Can't Figure It Out? June 25th Devotional

Read:

Job 38:4

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

Have you ever met someone who tried to prove there point concerning different theological issues of Christianity? They are so convinced that this scripture says what it says and that settles it. Now scripture is plain about biblical foundational scriptures concerning repentance, resurrection, and the blood of Jesus. The teaching of the work of the cross is set as foundation and shouldn't ever be changed or twisted. I'm talking about things like predestination, when the rapture is going to take place, etc. Then we have the questions about baptism. some say this way, and some say that way, and some say it's got to be this way. There was a story of a church service having a baptism at an ole' river. A drunk man came walking down the road and the Pastor asked him, "Do you want to find Jesus?" The old man said, " sure, I'd like to find Jesus. They ducked him under water and pulled him up. They said, "Did you find Jesus?" The old man said, no! They did it another time and asked him if he found Jesus yet? No! the old man replied. They ducked him under the water the third time with a little exhaustion and asked him, "Now did you find Jesus?" The old man looked up at the Pastor with a few hiccups and said, "Are you sure He's down there?" This story is a little funny, but how many times have you heard of people telling you that they have been baptized, dedicated, etc. and they never truly repented of their sins. There is no proof of their conversion. It's as if they have figured God out and they need nothing else but what the sacraments or the things that we are commanded to do "because" of the salvation that we have already received. Then there is the group of Christians that have been truly born again and the sacrament, the things of God, or even theological issues almost become their God. We have different theologians who can prove their point. We are very gracious to have great theologians all throughout history and today, but there are some things about God we probably won't be able to figure out until we meet Him face to face. There is a theological word of God being above and beyond us, but another theological word is God being within. Thank God we not only have God above and beyond us but we have the very life of God within us. There are alot of things about God that we may never be able to understand in this life, and it is just pride for someone to take scripture and butcher it to there own belief of what "they" think is right. This theologian here says that the rapture will take place during the tribulation, this theologian over here says that the rapture will take place before the tribulation, and on and on it goes. I believe...just kidding! Some try to figure God out to where it totally saturates there whole life. Are you facing some questions about God today? Are you beating yourself over the head about some theological issues that your not for sure about apart from biblical foundations and this is taking over your whole life. I promise you that if God really wants to reveal something to us He will do it. Let's just go on with what has already been imparted to us, and lets go forth in what God commanded us to do, and lets bind together in unity and love of Christ Jesus. There's nothing wrong with having a theological discussion as long as fists aren't thrown, but the main focus for us as the body of Christ is the great commission that Jesus gave us. The blood of Jesus is a cut to the chase message. You can't twist scripture to make it say something else. Thank God for His blood. I want to encourage you today to not try and figure "everything" out to where your devotion goes down the tube, your worship with believers goes down the tube, and your joy goes down the tube. In Job here we see that he retains his integrity as God is letting him know that it is He who created the world, it is He who created the ocean, and it is He who laid the very foundation of the world that we are walking on today.

Prayer:

Lord we come to you and ask that you help us not to try and figure you out in the wrong way. Sometimes Lord we try and put you under a microscope to see if what we really believe is real. Lord we know that you are real because of you changing our hearts and becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus by faith. We thank you Lord that we take our spiritual journey one step at a time, and when you want to reveal a little extra something about yourself it will come to pass. Sometimes though Lord you say, "Thus far and no further!" You hold us in the palm of your hand as Daddy God and teach us things one step at a time. Amen.

by Keith Edwards