Soul Scientist

Psalm 119:11 KJV Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.

For a few years now, I’ve had the privilege of sending out a daily text with Scripture to a bunch of folks. (Thank You, Creator God, for the knowledge in science and technology and the freedom in society to be able to do this every day!) I know many of these people as family, friend, or former student. Yet there’s a good number of individuals on the list I’ve never met but know only as a friend (or child or cousin or…) of a friend on the list. They’ve asked to receive the verses every morning because they want to know Jesus more every day. And if you think about it, knowing Him, is far better and more important than knowing anyone else, isn’t it?

For if I don’t know Jesus, it’s not His fault; it’s mine.

My fault as in I have been created, chosen, and called to declare the praises of our God (see Psalm 71:8). All of this has been made for Him, not me (no matter how many times a day I must remind myself of that truth). I have access to the breadth, depth, and wealth of many at-my-fingertips resources to help me know my Jesus better. What holds me back from the vast array of teaching aides about Jesus? Be they natural resources of soil, sea, and stars or access to Scripture, songs, and others’ faith-stories or time for prayer, receiving provision, or pausing to think and listen and the like. The resources await, if I choose to use them. Hence, this is where the truth comes out – I’m the problem, not Jesus.

And me being the problem with my own life is also a problem with others’ lives in their knowing Jesus.

The problem of not just in being seen as hypocritical but maybe not being seen at all. That blending in of doing the safe or the expected in a traditional church girl’s life (see Matthew 23:1-3). Those missed opportunities to stand up and say the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). That lack of commitment to praise and prayer which not only makes me vulnerable to sin but opens doors to others’ temptations (see Ephesians 6:6-10). That grasping for more of what I don’t have while ignoring the beauty of what has been given (see Psalm 37:4). That lack of belief in thinking that everything depends on me, myself, and I (see Mark 9:24). And if you’re anything like me, I bet you can come up with a few more examples to add to this list, unfortunately.

If I’m set on knowing more for me, then I’m set to know less of Jesus. But thankfully, the inverse relationship also holds true. If I’m set to know more of Jesus, then I’m set to know less like me (and more for others). And the more I know about Jesus, the more I am like Jesus, provided my knowing about Him is a true knowing of Him. To explain, I can know Jesus by hearing or reading something someone else said. Or I can know Jesus by hearing His voice in quiet and prayer and reading the Bible He’s breathed for others to write down (see Deuteronomy 30:20 and 2 Timothy 3:16). He does show new and wondrous things in His Word to those who listen for His voice and hide His word in their hearts (see Jeremiah 33:3 and Psalm chapter 119). He does stoop to speak to those bent to worship, obedience, and belief in Him and Him alone (see Psalm chapter 1).

And the road to worship, obedience, and belief can start with one verse a day…no cell phone, text, blog post, or email required. But these tools and everything else in your life set on knowing more of Jesus (and less of you) can point you and other people straight to the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – the only road to eternal life with our Good God (see John 14:6 and Matthew 7:14). As for me, I don’t want to walk any road except this one with and for my Jesus!

Luke 19:40 KJV And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2024.