Friday, August 19, 2016

What Would Jesus Do?

What Would Jesus Do? Commonly referred to as W.W.J.D., it’s a quick reminder for us to consider how God would handle whatever situation we’re in. Sometimes we may feel we have to just guess on how He would react; other times we’re shown in Scripture exactly how He handled identical situations.

One of the interesting things about the Scriptures is that it’s a unique set of commands meant to keep us away from things that harm us and filled with stories that serve as examples for us. Simply put, it’s unique because as Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.”

Jesus often spoke in parables not to confuse people, but to allow His holy words to penetrate our thinking without us really knowing it, kind of sneaking in below our radar. He told His disciples in Matthew 13:11-15, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’"

Many stories serve as symbolic examples of a deeper Spiritual meaning; they help us see things the way God sees them (as much as we can grasp). I encourage you to find your favorite story in the Scriptures and see if you can identify which people might represent God, which people might represent Satan, which people might represent the humble, or which people might represent the proud. When we see the final outcome in the story and we can identify those characteristics, we might be better equipped to handle the Word of Truth more accurately.

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