Bible Discussion Thread

The more I try to be good it seams like just one more huddle is added. I thought I was doing good to set up a garden so my children,( during really hard times ), would have a place to come to and eat out of it. But then I learned what the word guile meant. Instead of trusting God to feed them or choose not to for the life style they live ,I took it upon my own craftiness to do it. Im a true believer but worry that my knowledge God , gave or allowed me to see , coupled with my shortcomings might put me in a bad place.

God made it clear that it's worse for those who know the truths but end up sinning. No one is free of sin, but the Apostles say you must be like Jesus. This is confusing to me. Sometimes I get mad ,feel that Before I believed , the god of this world ,(satan), had me learn evil. Now it's second nature to spout out sly remarks at the evening news. Or get upset at people. And there is that ever lasting lust for the opposite sex. I don't act on it , I'm been single 22 Y.

In reply to Eliot on I Peter 2:1. To trust in the Lord is to have faith in Him and His ability to feed you, faith is good, as it is faith alone that saves. But please do not think that God expects you to sit around and do nothing and wait for Him to put food on your plate, as faith is only evidenced by works; works which you have done in planting the garden by which He will feed you.

To do otherwise is presumption, and presumption is the devils counterfeit for faith, notice the devils temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

"Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, "He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: And in their hands they shall bear Thee up, Lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone."

The devil tempted the Lord to show His faith by casting Himself to the ground from the top of the temple, but to do so would have been presumption, even though the Scriptures declares that the Father would have prevented Him from "dashing his foot against a stone."

It is not possible that we should entertain the idea that Jesus was lacking in faith; Jesus declared to Satan, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience, and He would not force Providence to come to His rescue.

By your planting the garden to provide for your needs as well as for those of your children, you have shown perfect trust in the Lord, for it is now that He can work in giving the increase, and providing the food for your needs.

Eliot, you've raised a lot of issues here. In essence, I see you judging yourself too harshly. Maybe, you're a little like me - being too introspective & harsh on oneself. You've given some great truths there but it may be a lack of understanding, your prayer life & walking each day in the power & joy of the Spirit, that keeps you in a place of frustration, confusion & self deprecation. And of course, our Enemy, Satan, is always prowling about us ( 1 Pet 5:8) to bring us to sin, particularly in areas of weakness. If we are aware of our weaknesses & failings but also aware of the One Who loves us & guards us, we are better equipped to deal with whatever hits us between the eyes. Your setting up a fruit/veg garden for the future of your kids is a wonderful idea & not a lack of trust in God. God gives us a myriad of bodily faculties & brain power. He gives us doctors, lawyers, govt. services to avail of. If anything is contrary to His Mind, then we have a reason to shun it & let Him speak.