Things are not always as they seem

Pastor Pat O'Rourke

Perhaps more than at any other time in history people today need discernment. All sorts of people in all sorts of positions are working frantically to fix the problems of the world. Yet, it seems things are growing steadily worse - even measurably - month by month. Today, we desperately need discernment so we can know what is going on and govern ourselves accordingly. A few days ago I was driving along a highway enjoying the sights of wonderful crops. One field, in particular, caught my eye. It was so clean, not a weed could be seen. Than I noticed one of those signs which told about the herbicide the field had been treated with. The chemical was the reason no weeds could be found. My initial reaction was, “Wow, what a clean, clean field.” Then a conversation I had with a man a few weeks ago came to my mind. “Pat,” he said to me. “Why are so many people dying of cancer these days? When I was a boy we hardly knew what cancer was. And now. . .” You see, the field was so very clean, but people are consuming the fruit of that field. Inside of people’s systems these days there is growing an insidious filthiness, which causes cancer cells to multiply. To summarize, something so clean is producing something so dirty. In the name of cleanliness, filthiness is being produced. Remember, things are not always as they seem. Am I implying strong field chemicals are causing cancer? No, but they are probably one of the largest contributing causes. An article I read recently comes to mind. The strong soaps, detergents, body washes, deodorants and creams we use so frequently, are contributing to toxic overload in our systems. People’s immune systems are overtaxed and folks are dying prematurely - all in the name of staying very clean. Am I advocating we stop using soap and water and wash less often? Certainly not, but remember, things are not always as they seem. My third example comes from the pages of scripture - John the Baptist, what an interesting character! We could use a few like him today. John was different. Jesus said, speaking of him, “Among those born of woman there is no one greater than John the Baptist!” Mark described him in his gospel, “John wore clothing made of camel hair, cinched with a leather girdle.” His diet! Locusts, grasshoppers and wild honey! The gospel writer Luke described John’s upbringing. “He grew, became strong in his spirit and was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto I read.” (Luke 1:80) John grew up alone, did not have a lot of influences in his life, probably didn’t smell very good. Not the kind of man you would want to sit close to in church! Yet, John had a certain kind of cleanliness in his life that was totally unique. Unto him Luke said, was given the “word of the Lord!” (Luke 3:2) So to summarize John’s life, he didn’t look all that impressive, or even all that clean. But he possessed a certain type of cleanliness that allowed the word of the Lord to come to him and flow through him. Remember, things are not always as they seem. So I have given you three examples. Two examples of staying so clean, yet producing uncleanliness. The third example, a man looking very unclean and undesirable, yet so clean God would trust him with the word of the Lord. Each of these examples point rather dramatically to the fact things are not always as they seem. Could it be possible we could carry this concept further, perhaps into every troubled area of life? Could it be possible the reason we are not getting answers to the difficulties of society is because we are looking in the wrong places for answers? There is only one place where true answers can be found. That is between the covers of the Bible. Every answer to every problem of human life is found in scripture. Even a child can figure out that man has no answers because of the simple fact every brilliant man you hear has a different solution as to how the fix the world’s problems. Yet, the situations worsen and we wonder, are some of these things unfixable? No, they are not unfixable. The answers are found in scripture, plain as day. All it takes is a determination to search them out and live by them. Here’s a couple things about the Bible you may not have realized. The discernment is in the scriptures. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” A working knowledge of the Bible will cause you to understand right from wrong, something very necessary these days. Also, it will guide you in making those decisions both small and great. Through the discernment of scripture a wonderful peace will enter your life because obeying the scriptures helps us to commit everything to a loving, heavenly Father. Yes, you can live joyfully and peacefully in these uncertain times. Through discernment your world view will change. You will begin to see God at work. I personally take great comfort in the fact the Bible graphically describes the events we hear about in the daily news, often before they happen. In fact, just five days ago, something happened in world affairs that I have been watching for several months. Watching for it because the words of scripture foretold it and I read it. Obviously, if God knew enough about world events in our day to cause them to be written about 2,000 years ago, I think He must be in control of them today. There is great comfort in discernment. Another thing about the Bible that folks often don’t realize is, the blessing is in the word. Every conceivable area of life is covered in scripture. There are verses that deal with everything in life, no subject is left undescribed. Also covered in the Bible are the instructions about how to deal with every subject. A life of studying and obeying scripture is a life that guarantees successful fulfillment. Remember always, the blessing is in the word. Get the word into the situation. The blessing will come in the situation. Find the scripture that deals specifically with what you are dealing with. For example, your marriage. Apply the scripture to your marriage. Be careful to obey the scripture and your marriage will prosper beyond what you ever could have imagined. I am writing these words on our anniversary. Elaine and I were married July 17, 1976. I can honestly say we are more in love today than we were 32 years ago, despite the fact we have faced horrendous blows in life together. The death of two children, chronic disease and other setbacks have been taken in stride and overcome because of our trust in God’s world. Oh, the stories I could tell you, but God’s word has caused us to overcome! I have used the examples of marriage, but you can carry these principles into every area of life. When you bring the Bible into a situation, blessing comes on the situation. In closing, I may realize you may feel my approach to life is far too simplistic for your complex life. May I suggest you put this newspaper article away and read it again in a few days. Who knows, maybe simplicity is what your inner man is crying out for. And remember, things are not always as they seem.