Contradicting Evidence

“Let us hear about your faithful love in the morning, Oh Lord,

 Because we have put our expectations in you.

 Let us have an intimate experiential knowledge of the way we should go,

 Because we long for and anchor our lives on you.” (Psalm 143:8 personalized)

When I opened the blinds in the living room first thing this morning, I was greeted by the panoramic view of our front yard filtered through a grey and overcast sky.  It was kind of cool inside the house and I immediately began to think about how it looked like a typical winter landscape outside.  But I was in for a rude awakening when I opened up the sliding door leading out to our back deck and stepped out with the dog.  I was instantly enveloped into a hot, muggy morning!  A glance at the thermometer hanging on the house informed me that it was 70 degrees with 75% humidity!  So much for a cool, crisp winter morning to energize the soul!

Later on in the morning after I had helped my wife up for the day and was preparing her breakfast, I tossed a toy down the hallway for the pooch and could not contain my laughter as he slid, tripped and turned himself into knots while trying to pick up traction on the slippery hardwood floors.  Then as if to outdo himself, he couldn’t stop when he reached the turn near the bedrooms and banged into the wall with his feet flailing all over the place!

When I finally stopped laughing, I began to think about that experience along with the earlier one with what I thought I saw outside.  When attempting to run inside the house on the hardwood floors, Fiver looks like he is all feet!  He is awkward when attempting to run and stop and a casual observer would think he was just a big, uncoordinated goof ball!  But… let him go outside in the freedom of our large, grassy yard and he is a totally different animal.  He is graceful and light on his feet and runs like a gazelle! (although he has been known to take a tumble or two when he misjudges the location of the ball he is chasing and tries to stop short!) 

Similarly the case with the deception of what I thought I saw outside the window this morning.  When I viewed the weather and felt the cool in the house – which was cool because of the air conditioning – I began to think of winter and was subconsciously expecting to be greeted with chilly temperatures and a frosty nose!

And with those two examples, I heard that small still voice inside of me telling me to not allow myself to be deceived by things that I see or hear on a daily basis that don’t particularly line up with the truth of God’s Word!  In Luke 21:8 Jesus said “Be careful that you are not deceived.  Many will come using my name.  ‘They will say, I am he & the time is near.’  Don’t follow them.” (God’s Word ©)

I am thankful for reminders like this from Papa God, as this is something that I face every day when it comes to the attack on my wife’s health.  When I am tired or Piper is having a weak day, it could be quite easy for me to agree with the adverse symptoms that I see before me.  But this is where the good fight of faith that Paul reminds Timothy about in I Timothy 6:12 comes into play.  No matter what I see, no matter what I feel, and no matter what I hear, I choose to NOT be persuaded by anything that is contrary to the Word of God that I am standing on!

And believe me… I have had lots of opportunities to sway away through the experiences we have had with Piper’s physical symptoms, by medical science and worst of all, by Christians who have “encouraged” us with words and actions that were FAR from uplifting… let alone true in reference to God’s will for healing and provision!  Some of these well-meaning folks were very sincere in what they said… but according to my Bible… they were sincerely wrong!  That in itself is another good reason to get to know what is actually in your Bible!  The bottom line here though, is not what others say… be it correct or not… but what you KNOW to be true according to His Word and your unswaying allegiance to it.

Both of my experiences this morning served to bring me into a place of thanksgiving unto Papa God for His faithful love as we have endeavored to pursue an intimate knowledge of His will for us, for we have placed our expectations in Him and the integrity of His Word for both you and me!  (See: Psalm 143:8 above)  Keep that relationship in mind this week and beware of things that may try their best to deceive you away from His truth.  You might also want to check out and study Hebrews 3:12-13 for more insight to this thought.

Have a great week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Whose word am I expecting to believe in the face of contradicting evidence today?”