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My name is Meredith, and I am the mother of two awesome boys; the wife of a fantastic husband; the band director for 100 students in grades 5 - 12 in a small community in Maine; and a follower of Christ. This blog is a place for me to reflect on what the Lord is teaching me.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Blogging through the Gospels: Mark 4

Blogging through the Gospels with Amy at Mom's Toolbox.


Reading:  Mark 4

Scripture: Mark 4: 11-12


11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables  12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ”

Observation:


This verse is sticking out to me, but I think it is because it is something that I have never really understood.

I know that the ways of God are "foolishness" to the world.  I get that.

But here, it seems like the Lord is deliberately hiding the Truth from those who might hear it and become saved.  I know that if they opened their mind and truly thought about the parables, and took it a step further to make the connections to their own lives, they would understand.  So why the parables?  Even the disciples didn't understand them.


It is passages like these that would make a good argument for a Calvinist.  Clearly the Holy Spirit is needed in the act of bringing people to the Lord.  If they are just parables that people are just hearing and dismissing, with no further thought, the Holy Spirit is needed to draw them in to the Truth.


Application:



I still don't really understand the why of it all.  I may never. I certainly don't need to understand it to keep growing in my own faith.  But, it does make me incredibly grateful that He did call me.  He did draw me to Himself.

Our Great God has a very big plan.  It all unfolded according to HIS specifications, and we are STILL part of it today.

Prayer:


Thank you, Lord, for cutting through the scientific junk in my brain, and for calling me so persistently.
Thank you, Lord, for answering unresolved questions that had lingered in my head and heart for years in the blink of an eye.

Thank you for all of the amazing, incredible blessings of my life.
You are worthy of ALL my praise.
Amen and Amen.

3 comments:

Tiffany said...

I think these are some of the same questions that others think as well. God reminds me of John 10:10....I have come that they may have LIFE.." I believe the truth was being concealed from those who were not spiritually ready to receive the Truth. So many in the crowd were waiting for a chance to convict Him of a crime...while others were spiritually ready to receive. The parables were for them! Hope this helps.

Beth Zimmerman said...

There are so many things in Scripture that make me go "huh?" Like pre-ordination! How does that fit with free will? Or God hardening Pharoah's heart over and over ... why not allow him to repent? I'm so glad that we're not required to answer all those questions ... just trust that He knows!

The Farmer Files said...

Ugh. I know! It is really hard not to have a plan when you have little ones to consider.

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