I'm sure many of us have wondered what would happen if.... fill in the blank. It seems like every time I turn around I find myself asking some kind of hypothetical what if type question. It's futile. There is absolutely no point in thinking that way. The question itself is based on mere speculation, and asking those kinds of questions doesn't change anything. In fact, if it achieves anything at all it is usually only that it makes me (A) discontent with my present circumstances, or (B) worried about a set of circumstances that doesn't even exist! Can we say ridiculous?
But recently I have been challenged by a what if question of a different nature. This one has begun to make a difference in the way I think, and has even impacted my relationship with God. Lately I have been asking the question, "What would happen if I really believed God's Word is true?"
It sounds basic enough right? Almost too basic. Of course I believe God's Word is true. It is, after all the Word of God. Paul, in Titus 1:2, refers to God as One "who cannot lie," and in John 17:17 Jesus makes it pretty clear when it says "Your Word is truth." Most of us, myself included, would never say the Bible, God's written Word to us, is not true. But isn't that how we live? Isn't that how I read it?
Ouch! When I started really evaluating the way I view the Word of God, I was ashamed. How often I read the promises of Scripture and yet don't take them to heart! How often I think, "Yeah, that's a nice idea," and fail to truly trust in the truth of the Word! But the Bible isn't a collection of nice ideas friends, it is the very Word of God and whatever it says can be taken to the bank. You can bet your bottom dollar on it, throw caution to the wind, and put all your eggs in this basket, because it will never fail to ring true. If it's in the Bible, it's true. Period.
So go ahead, count your chickens before they hatch and bet the farm when it comes to the promises of God that you read in Scripture. And the next time you pick up your Bible I dare you to read it as if every word is absolutely true. What are you waiting for? Experiment for yourself and find the answer to the question I've been asking: "What would happen if I really believed God's Word is true?"Labels: journal/quiet time, reflections