Promises, Promises

When I was younger, I used to have a promise box.  

 

 

 

I'm sure you know the thing I mean.  It contains individual pieces of paper, or card, with a bible verse (promise) printed on it.  The first one I had, was made up of rolled up pieces of yellow paper, which were placed vertically in the box like little soldiers standing to attention, so tightly packed against one another that you had to use special tweezers to remove your randomly selected verse.  When you got it out of the box, you unrolled it like a tiny scroll to read that day's "promise".  I used that box for all sorts of things.  I used it like one of those magic balls that you shake after asking it a question, and it reveals an answer.  ("Should I make up with my sister after our row?"  Answer ..."Follow your heart".)  The promise box was very similar to me.  If I had a dilemma, I'd consult the box.  The truth is, I'd keep picking out mini cigar-shaped pieces of paper, until I found one that a) I liked and b) was relevant.  This might take half a dozen attempts, so I'd just keep putting the disappointing ones back in their place and trying again.    I'd close my eyes, wave the tweezers above the box, then drive them into what I'd hoped would be a "better" one.  Or I'd tell myself "if I get that verse in Revelation, then I should ask "Johnny" out", knowing full well where that particular piece of paper was located in the box and how easy it would be to find, making me convince myself that it was God's will that I did this, that or the next thing.  One time our family were going through a particularly hard time at church and I plucked out Exodus 14v15, telling me "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on".  I boldly announced to my parents that God gave me this verse and that I felt we should leave that church.  They were pretty gracious to me, considering my arrogance and knee-jerk reactions.  It didn't cross my mind that God was speaking directly to Moses about the Israelites, and not speaking into my personal situation. 

That's the trouble with these little boxes.  They can encourage us to take every verse out of context and live them out like a daily horoscope.  There is no denying that every Word of scripture is God-breathed (2nd Timothy 3v16) and can teach, rebuke, correct and train us.  But a single verse taken out of context is not what we should be pinning our hopes on, just because we like the sound of it and it kind of fits into our situation.  We should be more concerned with the character of God than handpicking our "verse of the day".  God's promises are true, and every promise He makes, He keeps.  Some of those promises were made to certain people in history, for certain situations, and a certain outcome.  The danger arises when we try to make God say what we want Him to. What we are supposed to do, is seek first the Kingdom of God, and accept that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, as He sees fit.  We cannot twist scripture to suit us.  Rather, we should go to scripture and let it permeate our hearts and minds and ask for wisdom, which will be granted to us.  Not pluck out 10 verses from a box until we get the one we want.  If we are becoming transformed by the renewing of our mind, we will be able to test and approve what God's will is, in any situation, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter.