Hanging outside our dining room is a craft one of our boys built one year at camp. It is a spiral of popsicle sticks, mounted with a swivel on a string. Whenever the wind blows it spirals around with the wind, then the tension in the string spirals it back in the opposite direction when the wind stops. I'm sure there is a technical name for it, but I've always just called it a whirly-ma-gig.

It can be quite relaxing to sit and watch the whirly-ma-gig spiral as the wind chimes toll its delightful melody.

If the wind gets to be too strong though, the whirly-ma-gig blows all over the place and the wind chimes just clang with noise.

Many people in the church are like the whirly-ma-gig. They don't know what they believe or why they believe it. Never having read or studied God's word for themselves they blow to and fro with the teachers of their favourite pastor and clang about in a storm.

The Bible warned that this would happen.

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths 2 Timothy 2:2-4 NIV

We need to be diligent in testing out the teaching we hear with what the Bible actually says.

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 NIV

Ask God to reveal His truth when you read.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1: 5-8 NIV

By all means, listen to sermons, read solid teaching books, read devotionals like Gleanings, but ALWAYS compare them to the Word. If you're not spending time in your Bible, give up Gleanings or one of the other things you read (or listen to) and invest that time in reading the Bible. Gleanings is only designed to supplement your time in the Bible, not replace it.

Invest your time in reading and listening to the Bible. Learn what you believe and why you believe it, then when the winds of life blow (and they will) you will be anchored to a foundation that will stand.

Our hope, our faith and our salvation is in Christ alone. Much of our understanding and our ability to apply the truths of that relationship comes from reading the Word. Studying the Scriptures teaches us more about Christ, about His power and His promises for our lives and those things help us to withstand the turbulence of life.

Read the Word. Read THE WORD. READ THE WORD. Just in case you're not certain as to what I'm saying, I'll repeat it, READ THE WORD

Invest in a good Bible, perhaps a couple of different translations, get a good concordance, and a Bible dictionary to help if you can. There are all kinds of delightful commentaries out there to help you understand, but the most important thing is time in the Bible itself. READ THE WORD!

Don't be like my whirly-ma-gig, blown around by the slightest change. Study God's truth for yourself. If the church you belong to tells you not to study the Word or won't allow you to ask questions about it, find another church.

Until next time, read the Word.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Kevin

http://gleaningsfromtheword.com/

Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are being healed.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

Don't accept second hand opinions as to what the Bible says, read it yourself. If you read it with an open mind, you'll find that God is real and that you need a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you haven't made the decision to accept Christ as Lord