I had the occasion recently to be both angry and hurt by a situation. All I could do after the occurrence was cry. After a while, I finally hit my knees and prayed that God would take my anger away. Following prayer, I reached for my Bible since Colossians 2 came to mind. I hadn’t a clue what I’d be reading. After chapter 2 I moved to chapter 3 and I found the following scripture, which jumped out at me:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Colossians 3:1-3, 8
Immediately my anger subsided. It didn’t make things “right” but I was better able to deal with my feelings; and once again I was amazed by the Spirit!
There are those who choose to question everything in God’s Word they do not understand. I admit, I can’t possibly discern all that is written in the Bible. But I do have “ah ha” moments of enlightenment. First I seek it, which we are told to do, and secondly there are times where passages strike me completely different on one day than on another, likely due to a circumstance I have just encountered, because God prepared my heart for it.
God’s Word is given to teach us. We need to be responsible to read it, and not just from a “literary” perspective. It is the ultimate ‘guidebook’ yet to the population at large, it’s the last place or resource used for answers.
Our scripture encourages us to set our hearts on things above. God is all powerful. He goes well beyond any earthly imagination we can create in our minds. Consider the very first verse of the Bible. God created heaven and earth. If a person is unable to believe this as truth, what is the likelihood he will be able to believe anything else?
My mind is unable to form visual images of the creation as it was being done (especially in the time frame given), or of Noah getting all the animals in the ark before the flood, the walls of Jericho falling from trumpet blasts, or Jacob climbing a ladder to heaven after wrestling with an angel, yet I know without a single hesitating doubt, these things happened. I believe because of faith. God said it, I believe it, and that’s the end of it!
When I read His word, relying on the Holy Spirit for discernment, my mind can still be blown by what I’ve read, but my heart accepts it as truth, because God’s Word is infallible and totally trustworthy. This enables me to believe the prophesies for this age, indicating Jesus’ final return will come to fruition, just as His Word promises.
I encourage you to seek enlightenment through the Holy Spirit, as you read God’s Word. He is able to give discernment, even when your mind is blown!
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