Sometimes we resist things we actually need. I was that way with a cell phone for I am hearing impaired and can not understand what is said on a phone. But my husband insisted that I carry a cell phone and sure enough it came in handy when a car ran into me on I25 coming home from Denver and totaled my car. I had hit my head on the windshield when my car landed down in the median so I was having trouble understanding the police officer’s questions (turned out I had a concussion). I called my husbandà who called my daughter who lived in the city I was near and moments later Kari was there at my side. That was 10 years ago.
Today my cell phone enabled me to comfort one with scripture, pray with two others plus explain a biblical question of my students had (She is reading through the Bible for the first time and was baffled by something that happened in the Old Testament) plus thank a gal for a gift and gather some needful information.
As a new Christian, I had a multitude of questions as I read the Bible for the first time. Though I asked this person and that, no one seemed to know the answers to my questions (at least, not in a way I could understand). Often, they would look at me with a puzzled expression. Some of the Bible words, just didn’t make much sense to me. So, being a student at heart, I went on a quest to searching out meanings.
I listened attentively taking notes as the preacher taught, I prayed as I read every translation I could get my hands on for whatever passage I was studying, I did word studies (looking up all the verses I could find that had a specific word in it) and used the dictionary, and collected quite a library of Biblical word study books such as Vines, Strong’s, Vincent’s, and Wilson’s. I even went so far as to study Koine (Biblical) Greek for 3 years. All so I could understand what GOD was like and wanted me to do. So I appreciate and take seriously the questions people pose to me.
This week a man of GOD said something that did not settle right. I felt that the HOLY SPIRIT was saying “check it out”. I began by praying, “LORD, if I am wrong please show me, if not please show him.” The question settled on the meaning of a specific word so I got out my tattered but trusty Strongs Exhaustive Concordance and looked up every time that word was used. As I studied each verse, companion verses came to mind that clearly explained the word in question in the setting or context of that verse. I learned a lot and found that “check in my spirit” was from the HOLY SPIRIT for what was said by that man did not match up to what GOD’s Holy Word said (Isaiah 8:20).
So, I urge you if what someone is teaching disturbs you (even mildly), 1st pray and then search it out. There are times you are disturbed because you do not have all the facts, other times however it is the HOLY SPIRIT saying, “check it out!”
As AW Towzer said, “Let us start reading our Bibles with the thought that GOD means exactly what He says.”
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 