Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect – rough version of the Leviticus verse used in Matthew 5:48. Skip points out that in Leviticus it says to be holy, but that’s not the point. Skip also digs into the word that was originally used for “perfect” or “holy.” I always thought when it said to be perfect, it meant to not do anything wrong, ever. That’s just not possible for a human. But Skip points out that the word used in the Hebrew can mean complete or blameless. Obviously the translation with “holy” means to be blameless, but it can also mean complete… so to be perfect is not so much being good, it’s being perfected and complete. He also wonders if perhaps the author uses an ambiguous term so that the verse can mean either thing. As he writes, “Did Yeshua tell us to be fully complete or to be blameless – or maybe both at the same time? Maybe walking toward the Lord with a forgiven heart is the same as being complete.” That’s pretty cool! Want to read more? Go to Skip’s website.
“As for God, His way is perfect.All the Lord’s promises prove true…” ~2 Sam. 22:31a All His promises prove TRUE. This is the crux of my doubts lately. Do His promises prove true for everyone or just some people. I guess, at my pity party and narrow point of view, it seems that I hear amazing stories about God answering His promises… but when it comes to my life, I don’t see this. I’m probably too close to the situation (forest for the trees?), because I know God’s answered a lot of prayers in my life. It just often seems that the promises hold true for THEM, but not always for ME. Selfish, huh? Maybe God’s trying to get me to look past my narrow scope and remember that His ways are waaaay above what I can guess or imagine. So, I don’t understand, but that doesn’t mean He lied. Lemony Snicket put it this way: “Just because I don’t understand, doesn’t mean it isn’t so.” Good words from a great author! Anyhow, God is perfect – so He can’t lie. Therefore He is true… and everything He does is true – including making promises.
John and I have been going through some pretty intense financial issues, and recently our church did a series called “The Blessed Life” from the book by Robert Morris. It was incredible, as was the book. Although we had been tithing, it gave us a totally different perspective on what we were doing and not doing… so we made some changes in how we did things. And things got worse… both kids and both of us got sick, one in the hospital resulting in lost work days and wages, both were home from daycare (which we have to pay for whether they go or not), and it just seemed to keep coming. Finally, after being thrown up on for the 5th time in one day, I lost it and I got mad at God. I told my poor husband that it seemed like God must hate us. We try to do the right thing and He throws us under the bus. Does He love us like He says He does? Does He keep His promises in the Bible (like the ones that promise blessing, etc.)? Is He even paying attention to us (it certainly feels like were being ignored)? He, of course, was just as frustrated by the situation and he didn’t have any answers, either. For a couple of days I really questioned God, searching for some kind of answers or justification or something that would explain what was going on. I didn’t find much. But, I heard a song by Barlow Girl with a verse that said, “I’m about to let go, and live what I believe, I can’t do a thing now, but trust that you’ll catch me.” That pretty much became my motto. I know from past experience that God is real – I have no doubt about that. But, I don’t know that He’ll catch me. And right now, there’s nothing I can about our situation at all. So, do I live what I believe – that God is who He says He is? So, I let go. I believe that He will do and be who and what He says He is. I don’t understand; I really don’t get it, but I know what I believe – that He is God. So, I live it even if I don’t understand and hope that someday, He’ll make it make sense. SO, that being said, this is The God Hunt. Who is God? What is He like? What on earth is He up to? This is my quest, my search, my question, my Hunt.