Puzzles

In order to fill some free time several years ago my daughter took interest in assembling jigsaw puzzles.  She would spend hours diligently searching out pieces that might match only to discover otherwise.  To add to her frustration the puzzles were mystery puzzles and in order to solve the mystery the puzzle had to be completed.  This meant one thing, she did not have a picture to show her the final results.  Several times, with sheer determination, she conquered her frustration only to find the last few pieces missing.  A risk she knew she was taking because the puzzles were second-hand.

Does God and the Bible often seem like a mystery puzzle?  Do we simply have bits and pieces of the final picture God is presenting?  Do the pieces we have accumulated not fit together causing us to become frustrated trying to solve this mystery called 'life?'

We are all taking a risk in our knowledge of God and the Bible, just as my daughter did when choosing to work with second-hand puzzles with the possibility of missing pieces.  Our risk comes in the same way because our knowledge is mostly second-hand.  It comes from our parent, preachers, Sunday School teachers, and others.  Some pieces may be the correct ones presenting part of the truth while others are not and frustration is bound to happen when we try to force the pieces together to make a picture.  It simply does not work and sometimes we get so frustrated we give up.  Because we have given up, we stumble through this life incomplete.  It is incomplete because, even though we are Christians, we are lacking pieces in the area of true knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:2-4 states.  "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,   According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."   Simply put, this says we become more like God and more at peace by increasing our knowledge of God and Christ.  But how can we do that if we continue to depend upon second-hand knowledge which only give us bits and pieces?

This passage tells me that God has granted to us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness; therefore, I shouldn't have to depend upon second-hand knowledge.  I would like to learn more about God for myself, then maybe, by God's grace, the pieces will fit together better than they have in the past.  The way I see second-hand knowledge about God is kind of like gossip.  Why believe what someone else says about someone when  you can go directly to the source (person being gossiped about) to find out the truth? God has made Himself available through scripture from which we can learn the truth so why do we always depend upon second-hand knowledge of Him? 

Maybe it is time we ditch the second-hand stuff and start looking at scripture with new eyes and going to the Source Himself.

 1 Jn  2:24-27  Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.  And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

We have placed preachers and teachers on a pedestal as though they are the only ones who can teach us about God.  When we do we are trusting in second-hand knowledge.  We are trusting in THEIR interpretation of what the scripture says.  I'll admit, it is easier that way because we don't have to take the personal responsibility of studying, however,  in doing so we are refusing to believe this passage of scripture.

Why be fed regurgitated food when the real food of the word of God is available to us?