Facts

There is a point at which we know something about God is true and it percolates there in our heart.  It is not a matter of being convinced; we just realize it is so.  As we begin to think about it, we lose our certainty and come to a different conclusion.  In the Spiritual realm this is called "unbelief".  As Jesus opened the Scriptures during His first sermon, there was widespread happiness in what our Savior was saying.  All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. (Luke 4:22 NIV)  But then they began to think about the ramifications of what they had decided.   "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. (NIV)  Collectively the group began to talk themselves out of what they knew was true.  How could God be speaking to them through Joseph's son?  What good can come of His teaching?  We do this a thousand different ways when it comes to faith, giving to the poor, forgiveness, complaining, gratitude, anger.  We know it is God dealing with us and then we talk ourselves out of it.  Our cunning gets the best of us and like the people of Nazareth who decided it made sense to just chuck Christ off the cliff, we turn aside from what our Lord has shown us and pretend we never saw it.  What did Jesus' neighbors and relatives lose by convincing themselves their hearts were wrong about Jesus?  Healing?  Peace and Joy?  Comfort in times of trouble?  Insight into the decisions they had to make?  It is impossible to estimate the damage they brought to themselves by turning away from Him!  We must rethink our relationship with God and how the Holy Spirit is dealing with us.  Do we believe God is right when He tells us how to live or are we a bit concerned that He is out of touch with the "real world"?  Have we got that adventurous spirit of Peter; willing to go out upon the real water before us and trust God to guide us through whatever comes our way or are we afraid to rely on Him?  Facing facts does not mean we talk ourselves out of what God says to us in Scripture or in our heart.  The opposite is actually the case.  Satan got Adam and Eve to "face the facts" and it turned out they wound up turning away from the "true facts".  Not all facts are the same.   Be careful when the lawyer in your head puts on trial what God has already declared in your heart.

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.  They got up, drove him (Jesus) out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.    Luke 4:28-29 NIV