Field Stones
In New Hampshire, you cannot walk through any woodland area without coming upon a wall built of field stones.
1. Every passage of Scripture teaches a Big Truth. There are other things it teaches, to be sure, but the passage has A Point. The point of the passage is the Truth the Holy Spirit inspired it to communicate. It reveals. Without that revelation, we would be blind. How long would it take for a million monkeys typing to type out the Bible? Never. No one--by happy accident or by deep, insightful, observation--could have or would have discovered what God has revealed in Scripture.
2. Therefore, every passage of Scripture is, by its Truth, correcting some falsehood. That's right: every passage is correcting some lie that you and I naturally hold to. "All Scripture is God-breathed... for correction," 2 Timothy 3:16.
3. Therefore, a big part of growing in the Christian life involves discovering the particular lies that are particularly afflicting us at this particular moment.
Like pulling out stones from the field every season because new one's emerge with the changing weather: the frost heaves them up, the rains reveal them, the sun bakes them into iron and they become fixtures in our lives. It'll take more than our finger tips to free them and make our "field" fruitful; pickaxes, teams of mules, and a buddy with a tractor. But otherwise, what? Pinballing your tiller across the field from one lie to the other?
4. Genesis 3 shows in the slow motion how a drop of black ink spreads in a clean glass of water. First, satan lies to Adam and Eve. Second, Adam lies to himself and to God. In Genesis 3:9-12, Adam never answers the question, he deflects blame and make excuses, covering his sin with inadequate fig leaves.
5. The point: Scripture aims to truth-ify us. We need it. Without Scripture, not only do our boulders stub the toes of everyone who passes through our life, they somehow multiply. The lie that lives in us, becomes a lie in someone else. Satan's lie and Adam's lie were not the same lie on the surface. But underneath both was the lie that says that God isn't to be trusted. It wasn't just lying that spread, but a lie.
6. Today, when you read a passage of Scripture, ask yourself: "Self, what truth is this passage stating? And what lie is it correcting?" Then ask yourself, "And, self, where is that lie laying in your life?"
7. It's nicer to read the Bible and feel better about yourself just for having read it. But that's like feeling better about your health just because you bought exercise pants. When you read your chapter, psalm, or handful of verses, listen. Listen to what the Spirit wants to say. Receive the correction. And in the hole where the lie lay, plant a Truth-seed.
The woods are riven with field stone walls. A testament to someone's hard work and desire to see their place in this world become fruitful, become a blessing to others. And isn't that what we want, truly?
***good links
The CCEF group has been a massive help in my Christian life. They are having a 50% sale of some of their most popular resources. These are short "mini-books" on a wide variety of topics. They are not, of course, as thorough as a non-mini-book, but they are excellent helps and guides.
