What?

It really helps me understand God's Word when I know what the Scripture verse I am reading is addressing.  To be fully understood it must be kept in context. You've probably had the experience of opening the Bible when you were hurting and searching for help.  Lo and behold a single verse comes right off the page and ministers to your present need by giving you a heart hug.  Awesome isn't it?  That's the Holy Spirit ministering to you.....that's personal.  Early in my walk with the Lord my understanding was not based on knowledge and study of Scripture.  In my youth my understanding was based on my personal experience.  Personal experience is only the part of truth that I am seeing and may not coincide with the big picture.  In fact, experience alone doesn’t make you better it just makes you, well… older (ha!).  I noticed in experiencing those wonderful moments when I just opened the Bible and was ministered to that I confused the true meaning of that particular Scripture verse with the ministering application to the momentary need.  Over the years that led to many places in the Bible that I just didn't understand. Places that seem to contradict Scripture that I did understand. 

Here's an example where God used warning as the means to the end of fulfilling His promise.  It's not a contradiction at all but if you read a single verse without understanding the whole picture you may confuse yourself. 

Promises of Divine Security:
"there will be no loss of life among you..." (Acts 27:22)
"God has granted you all those...with you." (Acts 27:24)
"not a hair will fall from the head of any..." (Acts 27:34) 

Warning of Human Responsibility:
"Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." (Acts 27:31)  

Now, how in the world could God possibly warn of those sailors losing their lives, since He just promised that they wouldn't lose their lives? It's simple...God used the warning of death to keep them in the ship, to preserve them from death. 

A pearl to string: Likewise, God uses the command to repent, as the means to grant repentance. And, He uses the command to believe, as a means to give the gift of faith. And, He uses the invitations to come to Christ, as the means to draw sinners to Christ for salvation and eternal life with the Father.  

Because He loves us all,

                                  Lyndi