Many people will (mistakenly) think that anyone who memorizes a huge amount of Scripture must be some sort of “super saint”. I have this to say about that, and that’s this: Super saint? NO I AIN’T! Not even close. (To echo the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”.) In fact, just the opposite of their notion is true, because the more of the Bible I memorize, the more I realize how utterly and entirely sinful I am in and of myself, in my flesh. You see, as Psalm 19:7-8 clearly states, the Bible – and especially memorizing the Bible – “enlightens the eyes”. It breaks through the blindness which besets us from birth and opens one’s eyes. To the truth and existence and nature and will of God. To the nature and detrimental, destructive, and indeed deadly consequences of sin (Romans 6:23). And to the nature of man. Our flesh. Our fallacy. Our tendencies. Why we do what we do. Why we do what we should not and not do what we should! (Romans 7:19) So you can see why I say that the more Scripture one memorizes, the more one will see the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of oneself, of the flesh, to the extent that I can honestly say that I’m the BIGGEST SINNER I know, I’m the biggest sinner I’ve EVER known, and I’m probably the biggest sinner YOU’VE ever known, at least that’s how I see it, that’s my (believe it or not blissful) Bible-borne perspective.
But thankfully Psalm 19:7-8 doesn’t stop there! Because it’s just as clear that the Bible also “restores the soul” and “makes wise the simple” and “rejoices the heart”! It’s not just a win, not just a home run, memorizing and reciting Scripture is a GRAND SLAM! And not just spiritually, but humanly… not just in the spiritual realm, but in the human realm, not just in the life to come but also this present life (1 Timothy 4:8). And I can testify from firsthand experience that all of this is absolutely true: so long as I’m doing so on a regular basis, my spirit remains utterly joyful, rarely ever leaving the proverbial “cloud nine”. I find that I see things that many others don’t (heightened insight produced by the Word within). And I find that my heart remains filled with and focused on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2), not on the things which are seen, but unseen, not the things which are temporal but eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) – what a wonderful way to go through life! And what’s amazing is that I’m just at the START this journey of memorizing the entire Bible, after which the Lord is leading me to turn this into a full-fledged, full-speed-ahead, full-time ministry – here’s the plan…
PHASE 1: Memorize the ENTIRE Bible as a “love/thank You” gift back to Him and also to prove, to demonstrate to the world the utter and tangible power and benefits of the ingested (memorized) Word of God! And for the first few months to highlight the need and leave room for the Lord to lead like-minded Bible-loving believers to support this in whatever ways they’re able and willing and excited to do so when learning about this historic endeavor and opportunity.
PHASE 2: After memorizing all or at least the vast majority of the New Testament, the next step will commence and entail totally changing the emphasis of this website from seeking one-time and especially Monthly Partners so as to get and keep this going to just giving back by meeting the needs of others, to “fulfill the law of Christ” by “bearing the burdens of others” (Galatians 6:2) and “serving one another” (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10).
Specifically, I will make myself available all throughout the day virtually every day so anyone will be able to:
- Ask and receive Bible-based answers to their questions about the Bible itself, God, sin, human nature, and whatever else might be on their hearts at any given time. Literally for the rest of my or their lives, they will have a ready and waiting friend and/or listening ear and/or shoulder to cry on according to their need at the time. Without reservation, and without judgment.
- Submit prayer requests to be prayed for by someone who is brimming with the living Word within him, which I firmly believe is the biggest key to effective prayer: the Word sanctifies (John 17:17) and cleanses (Ephesians 5:26) and keeps pure (Psalm 119:9) and away from sin (Psalm 119:11); now combine all of this with the fact that “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12) and “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16b) and perhaps speaking most poignantly to the amazing link between memorizing Scripture and an effective prayer life, “If you abide in Me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ask WHATEVER you WISH, and it SHALL BE DONE for you.” (John 15:7). How will people’s lives literally change and be transformed by the supplication and intercession by one in whom such a massive amount of Scripture will be dwelling? GAME-CHANGER. Life-changer. WORLD-changer! (Literally. Just ask the people who were living in the time of Elijah.)
- Find a BIBLICAL – Bible-loving, Bible-believing, Bible-practicing – church near them, right in their local area! I am already in the process of putting together this network of churches; denomination will be irrelevant, the only criterion will be the extent to which they demonstrably adhere to the principles set forth in the Bible about “how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) With a primary focus on how supportive they are of Bible memory. I expect even just the human-interest/intellectual aspect of this project to attract countless people who aren’t even religious or are very early on in their spiritual growth who’ll need and want to find a church that will foster and maximize said growth.
- Find the businesses in YOUR area that are owned and/or managed by fellow Christians who love the Lord and His Word and realize the importance of and support Bible memory. Galatians 6:10 and 1 Timothy 6:2 make clear that it is our responsibility as Christians that our everyday choices inure to the benefit of fellow believers whenever possible, so I’m going to make that super easy and convenient by posting a nationwide (but searchable by state/county/city) LIST of Christian businesses so we can all choose THEM whenever we need a product or service; once assembled, it will appear on the “Find A Christian Biz” / Yellow Pages section here at BibleMemory.ORG so please check back for that in the coming weeks.
PHASE 3: Turn this burgeoning history-in-the-making effort into a full-speed-ahead, full-fledged, full-time ministry to Educate, Encourage, and Empower others to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic, verse-by-verse, book-by-book basis! Tall goal, but totally doable, because something very interesting happened as I memorized my very first book of the Bible, the New Testament book of James. That goal seemed not just tall but downright monumental. Undoable. Right? Wrong! Because, amazingly, the more of it I memorize, the EASIER it gets! The more of it I memorize, the more I am able to memorize. By the time I came to Chapter 5, I knew this large task was indeed going to be accomplished. BIG difference than when I was facing Chapter 1 Verse 1.
This is a fantastic real-life demonstration of Matthew 19:26 which says, “With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Including memorizing the ENTIRE Bible! You see, in the physical realm, the more water you pour into a glass, the less capacity it will have for more water to be added. But in the spiritual realm, when it comes to God and His Word, the Bible, the exact OPPOSITE is true! The MORE you pour into your mind, the MORE capacity you’ll have for additional verses and chapters and books to be added! Not less. And this amazing power is exponential in nature: I saw a large increase in capacity from James 1 to James 5, but double or triple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 1-5, and then quadruple or quintuple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 6-10, and so on. This finding is literally historic, and indeed the closest thing to a bona fide miracle in recent history of which I’m aware: it’s verifiable, it’s tangible, and – due to the “living and active” nature of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12) – it’s even repeatable. While the specific extent of this phenomenon might vary from person to person, the essence of the Word does not. Ever. This is how I’ll be able not just to Educate and Encourage the masses to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic basis but also to EMPOWER them to do so (the Word through me). (Believe me, once a person gets a taste of this, his or her life will never be the same. Human metaphors don’t really do it justice but in terms of the Christian life, it’s like trying filet mignon for the first time after a lifetime of eating hamburger.)
This will primarily be accomplished by producing a course, a syllabus, an entire series of videos, CD’s, and even audio cassettes, which will take all of this and make it SUPER EASY and CONVENIENT for people the world over to learn and apply this at their own pace and as their individual schedules permit. I am utterly convinced that another worldwide spiritual revival will occur, but I’m even more certain that it will only occur as people start ingesting the living Word of God by memorizing and reciting it regularly – “all the day” (Psalm 119:97) and even “day AND night” (Psalm 1:2-3).
By the way, this would be a great time to let you know that as I’ve been memorizing Scripture, a very specific METHOD of doing so is coming into focus, which, as noted above, I can testify firsthand is making it MUCH EASIER for me to memorize and retain – not just the Bible but EVERYTHING: to-do lists, schedule and meetings, various events that occur, etc., a true “sponge” effect! – and I’m 99.9% sure that it will do so for virtually anyone and everyone who applies it. It’s still coming together but seems to be getting close to the point that it can be rolled out. This one aspect alone of this one phase alone could easily and literally change the world and people’s everyday lives.
PHASE 4: Set up new and/or work with established addiction centers to specifically address the huge need for healing, curing, and then preventing from recurring (relapse) the massive crisis of addiction to pain killers, opioids, and other drugs, as well as the dreadful disease of depression. I am absolutely certain that the best and probably only way to truly beat, to truly eradicate, overcome, and conquer an addiction is to turn to something even more addictive – and I am equally certain that the most addictive thing in the universe is the BIBLE, the living and active Word of God, the Word ingested. No doubt about it. The main challenge is that so relatively few ever really give regular and systematic Bible memory a try, but I – with your and the Lord’s help – intend to change that!
It won’t happen overnight but I have no doubt that change is indeed coming. And just in case you don’t think the Bible extends or has relevance to the physical realm of human existence, I humbly give you Proverbs 4:22 which, referring to the Bible, the “my words” of verse 20, clearly states that His words “are LIFE to those who find them, and HEALTH to ALL their WHOLE BODY.” Is that an amazing verse or what?! We have a super-duper health “pill” readily available to us (the Bible is the most-published and available book of all time) yet SO FEW EVER ACTUALLY SWALLOW IT! To their utter “missing out” yet few if any are even aware of this because nobody has trumpeted it from the proverbial mountaintops but with your help I intend to change this, too, and do just that!
I didn’t start memorizing entire books of the Bible as a child but did memorize a lot of single Bible verses and – totally not surprisingly in light of that verse/truth/fact – I haven’t had to see a doctor or go to the hospital my entire adult life. Not even a single time. No emergencies. No health surprises. Not one. I don’t think the two are unrelated or that this remarkable health history is mere coincidence or the result of “good genes”; no, I’m certain it’s that verse at work.
No, it won’t happen overnight but down the road I look forward to organizing some clinical/medical trials to demonstrate that this is universal and not just specific to me. I dare say that other than imparting the Gospel or giving one’s own life to save another’s, there is no greater act of love and kindness and therefore Christlikeness (since He epitomized and epitomizes both) than to free a person from the cruel slavery and bondage of addiction or depression, to provide them with the answer, the antidote, something that actually and permanently WORKS! So even just this phase of the action plan will likely be enough to revolutionize the nation and world.
CONCLUSION: If you like what you’ve heard here and found yourself nodding in agreement several times, please read on…
Quick Thought: “You’re So Good, You’re So Good…”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI don’t watch much TV, primarily due to a lack of time (after all, the ENTIRE BIBLE isn’t going to MEMORIZE ITSELF in my head =) but also a lack of desire since that time is so much better used, spent, “redeemed” (Ephesians 5:16) in other ways (e.g., reading and studying and especially memorizing the Bible, praying, worshiping the Lord Jesus, fellowshiping with other believers, sharing the Gospel with unbelievers, etc.) but I do like to scan through the channels and check the news at the top of every few hours (i.e., main headlines) so as to remain a well-rounded, well-informed individual and citizen – a good idea in any case but especially so we can converse and connect even better with those with whom we interact in day-to-day life.
Anyway, I did that a few times earlier today and when scanning the channels, staying on each one for a few seconds to see if something new is being reported, in the few seconds my clicker had landed on CNN they were promoting some special about a 70’s singer they’re apparently planning to premiere on New Year’s Day. I won’t be watching it, way too many other things to do, but in those few seconds they were playing a line from one of her songs which said “You’re no good, you’re no good, you’re no good.” Not my cup of tea but it’s one of those “jingles” that don’t immediately want to evacuate one’s head after initially hearing it. (Ugh.) But the main theme of the New Testament book of James is a “checklist” for authentic, saving faith but a secondary theme is “when ‘life’ hands you a lemon, make lemonade” so instead of evicting that jingle out of my head altogether I simply changed one letter and have been singing it to the Lord ever since, for the past few hours: “You’re so good, You’re so good, You’re so good.”
I love it! The world throws something neutral or in many cases even evil our way, but our Bible-basted brains bring forth benefit by turning it into something good, into praise or worship of God… take THAT, world system!
Already ready for its next pitch. Batter up!
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Merry Christmas!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAh, Christmas. My hands and feet definitely say “summer” but my mind and soul agree completely with the famous musical sobriquet that this is indeed “the most wonderful time of the year.” But WHY?
Is it because of all the presents or decorations or universal good cheer? Or not having to go to school or work? Or (for some) (definitely not this guy) the snow?
No, in my view what makes Christmas so very merry and special is the fact that, unlike ANY other time, it and Easter see broad swaths of the entire globe focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ – the former on His birth, the latter on His death, burial and resurrection. The former on the start of His humble human comingling with mere mortals, the latter on the end of that earthly journey.
What an amazing thought. That even in these modern times when so much effort is being expended to keep God and especially Jesus and the Bible OUT of our daily lives (school, work, even our homes via a seemingly infinite number of distractions ever at our fingertips thanks to technological developments, one after another), the globe takes a few days (Good Friday would be the third) to focus on and remember Jesus. Simply stunning. And wonderful. (Now if we can just get our collective act together the other 362 days. =)
Another thing that makes Christmas so special is that it commemorates the time that God became man so man can become like God (2 Corinthians 3:18) and spend all eternity with Him in His heavenly home when we depart this earth. Born of a virgin in a lowly manger, the epitome of humility His first time – in stark contrast to His future second. “No room for Him” (I guess some things never change) at the inn. And so many times throughout His human existence (Matthew 8:20). Especially on the cross, when even Peter denied even knowing Him – not once, not twice, but three times. No room.
And WHY did He agree to such a mission? Why would anyone leave the infinite comfort and righteousness of heaven, who would ever exchange that for the “groaning and suffering of the pains of childbirth” to which the whole of creation is subjected (Romans 8:22), for the “trouble” for which “man is born” (Job 5:7)?
Jesus would.
Jesus did.
At that very first Christmas.
And His motivation is clearly stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21, one of my very favorite verses in all the Bible: “He who knew no sin [Jesus] became sin on OUR behalf, that WE might become the righteousness of God in Him.” I doubt you’ll ever hear a Christmas sermon based on this verse, but in my humble view it’s what Christmas is all about.
Not the gifts we open on a (usually) cold winter’s morning near the end of each year, but “the free gift of God which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Not the decorations which adorn our trees and homes and front yards, but that our very hearts, our very souls can be transformed and thus be cloaked by the “adornment… of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” (1 Peter 3:3-4) That we can adorn and cloak our hearts in “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
Not the freedom from having to go to school or work, but the freedom from having to sin. (Romans 6:4,14,17-18 … the whole chapter really … the whole book really =)
THAT’S what makes Christmas so special, so merry. 365 days a year.
Merry Christmas!
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Beautiful Biblical Bookends which, if Believed, will Bring Boundless Benefit to Your Being – Body, Mind, and Soul – Every Day for the Rest of Your Life!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIf this online journal, this blog, were a movie, the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father and the Holy Spirit in general and the Bible in specific (just look at all the bold text up and down every page and you’ll see what I mean) would be the star. I suppose I’d be an “actor in a supporting role” as the folks who give out the Oscars each year would say (don’t worry, I shan’t hold my breath for a nomination anytime soon =). But my bike has certainly reached at least the status of major prop, since I bought it as my only means of transportation after selling my car this past summer so as to finish building this website.
So it’s with deep regret and heavy heart (hey, maybe I could win an Oscar someday after all!) no just kidding, as you’re about to find out it’s with a heart of gratitude and immovable faith in God’s flawless, “fate”-discarding sovereignty that I tell you that my bike got stolen over the weekend.
I go in to buy a few groceries, I come back out to find NO BIKE. (That turned out to be a very expensive loaf of bread, eh?)
The store has low prices so given the fact that my entire life savings is (quickly) being spent on this little project, that’s where I went, despite its being in a rough section of town.
Apparently even rougher than I had thought because apparently, in the maybe fifteen minutes I was inside the store, someone (probably a teenager, almost certainly a boy, so I’ll use “he” hereinafter) (a) spotted the bike at the bike rack, (b) used metal-cutters to clip the lock, and (c) fled.
The interesting thing is that when I first arrived at the store, I could hardly believe how desolate the sidewalk in front was, for the first time ever of the ones I had been there, but I very responsibly (as ever) locked the bike to the rack per my perpetual practice, not liking the fact that nary a person was on the sidewalk to keep an eye on things in general (usually the more crowds / sunlight, the better/safer) but never in a million years would I have thought there was a risk of it’s getting stolen in the few minutes I’d be inside the store.
Surprise! More like SHOCK when I came bounding back out of the store, bread bags in hand, only to find that my only means of transportation was now serving its new master, a bike thief.
A low-down, no-good, dirty bike thief. (Yes, I think I really could win an Oscar!)
All intermittent kidding aside, I did experience a few moments of shock. Like when you KNOW that something SHOULD be in a specific, exact LOCATION but wah-lah, it isn’t. Or when something SHOULD work a certain way but it doesn’t. That kind of non-physical shock.
After a few minutes, I obviously had to confront and answer the question of “WHAT TO DO NOW?”
Should I call the police and file a report and press charges if they catch the kid who stole my bike, thus condemning him “having a record” (criminal record) for the rest of his life? (Or at least until he’s no longer a juvenile, I have no idea how all of that works.) It certainly would’ve been due. It certainly would’ve been merited. But isn’t that very same thing true about you and me spiritually, with regard to heaven or hell? I’m not saying that pressing charges isn’t merited in certain cases. I think it absolutely is. Like if someone were to kill a loved one, I’d be the VERY FIRST person to have the book thrown at them (figuratively speaking, of course). To have them locked up and the key thrown away. “Forgive ’em, but fry ’em” might be fitting in some cases but when it comes to a material possession of ours getting stolen, I prefer to heed the amazing words of Matthew 5:39-40, from “the Sermon on the Mount”: “But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and TAKE your shirt, let him have your COAT also.”
Should I alert the store and see if they’d cover the cost, at least in part?
Should I just “chalk it up” to God’s sovereignty and look for ways He might intend to use it, for the reason(s) He allowed that to happen, for my only means of transportation to get heisted?
It’s not as though I couldn’t go back a day or week later and do one or both of those first two, but I knew almost immediately, in that split-second of decision time, that I was going with Option #3: chalking it up to God’s sovereignty.
I suppose it’s possible for such to serve as a “crutch” or “cop-out” in some cases, but His sovereignty has probably been THE MAJOR aspect of Himself which He has been impressing on me since becoming a Christian in general and in recent years and indeed months in specific. And isn’t it JUST LIKE the Lord to send a test on the very subject into my life?
I have a lot of areas still in need of improvement and lots of room for more growth. Lots. Lots and lots. I definitely have my share of weaknesses, as you’ll surely see as this journey and journal unfold in the coming months and years (and probably already =). But I can honestly say that an unbreakable, unshakable faith in God’s infinite and loving sovereignty isn’t one of them, that it’s probably the strongest area of my still-growing life. So viewed in this light, I just HAD to choose that third of three immediate options.
That fully firm faith sprang forth into my life like a bigger beanstalk than “Jack” could ever have dreamt, based on the bulletproof bedrock of two verses which serve as beautiful biblical bookends on the matter of God’s sovereignty. I’m sure I’ll discuss these again in the future since they have such a constant, continual presence and impact in my daily life but for now I’ll just say that ANY AND EVERY situation or occurrence in life – real or even hypothetical – absolutely falls within the sovereignty of God. I’m not saying that NOTHING can escape God’s sovereignty and control; I’m saying that NOTHING can escape even the infinite CENTER of God’s sovereignty and control. It is infinite, and infinitely pervasive. It is absolute, and captures absolutely every single thing in life. Real and hypothetical. Past, present, and future. Everything. From “random” to “rigged”!
In other words, God’s sovereignty has “all the bases” completely covered! It encompasses the ENTIRE SPECTRUM of life!
On the one end of said spectrum are the things that happen in life, in our lives, to us, which seem RANDOM. Like, oh, I don’t know, going into a grocery store for a few minutes to buy some bread and having your bike get stolen. Or the stock market. Or flipping a coin, or rolling dice… or casting lots. You see, that was probably the ultimate example or illustration of “randomness” in biblical times, in Old Testament times when that verse was written. It means that even things which seem random are TOTALLY (“every”) controlled and determined by the Lord!
What a massive blessing! What a huge relief! To know that NOTHING “random” EVER happens! That EVERY SINGLE OCCURRENCE in our lives has definite and usually deep purpose and is in the center of God’s loving sovereignty.
On the other end of said spectrum are the things that happen in life, in our lives, to us, which seem RIGGED. Like (again!) the stock market. (Isn’t it funny how so many people are convinced it’s totally random and how many people are equally convinced it’s totally rigged? They’re BOTH wrong!) Or that boss or supervisor at work who seems to “have it in for you” and seems to always be trying to trip you up or set you up for failure or tries to get you fired or just make your life a living you-know-what. Or perhaps a parent who seems to exert enormous control over your life. But in Old Testament times, when that second verse was written, the ultimate example of that which was pre-determined or “rigged” or controlled by another was a king. Read the books of Esther and 1 & 2 Samuel and Kings and Chronicles for countless illustrations. He literally held the power of life and death in his pen (er, stylus?), in his little finger as we might say today. Uber-powerful. To us. Yet that verse makes crystal clear that his heart, his mind, his emotions, his WILL is like a tiny trickle of water. In fact, in the original language (Hebrew), that word “water” can be translated “water of the feet”, i.e., “urine”. Isn’t that funny! Someone like a boss or despot or king seeming to have so much control over us, in our lives, is like a mere trickle of urine compared to the awesome power and true control always wielded – and just as importantly, never yielded – by the Lord.
He shares control/sovereignty with nobody and nothing.
Double blessing! Infinite relief! Just to know that EVERYTHING from one end of life’s spectrum to the other is TOTALLY AND SOLELY controlled and determined by our loving Lord!
And, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, it is THIS infinite truth, this immutable fact, which enables one to truly obey 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and a second very similar verse we’ll discuss in a minute: “In EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
We can (and must) literally be THANKFUL in EVERY single situation or occurrence in life because such resides squarely in God’s will and control and sovereignty.
This seems like the perfect time to share with you several items which comprise my perspective in this weekend’s bike-got-stolen matter:
And it’s that last one in particular which brings me to that second verse.
You see, it’s one thing to be able to give thanks “in” all things, but God’s loving sovereignty is so amazing and complete and all-encompassing and pervasive that we can even give thanks FOR all things.
“… always giving thanks FOR all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20)
In other words, not just giving thanks in situations in general but literally FOR every single thing that happens. Because, based on God’s loving sovereignty, it WILL redound to our good, better, and best. EVERY TIME. WITHOUT EXCEPTION. In some and even many and even the vast majority of cases, a person might not realize that, but it’s true. And it’s how I live my life literally every minute of every day.
I’m pretty sure that the children of Israel didn’t view the rise and reign of Pharaoh as something for which to be THANKFUL. But it was. Why? Because of what I’ve written here as confirmed so beautifully in Romans 9:17 – “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I raised you up, to DEMONSTRATE MY POWER in you, and that MY name might be proclaimed THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.'”
So whether it’s a supervisor or boss or king or ANYONE or ANYTHING in your life that seems to be causing you grief, please know that (a) God is INFINITELY SOVEREIGN in that situation and therefore (b) COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT had He wanted, had THAT been for your good, better, and best, but (c) LET IT HAPPEN because He KNEW (indeed, from eternity past) what would be BEST for you, and everyone else for that matter. Only the omnipotent God could manage all of those crosscurrents. Only the loving God would care to do so, would care for us SO MUCH that ONLY what’s truly BEST for us EVER happens! Which is why we absolutely should “ALWAYS give thanks FOR all things” – because “we KNOW that ALL THINGS work together for GOOD to those who know God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Therefore, I can honestly say that even if I could go back in time to Saturday morning when deciding which store to buy that handful of groceries at, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t change a thing, I wouldn’t have done anything differently to have prevented that person from stealing my bike. Why? Because then I would’ve missed out on passing a fairly sizable test, not just a bike. I.e., passing a test from God is infinitely more important and precious to me than any bike. (Even that one which was PERFECT in every way for me.) Because that fellow pedestrian would likely be mangled and, based on that car’s rate of speed, probably DEAD and therefore probably relegated to hell for all eternity. And because I wouldn’t have such a PERFECT illustration to finish and crystallize the post I had already begun writing a week or more ago.
And I’ll conclude by sharing one last insight with you about this.
I can remember like yesterday an incident years ago (when I still had a car =) in which I “caught a red light” which was the FASTEST from green to red I had (or still have) EVER seen. It was as though yellow didn’t even exist, as though it skipped right over that middle one. While I can’t claim a flawless driving record, I do think it’s very important to obey ALL laws, so I slammed on the brakes – and grumbled about how blazing fast that light turned red, how I probably just wore an inch off of my tires… I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about, secondhand if not first.
But the most amazing thing happened next which I’ll never, ever, ever forget. Never have and never will. When the light turned green and I proceeded (slowly, with heart still pumping hard) and took the curve around 50 feet away from that traffic light, you won’t believe what I saw: a very large tree had literally just fallen across the entire road. Where I and my car quite likely would’ve been had that light NOT turned red, so blazing fast. I had initially grumbled about something which probably SAVED MY LIFE. And I can’t recall a SINGLE TIME I’ve questioned or doubted the Lord’s loving and unlimited sovereignty ever since, and that happened many years ago. And just this ONE ASPECT of God has made my life a total joy, a total blast, all day every day.
Let’s look at it from a different angle. Let’s say that my bike hadn’t been stolen while I was inside that grocery store. I of course would’ve ridden it back home as always. So let’s say that on the way home, I got hit by a bus or car and suffered serious injury. What would many of us surely be saying as we lay mangled in a hospital bed? Probably something like, “Lord, why did You let that bus hit me? You are omnipotent, You are sovereign – WHY DIDN’T YOU STEP IN AND PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING?” Right? Sound familiar? But that’s EXACTLY what He did! In this case, as always, He DID step in, in a very real, tangible way, to prevent something, anything, EVERYTHING which WOULDN’T be for my good, for your good, for our good. He didn’t stretch forth His holy hand from heaven as in, say, Old Testament times, but he absolutely intervened directly via, yep, a bike thief. God’s sovereignty is so infinite and pervasive that He often uses even the wicked, even the sins of others, to accomplish what’s best for US and what will bring Him the most glory. That’s the whole point of Romans 9:17 quoted above. God even uses animals – figurative and literal (2 Peter 2:16) – to bring about and make happen what’s best for US, what’s most beneficial for OUR lives. The human mind almost always just looks at things based on what actually happened, not what might have. But I’ve found that there’s tremendous perspective and wisdom gained by doing so, by looking at the proverbial “other side of a coin” so as to be grateful, to give Him thanks not just for what happens to us or in our lives but also what DOESN’T happen! Not just for the presence of the positives but also for the absence of the negatives!
This will probably blow your mind but it’s 100% true – not 90%, not 95% … 100% – that EVERY SINGLE thing which happens to you, which happens in your life, is for your BEST. Without exception. Such that you, your life, would be WORSE OFF if it HADN’T. So instead of giving in to the very natural human tendency to doubt and thus disbelieve God’s sovereignty, let us not ask whether something that occurs is for our best but rather HOW it’s for our best – and, like me in the case of my bike, you’ll almost always find MULTIPLE answers to that question. One would be enough, but in these things, the more, the merrier.
So to the long list above we can add this:
Am I going to go around hoping that its replacement bike gets stolen, too? Definitely not. But IF it does will I take it in stride and faith in the knowledge that because of God’s loving sovereignty ANYTHING that does or even could happen is for my GOOD – not just in some sort of after-the-fact, back-end kind of way but indeed from eternity past? Absolutely. The Lord lets everything happen for our, for your, for my good and benefit: spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. (E.g., I’m not writing this from a hospital bed. =)
The takeaway from all of this is a very easy, straightforward “rule” for life, a “rule” for living: If it HAPPENS, never RESENT it, always THANK GOD that it DID! I give you my word (and infinitely more importantly, GOD gives you HIS) that if you simply but truly believe in just this one aspect of God, His loving sovereignty, and adopt this “rule” each day, it will not just change but REVOLUTIONIZE your life.
I hope that this pair of “beautiful biblical bookends” of Proverbs 16:33 and 21:1 will be as much of a massive, unmitigated, ongoing blessing in your life as it has been in mine.
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