture

Do you identify more with Martha than Mary? More with Saul than David? Can you relate to Jonah and Peter? Any sympathy for Judas? Yeah, me too! 

The more I read Scripture, the more I understand that God used/uses faulty, flawed, sinful, inconsistent, hypocrites for His glory and I am encouraged. 

The Bible is not stories of perfect individuals following God perfectly. Quite the opposite. I recently completed reading the book of Judges. Talk about weaknesses! Scripture does not condone their heinous acts and attitudes. It reveals them. But it also reveals God's mercy and His long-suffering patience with His people. Judges describes Israel's fast and furious descent into anarchy and evil.
In those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
We think we are sophisticated, wise, independent, capable, and mature. But in reality without our king we do what is right in our own eyes and we descend into the worst of us. 

Instead, when we lean on His understanding, ask for His wisdom, depend on Him for all we need, realize we are His children we ascend and become who He made us to be, the best of ourselves.

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