8 Verses that Challenge My View of the World

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I'm looking at verses from God's Word and their influence on my world view. A challenge to myself about "following the crowd" or following God's love.

This is one of those posts that won’t make me the most popular blogger on the block. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about and feel the need to discuss here.

I’m reading through a Chronological Version of the Bible this year and the last few months I’ve been working my way through the kings and prophets. Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah, Nahum, Jeremiah, etc.

And one thing keeps going through my mind…

If God is, and I believe He is, the same yesterday, today, and forever how can we so easily pass over His command to obey His laws.

I’m not talking about sacrificial laws but commandments like . . . having no other gods and honoring the Sabbath.

And before I go any further, please know I’m challenging myself here.

You see, the thing I can’t stop thinking about is how often the Children of Israel, God’s chosen people, just “followed the crowd.”

So, I’m thinking about the idols in my life, the way I spend the Sabbath, and other commandments society says no longer apply.

8 Verses that Challenge My View of the World

The Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” Isaiah 29:13

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,”  says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8–9

My people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!” Jeremiah 2:11b

“My people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. The do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord, our God'” Jeremiah 5:23–24

“How can you say, ‘We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,’ when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?” Jeremiah 8:8

Then the Lord said, “For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, ‘Obey me!’ I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires.” Jeremiah 11:6–8

I'm looking at verses from God's Word and their influence on my world view. A challenge to myself about "following the crowd" or following God's love.

It’s always been so easy to look at God’s Old Testament people and wonder how they could turn away from Him and rely on idols again and again. But the truth, I think, is they didn’t even know what they were doing.

They were just listening to popular thinking and going along.

It happens so easily, doesn’t it? There are plenty of “teachers and scholars” who want us to believe that God’s commands no longer apply.

That takes me back to His words…

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8

“Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am He.” Isaiah 41:4

But in all my thinking something has given me hope . . . God used King Josiah to change the hearts and minds of His people.

King Josiah summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the prophets and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant which had been found in the Temple. He stood by the royal column and made a covenant with the Lord to obey Him, to keep His laws and commands with all his heart and soul, and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant, as written in the book. And all the people promised to keep the covenant. 2 Kings 23:1–3

I'm looking at verses from God's Word and their influence on my world view. A challenge to myself about "following the crowd" or following God's love.

So, I’m prayerfully studying God’s Word and challenging myself to…

  1. know and love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
  2. study His commands and know His will.
  3. worship Him with awe and wonder.
  4. serve Him faithfully.
  5. completely rely on Jesus for forgiveness when I fail.

I know I am covered by grace. I just don’t ever want to take that grace for granted.

It’s not about having to follow a list of “laws,’ it’s about getting to surrender my all to the God of the universe. Because the First and the Last, same yesterday, today, and forever God is not some far away entity . . . He is my personal Creator, Savior, and the Lover of my soul.

It’s our response. Always our response.

I’d love for you to join me as I challenge myself to know His commands and follow them because of love.

“If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them. the world would be turned upside down. How do we know? Because that’s what first-century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it.” ~Henry T. Blackaby

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14 Comments

  1. Deb, thanks for featuring me! I’m working on carving out more time to read the blogs where I link up. So blessed by your kind, mentoring spirit!

  2. Whenever I read through the Old Testament, I hear the voice of God expressing His love and commitment to the people of Israel, and it’s as if their answer in return is always rejection. And, of course, that’s so convicting — I want God’s blessings, but am slow to obey and quick to complain when things don’t go my way. We need to come back to a place of obedience to the Words of God. Thanks, Deb, for staying on course and bringing us along with your good thinking.

  3. Yes, it’s not about “following rules” but all about surrendering to the Lord, our God. If we submit, I believe, it will follow that we can’t help but obey Him. Tough subject, Deb, but I’m so glad you tackled it here. You’re still popular with me! 🙂

  4. Thank you Deb.
    God’s Word is Powerful, It is Living…Amen.
    The more we allow the Holy Spirit teach us the Word, The Word lives in us. We breathe The Word.
    It doesn’t just hang on our lips.
    Thank you

    I appreciate the feature this week.
    Many Blessings to you

  5. Deb, thank you for sharing the powerful quote from Henry Blackaby. That is one I have now written down & will be thinking much on in the days ahead. Thank you for blessing me this morning!

  6. Great verses! We write for an audience of One. I think He is pleased with you for writing in obedience to Him. May He bless you for it.

  7. As usual, your post causes me to feed upon God’s Word and think. As I think about my own personal goals and agendas I wonder if many of them are centered around “me”. I needed this reminder today and it helps me to set my mind on Christ. I think it can be easy to take grace for granted and not even realize there may be areas in our life where God wants us to obey but we are so busy focused on our own agendas that we don’t see them.

  8. Great message Deb! The flesh is weak isn’t it. Thankful for grace! Sometimes we try our best but fail to do His will. It can be hard to not follow the crowd but when we obey Him we are truly blessed. I would like to know which chronological bible you are reading. I would like to do the same. Have a blessed weekend Deb, and again thanks I love your blog!
    Lynn

  9. Me,as well – wanting to know and love God more, live in His grace more knowingly, yet not take Him for granted.
    I’m also noodling on a post that won’t make me popular…entitled: Why Im not a Feminist and why I’m Not Not a Feminist… (: I’ll let you know how it comes out! ha!

  10. Deb, What a great post for all. It is so easy to get caught up in the crowd before we even know it. That is why we must stay in the word. I fail many times.

    Maree

  11. Deb- thanks for this post! I follow the crowd too much. I need to surrender more and trust God.
    I’m progressing just not fast enough for my liking:)

  12. Deb, I always save your posts until I have a little extra time to read and think because I know they’ll be meaty! Thanks for challenging us. I agree that we could turn the world upside down just like the first century if we got radical about our love and obedience. But … I need to remember, it starts with me!

  13. God’s commandments tell us of His righteous character. He desires us to be like Him and to know the joy that He can provide for use even in difficult times. Paul understood this and thanked God for all things He has given those who love Him. I love the Old Testament as much as I do the New Testament.

  14. April Boyer says:

    I loved your careful study of this topic. Solid information, and well-written. Thank you!