Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Respect
* Scripture: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.." Proverbs 9:10, NKJV

Knowledge is the fact or condition of knowing something. For example, we might know that a stove is hot. We have been told hot, hot, HOT! Don't touch a hot stove. Up to this point we have knowledge. Touch it anyway, and, hopefully, we acquire respect for hot stoves. Now we not only know that a stove is hot, we have learned that touching it is painful, and will likely choose to not do that again.
Now that we have a reason to respect the hot stove, we also gain wisdom, the ability to make good (wise) choices. As our wisdom increases, so does our ability to make proper decisions when faced with a similar situation in the future.
Just as knowing 'about' a stove is meaningless until we learn to respect it, the simple knowledge that God exists is also meaningless until we acquire a reason to respect Him.
Certainly, the full presence of God is beyond our understanding. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, present everywhere and in everything. We can not hide, we can not escape from God. Accepting that awesome truth is indeed the beginning of knowledge about choices we must make.
Yes, we can read the above scriptures as, "Respect for the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Fortunately, the sense of the word "fear" in these scripture verses means to have a reverential awe of God.
. Isaiah affirms that we are all sinners, falling short of the glory of God; "All we like sheep have gone astray." (Isaiah 53:6)
Unfortunately, there is a danger that some might interpret "fear of the LORD" as meaning "to be afraid of" or "expect with alarm," not unlike the unrational fear of a life-threatening condition, or a child with an inordinate fear of stoves.
Consider, for example someone who finds a lump in a breast, or a sore that does not heal. Cancer? Perhaps. I have known people who did not want to learn the truth, fearing both the diagnosis and possible medical treatment, until it was too late to save their life.
Or the possibility that someone, especially a young child, might develop a strong fear of all stoves, to be afraid or apprehensive when in the presence of a stove, hot or not. That is not a desirable reaction to suffering a burn, of course. Rather, we should come to understand both the function and purpose of a stove and the proper behavior when near a stove. Do not be afraid of a stove, but respect it.
Knowledge of sin can indeed lead to fear, every bit as much as knowing the possible effects of a hot stove or of cancer. Consider that Adam was afraid and tried to hide himself from God because he knew he had sinned. (Genesis 3:10) Trying to hide, ignoring God, or avoiding the truth are unacceptable choices.
Just as we come to know and respect a stove or cancer, we need to know and respect the life-threatening consequences of sin, but also to understand that there are other choices that can lift us out of the depths of fear and lead us to peace and life-saving treatment. It is called 'salvation,' and it is free for the taking.
Paul wrote, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NKJV)
Yes, we have choices we can make:

We can deny God and sin, to our peril;
Or;
We can respect the total power and authority of God, acknowledge and repent of our sins, and accept God's gift of salvation - eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
October 15, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Decisions
* Scripture: Philip said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"And he (the eunuch) said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" Acts 8:30-31a, NKJV

"Ignorance can be cured; stupid is forever!"
I can't help but chuckle at this bit of philosophical wisdom by a teacher friend of mine. It is one thing to be lacking in knowledge or comprehension about something, but some people seem prone to making bad (stupid) choices in spite of adequate knowledge of the probable outcome.
True wisdom is not found in merely accumulating knowledge, but in the ability to make correct decisions from the possible choices.
I imagine most of us learned pretty quickly that it is quite painful to touch a hot object, like a stove. That experience should impart knowledge about hot things. "Hot! Hot! Don't touch hot things." It shouldn't take too long before someone associates "hot" with probable pain. Knowledge accomplishes little if a person persists in choosing to touch hot things anyway.
"Thou shalt not steal." Seems pretty plain; if it belongs to somebody else, it is not yours. Taking it anyway is stealing! Except for maybe two-year olds, who work by a different standard. Hopefully, two-year olds grow up, and learn that many things belong to someone else. That standard bit of knowledge should be readily understood by all adults, but theft of the highest and lowest degree is rampant in society, judging by the news reports. Breaking the law is just plain stupid, in my book, yet many make bad decisions in spite of knowledge of the consequences.
Knowledge of the differences between good and evil does not by itself lead people to choose good over evil.
Philip was prompted by God to share the gift of instruction and enlightenment. The eunuch was open to guidance and willing to learn. As a result, he heard, and accepted, the good news of Jesus Christ, believed, was baptized, and went on his way rejoicing.
Contrast that with the rich young man who met with the Savior Himself, and went away sorrowful. (Luke 18:23) Or the many other people in the Bible who heard The Word, and chose not to believe.
Be ever open to instruction, always willing to share.
And pray that The Lord will spare us from making unwise decisions.
May 7, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* The Great Guru
* Scripture: Paul wrote, "You see, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6, NIV

To whom do you go for information? Where do you turn?
Judging from one popular concept, presented in the 'comic' strips, one goes to the Great Guru. The Seeker struggles up a mountain, and there, perched on a rather small peak, sits The Great Guru. The advice usually has more of a comic tone, rather than useful information, but what should one expect from a comic strip?
We need more practical, useful advice in real life. There are two things that I see lacking about the mountain top guru idea: Am I assured that his guruness has walked the valley below, and, what have I gained from struggling up the mountain to some guy who seems to have distanced himself from real life?
To whom do we go? To someone who is acknowledged to have a solid reputation gained from experience. A leader who has risen through the ranks. A teacher, perhaps, who has thoroughly researched the topic in question. Hopefully, one who has lived it, breathed it, met the obstacles and overcame them. One does not go to a doctor because they have those magic initials on their door - "Dr." You go to a doctor because they have the knowledge and ability to treat your illness.
We need to know that the Great Guru has "walked that lonesome valley." We want advice from someone who has encountered the bumps in the road, navigated the curves, has correctly chosen the right fork in the interchange of life, and achieved the result that we are seeking.
Some of the notable people in history did indeed struggle up the mountain to receive information and inspiration - Moses and Elijah, for example. And Peter, James and John. They had an excellent guide and teacher, by the way. Jesus, the Christ, the Very Son Of God! Jesus was preparing teachers. People who could be first hand witnesses of the fulfillment of scripture. There, they met Moses the lawgiver, and Elijah, representing God's faithful forth-tellers, the prophets.
They came from the valley of the real world, and to the real world they returned, filled with the knowledge that God had validated His Son in what became known as the Transfiguration. Fulfillment of the Laws, in the tradition of the Prophets, and the Blessing of The God over all. (See Mark 9:2-9)
Jesus has walked the valley, he has ascended the mountain, indeed to the very heavens; to Him we can go! No need to struggle up our own mountain.
Believe that He died for ALL!
February 26, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Conclusions
* Scripture: Jesus said, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” Mt. 11:18-19, NKJV

An incident that happened to me while growing up on the farm brought home the full meaning of the maxim “Look before you leap.”
We had a lane, an unpaved path, connecting several fields with the buildings in the farmyard. One low spot was a perennial mud hole, stirred up into a gooey slop from vehicle and livestock traffic. As I rode my bicycle down the lane to fetch the cows in for the evening milking, I noted a pile of gravel that Dad had apparently brought in to fill the mud hole. Wow! A launch pad, just waiting to shoot me into the wild blue yonder.
Peddling furiously, I strove for takeoff speed. Up, up, up, perfect form! From my elevated viewpoint, I now had a full view of my landing point. Alas! Bicycles have neither air brakes nor wings. I quickly understood why Dad had not yet spread the gravel; he had dug a ditch to install a drainage pipe in the wet area, which now lay open before me. The laws of physics and gravity kicked in big time. Bicycle, boy, and bold aspirations of flight reached the lowest common denominator.
A quick survey from the bottom of the ditch determined that the major damage was to my dignity, but my collective wisdom clicked up another notch.
Add this thought to your maxim collection: “If in doubt, check it out.” My pride would not have taken such a tumble, for example, had I simply checked out both sides of that gravel pile.
What does this have to do with the chosen scripture passage? Well, hopefully it will serve to illustrate that leaping to conclusions can result in bad decisions, just like blindly jumping a gravel pile.
Jesus was likening his contemporary generation to children at play, comparing their refusal to join either a mock funeral or a mock marriage in the marketplace to the people’s refusal to accept either John the Baptist or Jesus. Instead, they stood aloof from both, making excuses based on wrong conclusions about them (vss. 16, 17.)
Seen from the proper perspective, neither John nor Jesus were in error. John was following the tenets of the Nazarite vow, as established in the Laws of Moses, and was not to eat nor drink anything from the grapevine. Matthew, Chapter 11, affirms that John’s behavior was consistent with prophecy and scripture, and their conclusions about him illustrated their lack of knowledge.
Likewise, their conclusions about Jesus were in error. Jesus points out that the well have no need of the physician, and that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. (Mt. 9:12, 13)
True wisdom is not found in the “children” who stand aloof, but in those who accept Jesus and John.
Yes, jumping to conclusions is indeed a tricky business.
July 10, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Walking Library
* Scripture: “Seek Wisdom” - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares, She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words. Proverbs 1:20-21, NKJV

My appetite for reading usually finds some food for thought on a foray into the marketplace. Given the current penchant for wearing apparel displaying advertising and catchy messages, the crowds have become a walking library.
I noted one lady whom I would not have typecast as a consummate house cleaner sporting a shirt with a spider web and the message, “I’m not on the internet, but I visit a lot of web sites when I dust.”
My pick of the day was the school-age boy who proclaimed (probably with some justification), “I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
I can just picture Adam or Eve wearing a shirt like that, turning and looking wistfully back at the Garden. “Seemed like a good idea.”
Let’s see now - I’ll bet I could sell Jonah a shirt that reads, “Have I got a whale of a tale to tell you!”
I think a salt advertisement would be appropriate for Noah, the company that brags, “When it rains, it pours.”
I’d get a shirt with an audio recording tape advertisement for Joshua, the one that shows sound breaking a glass goblet.
Maybe a classy automobile promo would do for Ezekiel, but one of those where wheels are stretched all out of proportion. Take time to read Ezekiel 1:15-21, and think about how you would illustrate the vision of the wheels. You could make a closet full of really ‘way-out’ stuff based on the many visions recorded in the book of Ezekiel.
Can’t you just see Daniel wearing “The Lion King!”? Or maybe he’d opt for a shirt with the words, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” * Analyze Handwriting On YOUR Wall!” (Daniel 5:25)
Just think of the possibilities! There is an entire book full of suggestions - The Bible!
See what you might come up with. What do you think Samson would wear? Jeremiah has a lot of good sayings that could grace a walking sign shirt. There are thirty-one chapters of Proverbs to choose from. Check out Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3; “To everything there is a season.”
Actually, I have seen many good Christian and Biblical themes being worn, which can’t help but increase the awareness of The Message.
Every little bit helps get The Word out. Just the process of * Thinking * about the possibilities will extend and strengthen your knowledge of the Bible.
Give it a try!
June 26, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV)

Let’s begin by forming an image of a stool in your mind’s eye. What do you see? How many legs does your stool have? If you envision the dictionary definition of a stool, it will be a seat without a back or arms, typically resting on three or four legs or on a single pedestal.
Most single pedestal stools are fastened to the floor, such as you see at a lunch counter. It is otherwise hard to sit upon and balance a stool with only one support, not counting the other two legs supplied by the person sitting upon it. But it can be done.
Likewise, a two-legged stool also is rather unwieldy; who would want one? Easy to take a pratfall.
Three legs solve the problem of balance, and make for a freely movable seat. More legs, however, do not necessarily equal perfection. Consider what happens if one of four legs is a teeny tiny bit of a different length from the others, or the supporting surface is uneven. Wibble-wobble! A three legged stool is a member of the tripod family, much used by photographers and surveyors, among others, for stability.
So let’s take the idea of a three legged stool as a basis for a good, workable and adaptable support for, well, life. What else comes with three good supports?
Well, our ability to cope with the world around us depends upon knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Knowledge is like that stool. You see it, you know what it looks like, its shape, color, size. But what good is it if it just sits there, unused.
We can put that stool to use if we understand that we can sit on it, to rest our weary legs. That is what it is for.
Wisdom is sitting on it with the legs pointing down.
Jesus went into a desert place at the beginning of His ministry, where He was tempted by the devil. Satan offered the fasting and hungry Jesus a sandwich, which he refused, because it didn’t have pickles. You know this because I said so. You would be wise, however, to get the true story by checking it out at Matthew, chapter 4. Be sure that you understand the importance of verse 10. See how and why you need all three - knowledge, understanding, and wisdom?
Our temporal earthly body is somewhat like an engine. Engines require fuel to function. Mechanical engines may be gasoline, diesel, electric, or even steam powered. Knowledge that you must replenish the energy supply isn’t enough; a gasoline engine doesn’t do well on diesel, and that diesel engine will get a real bang out of gasoline. Do you understand this?
Wisdom says that you will use the right fuel, in the right amounts, for whatever engine.
Our bodies require fuel to function. Not only is it important what we eat, but also when we eat, and how much we run the ‘engine.’
Eating too little or too much is like sitting on a one legged stool. It is hard to keep a balance. Fad diets ignore this bit of wisdom. There are basically three things that happens to every bit of food we consume. It can be converted to energy to keep us going; it can be eliminated from the body; or it can be stored. Looking around, I can see that there is a whole lot of storage going on.
Some people just don’t want to think about making any changes in their lifestyle, whether it is a health issue in this world, or spiritual truths about God’s kingdom in the eternity to come. Another important tripod is a sound mind in a sound body, with the third leg being a well-nourished soul or spirit.
Paul suggests that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. However, that is only one Leg of what we call the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hopefully, our temple is supported by all three.
Sad. So many left ‘outside’ because they see, but do not perceive, and hear but do not understand - and lack the wisdom to change.
January 10, 2010

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Wishes
* Scripture: Paul wrote, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26, NKJV)

One thing has always puzzled me about those folk tales and fables that involve granting of wishes. I’ve never heard of even one smart-alec wise-guy that wishes for a never ending supply of wishes. That would be number one on my wish list. Then, even if I blew a few on stupid things (as typically happens) I would have wishes to spare to get me out of trouble.
Desire without wisdom often leads to disaster. Many things that seem to be a good idea at first glance may bring unintended or unthought-of consequences.
A typical wish expresses the desire to acquire something that we do not have. Many wishes are for wealth. The legendary Phrygian king, Midas, wished for the power to turn everything he touched to gold. It was fun for a while to turn clothing and other objects to gold, but the king gave no thought about eating until his food also turned into uneatable gold. Midas loved his daughter very much, but one touch turned her to gold, cold gold, which is not the same as hugging a living girl. Alas! Poor King Midas.
In most stories, the final wish is used to correct the troubles caused by foolish requests, usually leaving the person a little wiser, but no better off than before the wishes were granted.
One story of this genre, The Fisherman and His Wife, tells how a fisherman catches and then frees a magic flounder, which of course can fulfill wishes. The wife first wishes for a nice cottage to replace the hovel they had been living in.
Tis aptly said that power corrupts, and the wife soon desires a castle, then a kingdom, an empire, and finally to be able to order about the sun and moon. The wish-granting flounder has had enough of the wife’s delusions of grandeur, and returns them to the hovel from which they started.
Pure desire is seldom tempered with wisdom, especially in fables, where the wish recipient has no one to counsel them, no instructions as to responsible wishing.
It is tempting to use prayer the same way wishes are used in fables, but covetness and raw desire should not be the subject of our prayers. Fortunately, the Bible provides a lot of guidance about using prayer. For example, Jesus said to His Disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) For what purpose, for what power, will we sell our soul? (Satan loses one battle - see Matthew 4:1-11)
We also have one power, one resource that I’ve not found in fable, and that is the Holy Spirit. The One who walks alongside us, and makes intercession for us. One who groans for us.
May our prayers ever be, “Not my will, but Thine.”
April 10, 2005