Remembering Scripture's Purposes

"as the Scripture has said"

John 7:38

When I was growing up, we lived down the street from an Australian family.  They were very nice people, a mom and dad with a small girl and a baby boy.  I don't remember the parents' names, but the kids had interesting and unusual names that I had never heard before.  The little boy was Kingsley.  Isn't that a regal sounding name?  It was a big name for a baby boy, but I'm sure he grew into it nicely.

The little girl was Kasha, which I also thought was a lovely and unique name.  But I also well remember her middle name, because that was a name I had heard before.  Her middle name was Louise.  It's a lovely name, in a rich shade of blue, but when I first heard the full name, Kasha Louise, it seemed odd.  One was exotic and unusual to me, the other was what I'd consider ordinary.

But the names went together beautifully.  It just had such a lovely flow.  And that began a running joke in my family that the middle name "Louise" goes with everything.  Think about it.  Choose any name, and match it up.  Sarah Louise.  Barbara Louise.  Carmen Louise.  Even Robert Louise and Steven Louise.

See?  Odd but true. 

Okay, you may or may not agree, but just stay with me here.

I love the idea of something that goes with everything, whether it's a middle name, a neutral color, or dark chocolate.   And I find that happening in Scripture as well.  There are three verses that I think connect, explain, or support almost everything in the Bible.

* The first is 1 John 4:8 ~ "God is love."

* The second is 1 Kings 8:60, although there are variations of this all over Scripture ~ "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God."

* The third is Luke 10:37.  As Jesus completes the parable of the Good Samaritan, He says to His listeners, "Go and do likewise."

I can open almost any page in my Bible, and find one of these three verses applicable in some way.  For instance, while preparing this, I randomly opened my Bible and found myself at Joshua 11:6 ~ "Do not be afraid, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain."  Why?  "That all the earth may know that the Lord is God." 

Then I flipped to Mark 10:16, "He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them."  Why?  Because "God is love."

Or how about Ephesians 6:10 ~ "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power" --> "Go and do likewise."

Now, of course, I'm exaggerating.   You can't match up every verse in Scripture that way.   But I do find that remembering those three concepts helps me apply them in my life.  I feel like I'm seeing 2 Timothy 3:16 being illustrated.   That's the verse that says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  Scripture does all of these things, and I just love the fact that He has a purpose for everything He has written. 

~ "they received the word with all readiness,

and searched the Scriptures daily" ~

Acts 17:11

~