Good morning, dear people.
Last evening I mentioned my delight at finding my pocket knife that I thought was lost. We also rejoiced later at finding our cat that we thought was lost—figuring that she was probably a meal for a coyote—since she had not been seen for a couple days. But last evening Thano found her in one of the lofts in our pole barn. She’s less than healthy—but she’s alive. Hopefully she’ll come out of whatever ails her.
We are supposed to be encountering snow today. But until it becomes an obstacle, I plan to carry on with some sawmill work.
Blessings on your day. Ray.
Without running to any commentaries to check out what the professional scholars say, I’d like to attempt my own brief commentary and suggest two angles for processing this statement by Jesus.
God’s Omniscience. His surveillance system is absolutely absolute! His security camera captures and records not just movements of men, but the very “thoughts and intents of the heart.” So there is nothing that a man can do or say that will be overlooked or ignored when absolute and unavoidable judgment day comes. No one embraces and promotes God’s Truth without reward. And no one embraces and promotes the lie (for example—that His Truth is not true) without consequence. I guess it boils down to just that—TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE. (Some of you are old enough to remember a TV game show by that title—“Truth or Consequence.” Just for fun, I went online a few minutes ago and watched a few little clips from that old series. Fun.)
Limited revelation. God has chosen to not disclose everything to us about everything. I honestly believe that the Bible is inspired of God, not just for what it says, but for what it does not say. Bible believers, while in this world, are not given all the specific answers to all their specific questions. But I’m convinced they have a resource for knowing a whole lot more than the person who rejects Biblical revelation. And the promise is that in that still-to-be-revealed-hereafter we will be changed so as to be given an expanded capacity to know what we cannot know now. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
In view of all this, can you imagine a more pertinent ongoing attitude and prayer than the one David prays in Psalm 19:14? I refer to this often. I’m not reluctant or ashamed to do so again. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”