Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

How many times do we say we trust the Lord, we believe in His ways, we will follow? Yet oftentimes we will argue with another or demand our own way when it comes to what the Bible says. Each time we do this, we are in effect limiting (what we believe to be) God's power.

I know this is a tired debate but I want to bring it up anyway. No where in the Bible does it say that there is no such thing as evolution. There is nothing in Genesis that says "on the first day that God did anything, he created xxx, then on the very next day that God did anything, he created xxxx." No, Genesis uses terms like (Yes, I know the terms are translations from the original text - which was also not the original because the original was not text at all but rather an oral history!) anyway, Genesis uses phrases like "the first day", "the second day", "the third day". None of these terms are so specific as to dictate that they mean that time could not have passed between each of the days, or that a day was the same as the current day, or that any number of other things that precludes other possible interpretations or other possibilities of what really happened when God created.

Which brings me to the point. When we read the Bible (or any other words for that matter) we need to make sure that our own "understanding" does not get in the way of other ways of understanding. In the case of creation versus evolution, one thing is clear to me. Saying that one or the other HAD to be the ONLY possible way we came into existence is to LIMIT God's power. Maybe God did create everything in 6 consecutive 24 hour days (and in the process created dinosaur fossils just for fun). Maybe God did put things into motion one "day" and the first of his creation that was in His (the triune God) image, He called Adam and had a relationship with him.

All I know for sure is that when I lean on my own understanding of the Bible, relationships, God's ways, I get stung. When I learn to lean on the Lord for understanding, everything becomes clear, or at least clear enough to get me to the next moment, trusting God to lead me where He wants me to go and to do what He wants me to do.

Father, Please forgive my arrogance when I demand my interpretation of Your Word, or Your ways. Open my eyes and heart to the potential of Your infinite possibilities, knowing that with You ALL things are possible. Help me to trust You completely and to put my demand to be right out of my personality. Create in me again today whatever You will for my life then work with me/on me/through me to bring about Your will. YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done. In my Saviour's Name, amen.

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