Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Studying, part two ~ The Rest of the Story

"all the words of the Lord"
Exodus 4:28

Remember Paul Harvey?  If you're not old enough, I'm sorry for you.  You missed an interesting and informative man.

Paul Harvey, who died in 2009, was a radio broadcaster whose most famous segments were something called "The Rest of the Story".  He began these vignettes during World War II, but I knew them as part of their own series in the 70s.  He would tell a story about someone you knew ~ but you didn't know who he was talking about until the end.  And as he told the story, you'd find out facts you never knew about someone you knew.  Got all that?

For instance, a story of a young boy named Jamie whose thirteen-year-old brother died, and whose mother mourned him so fervently, that Jamie determined to keep his brother's memory alive ~ a brother who would forever be thirteen.  "Jamie" was James Barrie, the man who created a world where boys were boys forever.  Sir James Barrie was the author of Peter Pan. 

You might have known of Sir James Barrie, but the details of his childhood are the rest of the story

The Bible is full of details like this.  I wrote yesterday about verses that can be confusing or untrue, if they are only read in part.  Today's lesson is about endeavoring to understand the details; seeking to know the rest of the story. 

Take, for instance, John 10:10 ~ "I came that they might have life".  I'd be happy with that.  But He wants me to have more, and so the verse continues:  "I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly."  It's not just about eternal life with Him, it's about abundant life even here on earth. 

Or in Luke 10, when Jesus told the disciples, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."  It's like being told you have superpowers!  This verse tells us how little power satan has over us.  And you can almost see the disciples high-fiving each other... "yesss!" 

But then Jesus tells them the even better reason:  "nevertheless, do not rejoice in this... but rather, rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 

I also have to constantly remind myself that the Bible was not written with chapter and verse.  Those divisions that make for easy reading, also cause us to stop our thought process, and when we pick it up again next time, we start afresh, separating into two thoughts what was not written that way. 

Deuteronomy 6 says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."  A clear and concise commandment that you can spend your whole life trying to obey.  And I think, "how can I achieve this?  'All my heart, soul and strength' ??  When will I have time to concentrate on anything else?  When will I have time to raise my kids??"  But then I keep reading:  "these words I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up." 

By simply continuing the passage, I find not only the "how" to obey that command, but the "how to raise my children, too.

One of the most empowering verses in the Bible is James 4:7 ~ "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  I love that verse.  I recite, I teach it to my children, and I firmly claim its power.  I have always loved that all that is necessary to overpower the devil is simply resist him.  Because against God's power in us, the devil just ain't that strong.  But that's not the whole verse.  I remember realizing one day, with a bit of shock, that the first instruction in the "resist the devil" plan is:  Submit to God.  If I am not submitted, my resistance of the devil is in my own power.  And that is not the power I want. 

Okay, a couple more examples.  Cuz I love this stuff...

Matthew chapter 11.  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest..."  When I was a young mother, I was taught that this was the verse for mothers, because we know about labor, and about being heavy laden!  But if you come to Christ on the basis of these words, you are misinformed.  For the life we are called to is no longer the Garden of Eden.  When we are promised rest, we picture our feet up, cool breezes and something refreshing to drink.  But Jesus continues:  "Take My yoke upon you" ~ whoa, wait.  There's a yoke?!   That doesn't sound restful!  But the truth of the matter is, you are yoked.  One way or another.  If you do not choose the yoke of Jesus, you choose a much harsher master.  How will we find the rest we seek?  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me... and you will find rest for your souls...  My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

And finally, the peace and beauty of Philippians 4:6-7 ~ "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  I love the promise in this verse, of peace that transcends understanding, but the first instruction is, "be anxious for nothing." 

That is the kind of instruction that frustrates me.  Just don't be anxious?  Do you appreciate how hard it is to turn off anxiety?  *grunt*.... yeah, nothing.  Then He tells me to make my requests known to God, by prayer and petition.  Done.  With thanksgiving.  Done.  But the anxiety comes back, and I don't know how to stop it. 

And then one day I realized that there are verses that follow these.  I had memorized verses 6 and 7.  Claimed them.  Hidden them in my heart.  But oh, the verses that follow... "Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report... If there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."  Put these things in your head, and there will be no room for anxiety. 

I know that when He tells us to do something, He gives us what we need to do it.  But it took me far too long to realize that Philippians 4:8 and 9 came right after Philippians 4:6 and 7!

I hope these examples stimulate you.  I hope you are intrigued, and start looking before and after the verses you're looking at.  He has given us a smorgasbord ~ we should not eat lightly.  Of course, we cannot possibly memorize the whole book, and hiding any portion of it in our hearts pleases Him, as long as we understand there's more to it.  Seek, and you shall find.

~ "I have not shunned to declare to you
  the whole counsel of God" ~
Acts 20:27

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