We therefore see apostles Peter and Paul in much agreement over this matter of patience. Peter reminding to count the patience of God as salvation, and making mention that Paul often writes of the same thing. Even if in other matters he (Paul) writes of things hard to understand. Do you find it noteworthy that even another apostle might confess “some stuff ain’t easy to understand”?
If we believe each lived as they wrote, that is by revelation, we begin to appreciate that revelation and revelations require some unpacking. We may even learn that those we receive, even if most personally, require no less. A digesting of sorts that goes beyond what may lead to presumption of a thing if merely tasted. Taste is good, I am not arguing against that at all. It is taste that gets the digestive juices flowing.
But there is also another strange matter at hand that cannot be denied, sometimes the taste of things seems all wrong, out of place; at best irrelevant, at worst, toxic. Who hasn’t heard “chew the meat and spit out the bones” in referencing some matters another may share. As in… “I recommend (or find) this fellow may have some things worthy to say, so take the goods from it, what is useless, disregard”. It seems sound advice, no? “Don’t reject everything because some may not be to your liking or fitness, take what you can from it”. But even in that…what seems a soundness of advice is already some judgment… “all may not be fit to eat”. It is a very back handed, even when seeming necessary, way of dealing. And if this is revelation only God can make clear… “the thing you spit out today may be the very thing you find yourself in need of tomorrow”.
And how many times has a situation or circumstance (even in mind) presented that you “go back” searching in the scripture saying “I know there is a fit to this…I remember something I once read that addresses this very thing…do I remember it rightly…I must make sure”” A very “Oh! this is that which was spoken of…” moment when you find it? Have you ever?
A thing or word went in “enough” even though it seemed to matter little or make no sense at the time…but enough in…that now you are provoked to see its fitting-ness. Aha Lord…you already spoke to this very thing…even to me! But it was waiting to be uncovered to you. Yes, often a thing we either did not or could not understand at one time, or even misunderstood and/or counted as little perhaps…suddenly becomes a matter of the God of all creation speaking directly to you. Deep connection is made. The “light” goes on. Bingo!
But we have to (in some sense of “have to”) admit, that if believers, even if not yet convinced all the “red words” and “black words” are of the same spirit, given for our benefit, recorded for our benefit, even lived out by those chosen to do so to benefit; that in all we have this conviction that when Jesus says His “words are spirit and they are life” it is true. Even if we have any disposition to thinking that means “mostly” the red words, then surely above all, by that disposition there is a provoking to know. Even if it only be most particularly the them of those all recorded. A hunger is produced when we find ourselves believing. A need to know. To eat and drink. A need…to live by what life really is.
But here’s the thing…even the red words sometimes seem to either “go over our heads”…or are consigned to some lesser import. Who is not able to repeat verbatim John 3:16? (No this is not a quiz, and life in the Lord is not a memory game of scriptures) But you may understand. And am I simply being painfully, even too painfully obvious as to be as absolutely of no necessity? Ah, but this would be good, very good indeed, for that is what I am all of…no necessity to any. Telling things already too plainly to be known.
Yet here is another thing in this matter…a matter of reference, even some unraveling of particular matters of the how and why of us. It has to do with that “strange matter” mentioned a few paragraphs back. We like comfort (God knows). We like what tastes good to us (God knows). But God also knows how we fare if left to ourselves.The scriptures are rife (yes, even new testament as well we call them) with (is it “our” or their?) misadventures. Even [almost] wholes of congregations may come under an ungodly sway. If we are familiar it may not “shock” us by such as our being familiar, but were we to say “this is no less true of us than them”…(or me than them)…do you see where a certain resistance comes in? If not out right rejection? We easily feel we have learned (and are) better because we have their example given us as from a “them”. Yes, we easily assume we have taken the whole of matters quite to heart…and are now the sobered up people…and not like…them.
But here is warning. Any inclination or adopting of attitude toward “a them” (our brothers and sisters) that leads to any fragrance of divorcing ourselves from them…well…do you see? Who are we in truth divorcing ourselves from? The “We (or I) are not like the Corinthians…or the Galatians…or those to whom the Lord ministers stern rebuke of the seven churches.”
Until we come to recognize we are very much in a fellowship of necessary rebuke, even sternest of chastenings and corrections…we not only do not appreciate a thing, but neglect…and may even be found willfully ignoring certain truth(s). And one that only becomes very precious by enduring rebuke is this: “As many as I love I rebuke and chasten…”
It’s always easier, and in some ways shamefully precious to us, to see the foibles and shortcomings of others instead of the Lord whose blood was shed for them no less than an us, or a me. Dare we talk about, make hay about “those others” as though we are immune…or better than to fall for what they have left us in record? It is not unlike the foolish man who may raise up Peter in long winded sermons (a man probably just like me) thinking he, of course, could never be brought to any such denial(s). Such thinking actually, just paves the road ahead to just that. The consequence(s) are already in the attitude. We are simply as those saying to the Lord…”Had we lived in the days of our fathers we would not have…blah blah blah…” The question is not really “will we ever learn…?” But statement quite in opposition…it is all of miracle that we ever might.
For if we have learned a strange thing in all our seeking of comfort (not a bad thing of itself), learning we have preferences of taste (not a bad thing of itself), do not like suffering and are no more able to appreciate it at the time than any other, it is that a new appetite is given even for truth above all despite its precious cost to us even in light of its precious cost to be made for us, and find the only one with no bones to “spit out” who speaks to us. We begin to swallow some very hard things…even learn we are made fit for their digesting by another, and that not one of the Lord’s words or acts toward, or for us, is any less precious to us than any other.
We may even begin to enter into that blessedness of hunger and thirst (once unpleasant in sensing that cause babies to cry out in wailing) and learn of such blessedness. For to the hungry soul even every bitter thing is sweet.
How hungry are we made to be? How thirsty?
How satisfied?
And full?
He cried “I thirst” from a terrible stake.
But as in the people’s meeting the waters of Marah, once too bitter to drink
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
It is the very cross of Christ, and our own death(s) faced in utter completeness and all of the old creation that even makes us come to be able to glory in what once terrified.
It is not even that the hungry soul may come to see it, that gift of hunger manifesting our total dependence and necessity for what is “not of us” to sustain us (a man will not live long eating his own body parts) is what compels us to it, and in utter dependence…even find perfect liberty.
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