The Full Monty
Isn’t it a pathetic sight to see someone attempt to physically lift something that you and everyone else watching knows they just do not have “oomph” to make it happen? No matter how deeply the person squats or how hard he grunts, it is evident to the whole world that nothing of much interest is going to happen here. Don’t get me wrong, I hate to sound like a pessimist, but it is what it is.
Just to be honest, not to say that I’m usually not honest, but I’ve been in that situation before. Actually, I have seen it from both angles, the person watching as well as the person attempting to budge Excalibur. If I have learned anything from either of my fore-mentioned experiences, I’ve learned that some things just won’t happen until you “humble up” and ask for “HELP!”
I seen people too prideful to ask for help concerning a stubborn physical obstacle, but that pales in comparison to when I’ve witnessed pride reach record highs as a person is in need of spiritual help. Especially, when that spiritual help involves them understanding the nature of God. In fact, I think most people think that you are supposed to inherently understand every thing about who God is, what He does, and what His words mean. If that is not the case, then they figure that what they don’t know can simply be acquired through the retrieval of “right information”. Therefore, when they run into a question or questions that they can’t answer they persist with the struggle instead of genuinely asking God for “HELP!”
Unfortunately, you can’t wrestle a thorough understanding of God down to the mat. Don’t get me wrong, some things can be learned, however the most profound and enlightening truths of God’s existence has to be revealed to you. In other words, God has to uncover it. You have to ask God to show it to you; no amount of study is going to make you understand. He must grant you the right to see.
This is not an opinion that I have. No sir, this is actually the what God tells us in His word.
Luke 10:21 of the Message Bible says, “At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”
And Matthew 13:10-16 supports this further by stating, “The disciples came up and asked, “Why do you tell stories?”He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. I don’t want Isaiah’s forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won’t have to listen; they screw their eyes shut so they won’t have to look, so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them. ”But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.”
You see, if you want to “figure God out” you’ll never do it. We cannot force God to show himself to us. The key is to ask Him for help, and then pursue Him with a genuine interest to learn. If you do this you’ll be able to avoid a spiritual hernia which comes from trying to lift matters that are far too heavy for your frail frame.
Nothing New Under the Sun
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