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Knowing GodSaturday, December 16, 2000
Matthew 17:12 Over and over in the Bible the real is separated from the counterfeit by actions, by fruit that is reaped, not seeds that are planted. But that means I must keep an open mind for awhile; I can't make a snap decision. Either way. That's tough for me. I don't want to miss anything, so I often say "yes" right away. Twenty-five years ago I joined the Unification Church because its founder, Rev. Moon, made a case for himself being the returned Messiah. If that was true, I didn't want to miss it. So I jumped on the train. The Pharisees took the opposite path. Although they expected the Messiah to return, they didn't see what they expected in John the Baptist and in Jesus. Events as they unfolded didn't fit the way they interpreted the prophecies, and so they refused to believe Jesus. Jesus told them to look at what was happening, at what he was doing, but their minds were closed. Once again, God seems to expect more out of me than I do myself. Can I keep an open mind until someone's truth or lie is clear to me? When do I decide? What if I miss it? I expect that I'll be either paralyzed by analysis or jump to a wrong conclusion more of the time than I'll be right. If I've got the questions and God's got the answers, I have to listen to him and not decide for myself. Learning to keep my mind open, keep it quiet, and discern God's voice are lifelong pursuits. And well worth the trouble. Lord, I close my mind too quickly. Show me how to keep it open to you, and over and over how to hear you, Lord. |
Truth and lies sound the same on the surface. How can we know the difference? We err in both directions. Some of us are too skeptical, questioning, faithless, suspicious. Or we are naïve, believing too quickly, trusting, accepting without evidence.