It's amazing how differently I've been reading the Bible in recent weeks since coming to bible-truths.com. I'm so glad that God is using you guys (and Ray) to open my eyes. The other day I was reading Psalm 51 and God's sovereignty was jumping out at me in virtually every sentence. This is one of the best-known psalms, and I've heard it my whole life, but now I see it so differently. I used to read it and just assume that David had chosen freely to commit adultery, then realized (of his own free will) he needed cleansing, then God forgave him because he [David] was smart enough to realize he had sinned, etc. I thank God that my eyes are being opened. Here are a few highlights from this beautiful psalm:
Verse 1: Be favorable unto me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness. (do you not know it is the kindness of God leading you to repentance? Romans 2:4)
Verse 2: from my sin, make me pure.
Verse 8: Wilt thou cause me to hear joy and gladness? The bones thou hast crushed would exult.
Verse 10: A pure heart, create for me, O God, And, a steadfast spirit, renew within me.
I have an audio Bible and one of the books I've listened to the most is Jeremiah. Last night I was listening to it again, and I noticed things I'd never heard before. They were right there in front of me many times when I listened to it, and I didn't notice them until very recently! Here are some swell verses (from New Living Translation):
Jer. 10:23: I know, LORD, that a person's life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own course.
Jer. 11:16-17: I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken. I, the LORD Almighty, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, provoking my anger by offering incense to Baal.
Jer. 12:5-6: Then the LORD replied to me, "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan? Even your own brothers, members of your own family, have turned on you. They have plotted, raising a cry against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak."
(The "speaking pleasantly" reminded me of wolves in sheep's clothing, and also all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution--2 Tim. 3:12)
Then there is the Ethiopian/leopard comparision in Jeremiah 13, the clay in God's hand in Jeremiah 18, and on and on. It just keeps going! The prophecy books used to seem so irrelevant to me. I didn't know what they were talking about. Later on I learned more about the history of Israel and Judah, so the prophecies made a little more sense. But even then, I wasn't getting much out of it spiritually. Now, as God is teaching me to see things of the Spirit, Scriptures that I used to think were boring are coming alive more and more. Thank God!
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Topic: excited to be learning how to see (Read 4885 times)