Romans 15:4-7
” For whatever was written in
former days were written for our instruction, that through endurance and
through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of
endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,
in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as
Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
Speaking as a man, not any man, but
one that enjoys shortcuts, and one who has often found by many-bought lessons
that shortcuts were not short, in fact, they took me miles further than the
well-known road. If you identify with
that pattern and go by the title Christian, then I bet you also take shortcuts
in other aspects of life, and especially when it comes to Bible study, or as I
prefer to say; the Handbook on living life on planet earth.
Our culture does not have much regard
for the old; it has little regard for history if you’re in doubt about that
statement, ask a few teenagers who we fought in World War II and why we entered
the war? A better question is why did
God allow His only Son to step out of heaven and come to earth? You're going to be amazed at the answers, but
let’s not get off our interest in shorter routes, so we seem to spend our time
looking into the new and discounting the old.
I’ve already confessed I like to take
the shortcuts, but when it comes to God’s instruction Manuel on living life on
planet earth, shortcuts just won't cut it, for it is written; “For whatever was
written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of
the Scriptures we might have hope.”
As a follower of Christ, not using the instruction
sheet on life is not going to go well for you.
Much like the jungle gym that came with the simple instructions on how
to install, and you took a quick look and began without going step by step, and
what happened at the end? You had parts
missing or parts left over, many a person is doing the same thing with life,
and those missing parts are broken relationships, sorrows, and spiritual
emptiness.
Endurance
plays a part in all sports; a runner needs to practice harder for the race he
will enter, for when they are pushed, endurance will kick into play. And when it comes to that last 100 yards, it is
the encouragement of the crowd cheering them on or the voice of the coach he
hears in his mind telling him you can win this one. I can give a very recent testimony of how
what was written in Joshua 1:9, was a game changer for me as I prepared for my
first major surgery. These are the words
that equipped and encouraged me for my time with the knife; “Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be
dismayed, for the Lord your God is
with you wherever you go.”
If in your hurry to get the best,
you find the many shortcuts have stolen the joy of those talks with your
Father, and of searching what was written in the past that tells you that through
endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope.
For it is in the
Scripture that we learn about our great and mighty God who is the “God of endurance
and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord
with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has
welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
From
the Back Porch,
Bob
Rice
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