Do you look beyond your holy book to understand God????
By bird123
@bird123 (10643)
United States
February 5, 2010 10:54pm CST
We have been taught about God from our parents starting at an early age. They instilled the value of their holy book on us through years and years of teaching us. Do you define God through your holy book and nothing else?? Do you look beyond your holy book to understand God??
Holy books put God in a nice little package. So many people memorize every word. Some do it just to be covered from the threat of religion's hell. After all, who really wants to live in a fiery pit for etenity?? Others like the power to judge and condemn people who do not believe in their holy books.Most holy books give simple answers. They attempt to control how one lives life. They attempt to control God thus telling you everything God wants.
Isn't God much more than you can find in any book?? Since man can't even come close to creating a planet much less a universe, how can he ever hope to define God from a single or many books?? When you define God from your holy book, aren't you depending on the definition of other people rather than discovering the real truth yourself?? What if all those other people are wrong?? Sure, they say they are inspired by God but you only have their word on that. If God was talking to them, why isn't He talking to you?? You can write. Can't you??
Holy books with all the answers make it easy. We all want it easy but true knowledge and answers seldom come easy. All the secrets of the universe must be earned to be appreciated. Where will you look for God?? How can you ever understand without a book to tell you all about God?? Just where does one find God??
I believe it is important to discover. God does not just give you all the answers, neither will I. When one searches for truth, it shows one has desire to discover the truth. Why do you think so may people who do not believe in God never find Him?? They don't want to!!
Let me start you on your journey to discovery of God. I find it easier to forget all you know about God and start as a child eager to learn. This is not necessary but it helps in being open and not clinging to long held beliefs. After all, you search for the truth and not beliefs.If you are open enough, this is not a problem.
One can understand someone through their actions. God's actions are all around you. Let's start with this world. Why is it here?? What is really going on here?? All the physics of this world add up completely. The Earth is just the right distance from the sun. The sun burns for billions of years. Our physical bodies do work pretty well. Study this world abnd it's people and it is a study of God!! Figure out how things do add up. You will grow to understand God and the real truth. If you study in earnest, you will discover new ideas come after learning to point you in a new direction. God will lead you to Himself. After all, that is where we are all going anyway, to UNDERSTAND GOD!
1 person likes this
6 responses
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
6 Feb 10
Proverbs 2:1-8 (New International Version)
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 [b]then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.[/b]
6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
_________________________________________________
Digging for silver and gold is hard work. But when one finds the mother lode, it was well worth it. To understand God is also hard work and well worth it. Yet a child can get to know enough of God to put his trust in God. However some of us need more knowledge, more understanding. And that's fine too. It is all around us but we need to open our eyes with respect, humility, modesty, appreciation, and thankfulness. The arrogant, the proud, the fault-finding, the unreasoning critics, will find nothing at all.
We have to remember that we are but a bit of dust in the universe. We live for just a brief period. So, making demands of God will get us nowhere at all.
In understanding and knowing God, the Bible is very useful, but we also need to reason and observe and study. We have to remember that the Bible is a collection of many books and written by about 40 different writers.
God is not far from us. But He will only let himself be found by people with the right attitude. While he loves us, he doesn't need us, and we have nothing to offer him but the love in our hearts.
I wish you success!
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
7 Feb 10
Thank you all for all your feedback.
The word fear in the dictionary has more than one meaning, notice:
fear
/f??r/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [feer] Show IPA
–noun
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, esp. toward God.
5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.
The way the Bible uses the word "fear" most of the times, means to show proper respect for God's greatness.
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
6 Feb 10
1hopefulman, lots of good comments here. I must disagree with fearing God. Man likes to instill this fear of God however God is never one to be feared. You mention our brief lives here yet should eternal beings really be concerned just with one mere lifetime?? Finally you mention those who find God must have the right attitude.Attitude has nothing to do with it. Understanding is more helpful so when God does speak, you have a clue to what is really being said. Of course being open is a must. One must recognize what is, rather than what they want to be. Sudan, I know you really believe in your bible but it isn't necessary to discover everything about God. Thanks everyone for your comments!!
@doglady112 (604)
• Canada
6 Feb 10
Actually the scary part is, I don't look in the Bible when I face a hard time in my life. I know God is always with me, but I'm not up on the Bible. Maybe I should be, but honestly my parents weren't really religious when I was growing up. They never taught me about having a relationship with God. i learned that on my own, but I don't read the Bible a whole lot but I do pray.
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
6 Feb 10
Lots of good comments everyone. Why read books with a direct relationship??? Wouldn't it be a waste of time? If you search for me, you might read books about me but once you found me, do you go backwards??? Of course, one must want that direct relationship. Afraid?????They have taught you to fear God so that you will need them. God is never one to be feared!!!
@raynejasper (2322)
• Philippines
6 Feb 10
..hi.. I do.. the things written in the holy book can't have only one interpretation.. for me, the meaning of each passage in the holy book can be drawn depending on the situation of life we are having.. I believe that a passage in the holy book has different meaning to each of us.. and no one can ever have a wrong or right interpretation.. We are entitled to our own understanding and belief and God also conveys to us the meaning of those passages in our own lives.. also, the passages in the holy bible are not to be explained by its surface meaning.. we have to look into the deeper meaning of each passage although some could be taken literally..
@sanjana_aslam (4187)
• Malaysia
6 Feb 10
we must use our own consciousness in our 'judgement' towards god .. as it can help u in directing to the right conclusions ..
@levis143 (70)
• Philippines
6 Feb 10
God provided the Bible so we His creatures can know Him. I believe that if any human being wants to know God, he should read the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. I myself read it and i discovered that what the Bible teaches are true and reveals the real condition of the world today, how evil and wicked our present world really are today! If any man rely on his own study and understanding he will end up going astray and believing baseless and foolish theories and opinions. There must be a written and permanent guide for man to fully understand God and His creation and that guide is the Holy Bible. Remember that we are seeking an invisible God, who is Spirit, and who is Most High. Even if the whole brains of all human beings from the very beginning up to the end of this world are all combined into one, they are still no match to ever comprehend the vastness, the greatness and the infinite Person of God. For our God, our Creator is beyond our comprehension... He is very much higher than our deepest and highest imaginations or intelligence. If you can count the number of your hairs and the number of sands in the seas, then maybe you can fully comprehend God. But since we can't even determine the exact number of our hair nor count the number of stars in the sky or the exact number of sands in the seashores, then we can only realize how small and how nothing we really are in the presence of Almighty God. Do not seek to know God, therefore by relying on our own understanding, but read the Holy Bible, I assure you, you will come to know who God really is!
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
6 Feb 10
Why must there be a written and permanent guide to understanding God?????Where was this record before man had books????Where is your guide to all the physics and science of the universe???Where is your book that gives you all the knowledge possible????? My friend, all knowledge must be discovered. You mention that we can not comprehend God. God is a pretty tall order to understand however, we are all meant to learn, grow and understand. This universe is unfolded in such a way that mankind will figure it out and discover the secrets.Finally if you do not seek to understand much less search for God Himself, you can never know the real truth thus having only beliefs to rely upon. Isn't it better to find God and the real truth??? Given a choice. I want my education to come directly from God rather than holy books written by man. Of course we all have our choice of paths along with the lessons our choices bring to teach us all the secrets of the universe. Thanks for your comments!!
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
6 Feb 10
Perhaps you are more open to the possibilities and can discover before others can attempt to control your thoughts.This doesn't mean you should never read holy books just take them for what they are. Listen to the thoughts of others but walk your own path. Life's lessons are best learned that way. Thanks for your comments!!
