Good morning. It’s Tuesday, January 11th, 2022. This will be a day that will go down in infamy … because I have to be honest, I’m am stumped. Ever been that way when reading the Bible? Join me in my confusion. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Genesis 27,28; Psalms 4; Luke 11
Scripture
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.” -Luke 11:21
Observation
Comprehende? ... Nope. Not me! Not this time.
Let me be candid …This passage (and most of today's passages extending back to Jacob) have got me baffled. (Sorry. No deep insights coming from me today.) Let me tell you why …
Our Old Testament reading (Genesis 27) was about Jacob lying to his father Isaac and stealing a blessing from his brother. That set a feud like the Hatfields and McCoys for generations to come. Jacob's "blessing" was the result of fraud and dishonesty. Even his mother, Rebekah, was in on the charade! Though it was a complete setup, God still blesses the sneaky brother!
Then we have an enigmatic saying about strong men guarding their homes so that no one steals anything. (We could interpret that as an endorsement for concealed carry.) I mean, you can come up with a dozen different interpretations and applications, and each one would seem to have God's stamp of approval on them.
But to be truthful, this devotional today is going in my pending file under the category of "I-have-no-idea!" That folder is filled with unanswered questions about the Bible and how God works with both saints and scoundrels!
Application
Personally? I don’t ever want to use God or stories in the Bible for my purposes, looking for spiritual permission to carry out carnal desires. We can all toy with how to get God to sanction our personal agendas motivated by greed, anger, defensiveness, or even lust.
I know that there will be many passages beyond my understanding. Still, instead of discarding them or weaponizing them as alibi’s, I will simply file them under the category of “I have no idea!” In the end, whether I currently understand or not, God is still true, and all men are not (Ro. 3:4). He is still all-wise, and I am all dumb. He can do whatever He pleases, and I get to be good with that. … until one day, I will finally understand. In 1 Cor. 13:12, Paul, the legendary Apostle, reflects my sentiments exactly: “Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will.”
I’m glad Paul felt the same way! Whew.
Prayer
Father, I apologize for my lack of comprehension. In due time, I know I will understand a little bit more. And one day, I know I will look back and see how You’ve been so patient, and Your Word has proved to be so true! You have always kept me in the Palm of Your hand, and on that day, when people ask me how it all came together, my answer will simply be: “Jesus loves, this I know! But other than that … I have no idea!"
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