Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 148
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a
blog? So that many can receive the
weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.
In
this day’s writing, Michael draws our attention to the fallacy of trying to figure
out God apart from some simple truths that will never change. Has your experience with God been something
you could “systematize”?
DAY 179
Land Crabs
Who knows, God may turn and relent . . . --Jonah 3:9
I was
once told that I had bad theology. My response was, “Of course.” Theology is the knowledge of
God, and I would imagine that my knowledge is lacking in several areas. All I know of God for certain is
what I see in Jesus; apart from Him I know very little, and what I claim to know is
probably wrong. It is somewhat like the little boy who was asked by his
grandmother, “What are you drawing?”
“I am
drawing God,” he responded.
“But no
one knows what God looks like!” she exclaimed.
“They
will when I finish,” he declared.
Many proclaim with a similar confidence
exactly what God is like. However, the longer we listen, the more we learn
about the theologian and the less we actually learn about God. One brother asserted at a meeting, “I am not against theology; I
have just, personally, had enough to last me until Jesus returns.”
I have
always found the land crab interesting. He looks for a shell to move into,
protects it with his life, eventually will find he has outgrown it, and so
casts it off in search of a more suitable shell in which to hide. He never
destroys the old one that is no longer good enough for him. Theology is just
like that shell. With our eyes
on the Lord we will always outgrow that in which we formerly took comfort,
security, and pride. We are not crabs, though, and I wonder if we should
not destroy the old rather than leaving it for someone else to put on, knowing
all along that in the end it will be too small of an explanation for God. I
suppose, though, that we all grow incrementally more than by leaps and bounds.
The Jews
had God all figured out. It was simple: all prostitutes were to be put to
death. But . . . then He told Hosea to marry one. The scribes and Pharisees
knew it all, being experts in theology: the adulterous were to be stoned. They
brought one such woman to the Living Word and found they had gotten it all
wrong! Jesus said, “Neither do
I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11). Theology seems to be something
that we will always outgrow, but there are simple truths about God that we can always
grow into. God is love!
He is gracious! He shows mercy! And God is full of compassion! This type of shell is worthy of
leaving behind for others and never destroying.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Michael gives us an absolute in his statement, “All I know of God for certain
is what I see in Jesus.” And then he
gives us something that can guide us all the days of our life, “With our eyes
on the Lord we will always outgrow that in which we formerly took comfort,
security, and pride.”
Like a land crab, we need to grab the shells of Truth about God that we
can always grow into. And these we can
always find Life in.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
“C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P. O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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