The day after I wrote: https://fatherspiritson.com/2022/09/more-prayerfully-guided-bible-reading/ I imagined another idea on an excerpt of that scripture of Psalm 139.
Realize that scripture has surface meaning, then deep meaning and even deeper meaning. The meanings do not contradict in an overall composition of creation, but may seem different as you go deep. Even physical things can have metaphorical spiritual representations or relations. Remember Jesus recruits fishermen for disciples because they know how to catch fish and they can become “Fishers of Men.”
Today we know Jesus Christ’s wisdom not to run hook first at people,”Stop everything you think that is fun! Or Go to Hell!” People think you want em to be bored til they die and reject that. If you were fishing it’d be like taking a hook in your hand, jumping in the lake and splashing around trying to hook em by hand. That doesn’t work, it only scares fish away. What you want to do for proper evangelism today is harder than that. You want to go do work for them, be the servant of all, help em in life and in conversation. Become their friend, become a friend of sinners while resisting sin yourself, and then they’re open to anything you have to say. I have many many success stories, everyone wants to hear about me tell em about the spirit of love that is Jesus. If you follow the ways of Jesus, love and the spirit spread.
So scripture has deep meaning in many places, meaning that fits in the full giant picture of creation, and you might see something advanced theologians cannot, and they see things you cannot. We all have an imperfect view of God’s perfect creation. Scripture shines light on it and this is why we study it.
Psalm 139: 7 Where could I go to escape from you?
Where could I get away from your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there;
if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.
9 If I flew away beyond the east
or lived in the farthest place in the west,
10 you would be there to lead me,
you would be there to help me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
or the light around me to turn into night,
12 but even darkness is not dark for you,
and the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
Ever hear someone say,”Man, things are so bad now, I wondered if I died and I’m in hell right now.”? Ever hear someone say,”I think I’ve gone too far. There’s no coming back.”? Ever hear someone say,”I think God abandoned me?”. Those are all lies for the above teaches us that God is with us everywhere we go. We cannot escape the God of love, so if things get terrifying and they could because the miracles God sends our way may be direct tests from the devil like in the Book of Job. We can experience anti-miracles of extreme shock, terror and equivalents of hellscapes just like Job did thousands of years ago. It happens in wars, shootings, abductions, prison camps, muggings, auto accidents, torture, the doctor saying you have cancer or aids, being suddenly unable to provide for your family, the loss of a loved one and the list goes on of traumatic terrible hellish things we can experience. In our suffering, God is WITH us.
Jesus died on a cross. He was beaten for doing nothing wrong. Condemned to die for doing nothing wrong. As he bled on the cross, people mocked and jeered him as they would in a clown circus thinking it was funny. He’s up on the cross and he needs to focus about how much he loves you and even clown town making fun of him, but his mind is clouded with pain. The mind that needed to say to keep going and loving you had thorns plunged deep into his flesh and skull. He couldn’t take the thorns out, his arms were nailed to the posts that men drove into. If I pick berries and even brush a thorn, I recoil. He could not recoil from his mission if he was to save and love us. He won his mission and since he stayed during then, he’s staying now.
There’s always hope. If healing doesn’t come, resurrection will. In the darkest times, there is always hope. You’re on a fallen Earth, and terrible things can happen… Still be good and loving, this cleaves at the enemy when you praise God in suffering, it is how eternal victories are won. Even in the world of the dead and hell, Jesus can lift people out of if they walk in faith and love. So never give up your faith and love of your fellow man and soul sistas… even if the world appears to be hateful and falling apart. Victory is won through love and helping one another, and God handles the downfall of tyrants… Quite often tyrants sometimes relent or repent when they see people living in love and understand they’re doing it wrong… To hate back in the face of hate tho, will never work. Keep your head, the victory is won already by Jesus on the cross.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -Martin Luther King Jr.