Sometimes Addition Can Be a Very Bad Thing

Proverbs 30:5-6:  "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."

There is a popular trend today in people boldly proclaiming their opinions as to what they believe and why they are living their lives a certain way.  And in many of these instances,  the explanation given to support their convictions is "God told me to . . . ."  Whereas there is Biblical support for the Holy Spirit communing with the spirit of the true disciple of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16; John 16:13-14), we will never find God to be duplicitous.  He will never contradict Himself and His Word.

The Holy Scriptures are God's love letter to us.  Why you may ask?  It is because God has chosen the Scriptures as the venue to share with us first who He is (i.e. His character, His attributes); secondly His expectations for us (His will); thirdly, His act of infinite love and grace through the cross when we defied His holy commands, and lastly His desire to dwell eternally with those of us who would respond to His offering of grace through faith, repentance, and surrender.

Now, we unfortunately find today that people will circumvent the text of Scripture and interject their own convictions and opinions as to how they are to live their lives, and they might even suggest that God has directly confirmed to them that their choices are divinely sanctioned.  In these instances, it is as if these people are attempting to justify their behavior by using the "God told me" card.  They believe that one's interaction with God is personal and thus not subject to question.  What we find in the passage above is that God's Word truly is flawless and it will protect us if we humbly submit to it.  It will protect us from the attacks of the Evil One . . . from our own waywardness . . . and from making poor decisions that will reap devastation and destruction.  For those who would attempt to transpose their own opinions in the place of God's Word and claim to be justified by such decisions, there will come the stern rebuke of God.  He will bring to light the subterfuge of the rebellious one, and Truth will prove them to be a liar.

This is a good word for us today.  We never should attempt to justify our actions based upon our reasoning and our desires.  We should not attempt to support our behaviors by attempting to convince ourselves and others that God has given us His blessing when He in fact has not.  We must submit ourselves to the Word of God and remember that this is His primary way that He will communicate to us His Truth and His Will.  And when our desires are contrary to the expressed will of God in His Word, we must submit ourselves to His Word first, knowing that it will be our protection and our guide.