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Day 37 – The Devil Is In The Details

Day 37

Read

1 Timothy 1-4, Psalm 18:17-19  

Reflect

I’m a very logical guy.

I love understanding how things work, how to take things apart, how to put them back together. I love learning new things, and most things I set my mind to I can figure out.

After I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour, I remember very clearly the first spiritual roadblock I hit. I was approaching my walk with God the same way I approached a new skill or hobby.

I was trying to learn every little detail.

And learn I did. In fact, I learned an incredible amount about God and the bible in that season. However, something began to frustrate me. I kept running into details and nuances in the bible that I didn’t understand. Things that seemed too unclear, or even at times contradictory.

I began to get frustrated, and I felt like I was stalling out. I just couldn’t wrap my head around certain things that the bible said,  and it was starting to interfere with my relationship with God.

I remember the day I broke through the wall. I was reading Psalm 18, one of my favourite passages of scripture:

He led me to a place of safety,
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

When I read that passage I realized something. Those details didn’t matter. Not only that, but by spending so much time trying to “get” it, I was actually moving further from God instead of closer to him. That truth, once revealed, was was so freeing.

God loved me. He rescued me. He delighted in me.

None of which depended on my understanding. In fact, I believe it’s made more beautiful by the fact that there are things I realize I will never understand.

Respond

Belong – Because you can belong before you believe.
Are you feeling like certain things the bible says prevent you from considering a relationship with Christ? If he has an unfailing love that he wants you to accept, how important are those details, really?

Believe – Because those who belong often start to believe.
Is today the day you put aside your hesitations and make the choice to enter into a relationship with Christ? Pray that God may help you see what is truly important.

Become – Because everyone who believes can become someone new.
The bible is incredibly clear that God has a relentless passion and love for us. How can you show that to those around you?

Dear God,  grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

– by Justin Piercy

About Justin Piercy

Justin was an integral part of our volunteer team before joining us on staff in the spring of 2009. He uses his gifts in leading our digital ministry strategy at Connexus, and has a passion for reaching and connecting people online.

Justin loves thinking about the future, a good cup of hand crafted pour over or espresso, making beautiful things, and can fly through a good book.

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2 Comments

  1. Josh Gould says, May 7, 2013 at 10:02 am

    I find your post troublesome. You say that God delights in you, but your very nature is to “learn every little detail.” So to me, denying yourself the puzzle is to be untrue to yourself whom God delights in.

    Sure it’s true that maybe some of those details don’t matter, not in the big picture. However, those little details can alter the way you see the big picture – for the better. Or they can illuminate a greater truth.

    Personally, I’ve found that many, if not all, of those inconsistencies can be blamed on language and culture translations. That is, they aren’t actual problems once understood from the perspective of the original audience.

    Be true to yourself. God delights in that.

    By the way, that verse in Timothy is about the people in Ephesus (who worship Artemis) to stop teaching things that are contrary to the truth.(verse 3) ie. Artemis myth.

    Reply
  2. Justin Piercy says, May 7, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    Hey Josh, great point:)

    And I would certain agree that one of the things God delights in me is my curiosity. It’s one of the things that consistently helps me to grow and move forward, both in my personal life as well as in my relationship with Him.

    When I first broke through my “wall” it wasn’t at all that I lost my curiosity, or gave it up. I still have a very healthy curiosity and desire to grow, learn and understand new things about the character of who God is.

    However, at that point in time, I was becoming so hung up on certain things that I was preventing myself from coming closer to God. It’s not that my desire to understand wasn’t important, it’s just that it’s superseded by the simple fact that God has a profound love for me.

    I was beginning to lose sight of that in the midst of my effort to understand less important (but still valuable) details about various things the bible was saying. And that was definitely not helpful.

    Hope that helps clarify! Great point!

    Reply

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