An Inexperienced Stranger

An Inexperienced Stranger

And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2 Timothy 2:26)

Who are these who are so easily captured by the devil? Is it some evil person? In reality, depending on the area of life, it could be you or me. These are the ones who believe a lie and do not acknowledge the truth. There is much truth and it is normal to be ignorant, confused or deceived in various areas of life. Many things I thought were true thirty or forty years ago, I now see to be false.

It is easy to be wise. It is easy until one leaves the nursery and enters the School of Hard Knocks. It is easy to be decisive if one is inexperienced, has narrow vision, lacks love, or thinks only of himself. Things get more difficult when our path of supposed truth ends at a chasm of death, broken relationships, or terrible disappointment. I blush to think of the simplistic, know-it-all opinions I possessed in my early twenties before a real job, before having and raising children, and even before marriage.

Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord which will give one the humility to listen to opposing opinions. It will lead to us having our ears open to God’s Word and truth wherever we can find it. Amusingly, our natural tendency is to think that those with opposing opinions may get enough fear of the Lord to finally listen to us.

There is hope for me and for those who are young and inexperienced. Scripture tells us that if we will soak up God’s Word and meditate on it then we will become wiser than those who would normally be our teachers (Ps 119:99). We can have wisdom beyond our years and experience IF we fill our minds with God’s Truth and our souls with His Love. We would avoid many painful “experiences” if we sought genuine truth and wisdom as eagerly as we seek money, worldly education or “success”. Let’s admit it. We are inexperienced strangers in this world moving into a future of the unknown.

I am a stranger in the earth: hide not your commandments from me. (Ps 119:19)

Project:
Let’s ask God for more thirst for His Truth, Wisdom and Word.