Let's Read Our Bibles.Com
At Home Page, choose from list of articles or Click on "Bible Stories" to access index of 31 Stories of the Bible
God made us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) The apostle Paul quoted poets who said we are the offspring of God. (Acts 17:28). These scriptures tell us our inner man resembles God. That’s a heady thought and quite an honor for mankind.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon revealed that God has set eternity in man’s heart. The human soul, the inner man, will live forever. That’s a long time. Where, how and with whom will we carry that part of us that is like God?
Among other traits, God’s image is demonstrated by us when our consciences are touched; when we make decisions of high morals; and when our longing comes from deep spiritual needs. That longing, or yearning, produces an acknowledgement that there must be more for us than our vain achievements. The components of God’s image and the pull of eternity are always in each person. Yes, even the most wicked of humans might respond to God’s offer of salvation. God desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3 & 4
There is nothing on earth that can fill our inner man’s emptiness. The words of Blaise Pascal, a famous French mathematician and philosopher, have been paraphrased as: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” If we try to press a life of dissipation and excess into that vacuum, our inner man won’t be fulfilled or satisfied.
God placed us in existence, and He provided instructions in His law for us as well as knowledge about our ceaseless time. God’s law is not dead. Hebrews 4:11-13 states it is living and currently active. It applies today to our lives. This refutes the argument that the Bible is a 2,000-year-old manuscript that was written for a civilization which no longer lives and that it should be changed to accommodate people of today. The scriptures continue to penetrate deeper than any two-edged sword, reaching deep into a man’s spiritual heart to lay bare the things hidden there (Conscience? Longing for more to fill the God-shaped vacuum?)
“Instructions and knowledge” infer intellectual processing. Yes, reading, studying and understanding are required of those of us who have a desire to fill the emptiness in our lives. Bible passages tell us God made us in His image and tells us how we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven. The following scriptures speak to the intellectual process of learning and practicing God’s instructions:
Isaiah 43:7 Glorifying our Creator is our essential recognition that His ways are all powerful, all knowing, and ever present.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 We come to know the scriptures and share God’s wishes with our family.
Psalm 119:11 This verse reminds us of the protection we can have from sin.
Ezra 7:10 This excerpt is from a narrative that acquaints readers with Ezra, a good man who made the commitment to know and share God’s Law.
2 Timothy 2:15 The apostle Paul urged his young friend Timothy to study God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul tells his listeners that they can be sure that God gave His Word, which has the power to guide our eternal lives.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Brunfelsia pauciflora
This plant with its striking blooms grows in our Florida flower garden