Archive for October, 2025
God Knows Best
Bernard Palissy is credited with the discovery of the modern theory of the water cycle in 1580 AD. However, Solomon beat him to it centuries earlier when he wrote:
“The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again” (Ecclesiastes 1: 6, 7).
Overly simplified, the sun draws water from the oceans, deserts, and the frozen Poles. Yes, even the Poles and deserts. The winds blow it inward where it forms rain water, falls on the earth, where rivers flow it into the sea and the aquifers. Then the cycle begins again.
Solomon knew that and more centuries before science proved it. How? The Great Designer who created it revealed it to him.
The Bible speaks of God knowing things before they happen—a concept often referred to as God’s foreknowledge, His omniscience (all-knowing nature).
Don’t confuse knowing a thing in advance with causing it to happen.
I can think of no knowledge comparable to His. If it is, and it is, the most reliable source of counsel, why not rely on it and obey His guidance.
Ulysses waded in the rain swollen waters that foiled his plan and beat it with a chain as a discipline. Foolish, right. That is not as foolish as it is to resist God’s standards and rebel against them.
God desires absolute, total obedience from His people. Why not? He knows what is best in every situation. Not to desire obedience to it would be to desire less than the best for us. Our love for God is displayed in our obedience to Him. This requires a living, lasting, and logical commitment in response to God’s mercy.
The following is from something called “Frank’s Daily Chuckles.” It’s one of those things that makes you laugh and then makes you think:
“Dear Lord, So far today, God, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, over-indulgent, coveted my neighbor’s spouse or taken your name in vain. I’m very thankful for that. But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, everyone that I encounter will probably need a lot of help from you. Amen.”
Things go well until we get out of bed, then things happen. James says, “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2).
If we fall while walking we get up. If we “fall” spiritually we get up spiritually.
Here is how to get up: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1: 9).
Fruit Has a Root – Part Two
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:30-32
There is an ageless couplet that summarily defines what bitterness does to a bitter person: “Bitterness does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to the one on which it is poured.” Bitterness is self-punishment.
Hebrews 12:15 gives a proper warning: “Watch out that no bitterness take root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” Much of this “deep trouble” is within us.
The person with whom you are bitter may be a world away or even dead, but in one sense is always with you. The object of your bitterness is always with you, lording over you as a taskmaster would a slave. He whips your thoughts into such an agitated state that your best mattress becomes a torture rack. Daily the object of your bitterness is a distractor, causing you to function at less than your best. You are often driven to unsocial and non-Biblical reactions to persons who have no idea what is driving you.
Modern science has opened our understanding regarding the ability of the mind, known as the “psyche” to produce various reactions in the body, known as the “soma” (body). By combining the word for mind and the one for body, we get our term psychosomatic. It speaks of the influence of the mind over the body. Invisible emotions such as bitterness can produce significant and serious changes in the body. Dr. William Sadler, a physician remarked, “The sincere acceptance of the principles and teachings of Christ with respect to the life of mental peace and joy… would at once wipe out more than half the difficulties, diseases, and sorrows of the human race… it would pay any man or woman to live the Christ-life just for the mental and moral rewards it affords here in this present world.”
Don’t try to even the score. Remember, God said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay….”
Forgive, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God….” Then it is noted, “bitterness” as grieving the Holy Spirit. We grieve the Spirit when He is guiding us not to do something and we do it. Thus, the Holy Spirit is depicted as appealing with us not to be bitter. The word “grieve” means to weep. Your bitterness makes God cry.
Bitterness, which is long-standing resentment, a refusal to be reconciled, causes God sadness. That alone should break our hearts and bring us to repentance. If you have any bitterness, pause now and do business with God.