09/07/11

Lethargic nation

Luke 24:25 - Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

One of the main reason why most Christians do not understand scriptures is what Jesus puts in today's message as being 'slow of heart' or a better word in English is lethargic.

A per the definition a lethargic person is a person who is exhausted, lazy, sluggish or lacking energy. Taking these definitions in spiritual sense gives us understanding why we do not understand scriptures.

Exhausted: When we try to study scriptures with our own understanding or strength then we will find numerous blocks to understand or find the connections between scriptures. We land up with issues wherein one understanding contradicts the other. We need to understand all the worldly wisdom we have and all the worldly wisdom of man put together will not be sufficient to understand scriptures, for God has hidden them for the wise. So if we are trying to learn the Word of God using our brains then we would land in this category.

Lazy: Many fall in this lazy category. People who do not bother to open the Bible and confirm any teaching or spiritual understanding they have received from others. Even if they have a doubt or query they will not thirst for the answer and the reason is their laziness. The Kingdom of God is not for the lazy, so if we continue our laziness please realize we may not enter Heaven. Kingdom of God is for those who take it by force.

Sluggish: A person is sluggish when they have a lot of burden or have stiff joints. If we sit to study the Word with a lot of worries, sins or distractions we would not at all understand what the Lord is trying to tell us. Also if we sit will a stiff mind we will not understand the Word of God. The second largest category is this, for people ask the Lord to teach them the Word while having an already defined understanding which is not in line with the Word and which they will not question. We should let the Lord mold our minds and sit with Him keeping all our worldly thoughts and affairs far from us. It is only when we do that we will understand the Word of God.

Lacking energy: I remember the Lord started teaching me when I started sitting with the Bible with the one purpose to do God's work. I wanted to be an instrument for the Lord to reach out to the world. Unless we do not have a fire in our bones we will lack understanding of the Word of God.

I remember my peak learning from the Lord was when I used to not waste even 10mins on the road. If I had even 10mins I would open the Bible and study where ever I was. If I did not understand I would put that question to the Lord every day, in and out even if it took months, till I got the answer. Everything I did was checking with what I read that day from the Bible or the questions I had put to the Lord. Even before going to sleep I would refresh all my questions to the Lord hope He would answer me by dreams that day.

I can surely tell you God does talk in various ways to open our minds to understand His Word. It is His greatest desire we know Him and come into His Kingdom. So let us not be a lethargic and foolish nation for all of us in some degree are in one or more of these 4 categories.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You came as man and paid the price so that your Spirit may dwell in man. You gave us your Spirit of Truth to help us understand your Word and by the knowledge of the Truth have power in You. Holy Spirit deliver us from our laziness, sluggishness, tiredness and fill us with a fire for treasures of your Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
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