Hard to Recall

John 14:25-26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Lately our 15 year old son, Sam, has been pelting us with questions from the book of Revelation.  Mark is guiding him in his search for the truth about the Rapture and Tribulation, but allowing Sam to question and put the pieces together on his own by comparing Scripture with Scripture.  I am fascinated by his mind and the way it is trying to make sense of God and His Word. 

But last evening as I listened to Mark and Sam go back and forth about end time events, it made me wonder why all Christians don't believe the same about certain things if we all read the same Bible and have the same Holy Spirit residing in us.  I voiced this to Mark and he said something very interesting.  He said, "Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring all things to our remembrance, but it is hard to recall something you have never read or learned.  Information has to connect with information."  Basically saying, a lot of people don't read the Bible, much less, study It.

I thought about that during the night and I am afraid he is correct.  We generally seek more information to formulate our political views than we do to understand our views of the Bible.  We take preachers and authors at their word quicker than we take God at His.  Scary isn't it?  But it is true.

John 14 was taking place in the Upper Room just before the events that make our salvation from hell possible.  But John wasn't writing all this down as he listened to Jesus say they would not be left as orphans in this world but a Comforter was coming.  No, John wrote this many years later as an old man as the Holy Spirit brought it all to his remembrance.  I wonder how he felt as he remembered Jesus' face as He said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Every disciple in that room was listening to Jesus Christ leave His Peace with them.  Every disciple listened to Jesus tell them to not be troubled.  What a kind and very compassionate Saviour we have!  He took this time with His disciples to express words and comfort knowing their hearts were going to be sorrowing in just a little while. 

But, did they take advantage of Christ's words?  Or did His speech fall on tired and weary ears?

You and I are trying to get to know Him (God) better this year.  But if we don't read what He has said, then we can't gain comfort from His teachings.  If we don't take advantage of His Word and all that He did and said, then we are failing to know Him better.  He still sits on the shelf of our hearts instead of being someone we lean on and rely on moment by moment.

Let's allow His Word to penetrate our thinking so that He can call It to remembrance when we need it.  Let's continue to try and get to know Him better every day because He is not going to tarry forever.  He will be back for us and we ought to know a little about Him before we meet Him in the air!

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri