11.02.07
“THE RIGHT WORD!”
Isaiah 28:13
“But the Word of the Lord was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.”
One day I was in the car patiently waiting while my wife, Joyce, received a permanent. Dan, a man who was an operator in the shop came out to the car and said that he needed my help. I was immediately prepared to impart some great spiritual truth. It was then that I saw that he had a crossword book in his hand. As a matter of fact I also had one in my hand. I often work crosswords while I am waiting.
But it was not a thorny theological question that Dan needed help with. He was seeking the solution to one of the clues on his puzzle. The clue asked for an architectural feature of a church. I immediately said “Steeple,” but Dan said, “No, it will not fit.”
I took his book and looked at the words he had used to fill in the blanks around this clue. I saw that he had used words that, while they might fit the number of squares, were not correct. I began to erase and enter new words. I can recall that in response to “grocery section” he had used “deli.” It was a good answer, but not the one the puzzle required. When I substituted “dept”, the puzzle began to fall into place, and Dan was able to complete it.
As I have reflected back on that incident, I have come to realize that we believers encounter the same problem in our Bible study. We open God’s Word with preconceived ideas which may appear to be true, but sometimes fail to fit into the plan and purpose of God for His people.
This is why it is essential that we spend more time in God’s Word and in referencing various words or phrases. A good start is the concordance which is found in the back of most Bibles. This is a limited concordance, which is a cross reference of where a particular word is to be found. If you take the time to search out other Scriptures, you will soon find the need for a larger concordance.
I have shared with you frequently that I use the Blue Letter Bible when I am on the computer. It is a free service that Koinonia House provides. You can access the Blue Letter Bible by going to www.blueletterbible.org.
We should have open and inquiring minds to search out the hidden treasures of the Lord. Let me share with you something that I just noticed today as I was studying in I Timothy 1:12-17. Paul was sharing with Timothy his story of how he was converted.
I suddenly thought of that scene when the heavens were opened while Paul (he was called Saul then) was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians. It dawned on me that there was another who had seen the heavens open. It was Stephen as he was being stoned to death. Saul had been there as a witness, but did not see what Stephen saw, but on the Damascus road he did.
Stephen saw that wonderful sight and it was his last view from this side of glory. Paul saw that sight and it was his first view of the Christ who cleansed him and gave him a view of the lost world which was to become his parish.
If something fails to fall into place as we are studying God’s Word, let’s check, re-check, compare and re-compare, and through it all meditate on what it all means. Then we will become stronger and more mature in the Word. Remember the lessons from the crossword puzzle book.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
- - - Pastor Cecil