Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
What happens the more you study scripture? The same thing as what happens to you when you first get saved, and then the newness wears off. You’re suddenly a 1 verse, one minute expert! You passed from darkness to light. You are born again. You are a new creature. Your eyes of understanding have been opened. Satan’s blinders have fallen off of you.
When you get saved, everything is crystal clear. When you begin to study scripture more, the same thing happens. God has opened your eyes. You fall in love with the intricacy and power of God’s Word.
The change is absolutely amazing! You read a verse, it’s God’s Word! You’re filled with joy and faith. Until you read stuff like ‘and Judas went out and hung himself’. You get startled and play Bible roulette blindly turning to another random page and read ‘Jesus said, go thou and do likewise’. Confusion sets in and it simply wasn’t like it was before.
A pastor said he caught a new believer putting mud patties on the eyes of a blind man. Might have worked! God cuts new believers a lot of slack. Being saved and studying God’s Word go hand in hand. Suddenly all your friends are now Jesus freaks. All you want to do is to know Jesus better.
You pass from darkness to light the moment you get saved, but beware, there is no solid line between darkness and light, just varying shades of grey! If you have ever flown world wide, you’ll see what I mean. In front of you is the blackness of night. Behind you is bright daylight. But there is no distinct line between night and day. Just varying shades of increasing darkness or light. Although passing from darkness to light, it’s just one stop, be aware of crossing back into the darker area, stay in as much light as possible!
You must keep moving, gradually leaving the ‘grey area’ until you are transformed into pure light which is ‘Christ’s image’. Meanwhile it’s a lifelong challenge to grow in Him, by continuing to grow into the greater lightness. You grow through reading the Word, praying, and going out and ‘doing’ the Word of God. You soon find that there is no black and white. Just shades of grey. The closer you get to darkness, the darker grey it becomes. You soon learn to always lean into the lighter shade of grey.
With studying more of the world, you realize that the more you read the Word the more you doubt. Likewise, the longer you are saved, the more you doubt. Especially after a few humbling or disappointing experiences. Seeming contradictions in the Bible. Christians living ungodly lifestyles. You can start going into the darker grey zone, if you aren’t careful.
Doublemindedness wasn’t even a possibility in the beginning of your salvation experience. But we are warned about it. Doublemindedness happens when you walk too close into the darker grey zone. Very dangerous, you could get lost.
James 1:8 a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
It happens to many missionaries, and especially to missionary kids. For example, we fervently pray down here, but continue to struggle with lost souls, backsliders, health and finances for ourselves and others. Million Friends buries a lot of little caskets down here. Government problems abound. People stay unemployed even though we pray for employment, or sobriety. America is dying, in spite of our prayers. Jesus is delaying His coming. Other older Christians tell you ‘how it is, to be realistic’ which drives you deeper into the darker grey area. People don’t forgive you, or are just plain mean. Doubt creeps in. Satan whispers ‘are you really saved?’, ‘God’s Word seems to contradict itself here’, ‘why did God do this or that?’
If you’ve never doubted, you’ve never ‘done’ the Word of God. You are a hearer only. You have to put into practice what you learn and as a missionary, to ultimately teach. Here’s the rub. You only find flies in the soup after you put into practice what you’ve learned.
You only hear the squeak or vibration when you are actually test driving the pretty new car for example. Sitting there on the lot, new car smell, bright and shiny, knowing all the horse power etc. is great. Once you take it for a spin though is when you see if it works like you imagined. Applying the Word of God to your life may not go the way you expected. My friends and family were not overjoyed when I got saved and immediately drove to the mission field for example. Nicaragua did not have a nation wide revival when I got here.
THEN, A FEW DAYS AGO I HAD A LIGHTBULB MOMENT!
I listened to my favorite pastor preaching to an audience. It was a 20 year old message, to an audience in America, but it went straight to my soul. My spirit needed it desperately.
He said, matter of factly: ‘ALWAYS TAKE GOD’S SIDE!!’
What an AH-HA moment for me. It was a profound, impacting truth. No matter what, be absolutely convinced that God is right! Don’t leave any room to question Him. If you don’t understand something KNOW that it’s your misunderstanding. If it’s tough to chew, or bony, put it to the side of the plate. Don’t try to swallow it. You don’t have to understand, only believe. Just be assured that God does not make mistakes. God is not cruel. That way you will stay by God’s side.
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln said it best.
God is on our side, but it’s on us to stay there beside Him. Staying at God’s side is a choice. The Bible calls it abiding.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
God stays by our side. God is faithful in spite of us, and our actions. Not just when we are good and go to church, but when we blow it. God defends us and doesn’t waver. He is steadfast. Nothing amazes me more than God’s patience with me. It is imperative for me to be patient with Him therefore when I don’t understand what He is doing. He is faithful. He is doing all the heavy work. Trust Him! God says this about sticking to our side:
Psalm 89:33 But I will not withhold My favor from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness
No matter what it is, or how off it seems, make a decision right now to always trust Him, defend Him and take His side. Being at someone’s side is always a reciprocal agreement. God defends us. The Son of God is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We need Him more than He needs us. We should always defend Him. It’s a no brainer. If God isn’t on our side, where would we be??
Psalm 124 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side.