I love the Bible.  I love Reading it.  I love Studying it.  And, I love Teaching it!  I am so enamored with the God’s Word that He even positioned me to be The Bible Guy.   Now, all of that being said, there are a few verses of scripture that have, down through the years, haunted and plagued me.  The reason?  Because they are contrary to my natural tendencies.  Let’s look at three of them and you will see what I mean.

James 4:17 (KJV) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.   

I think one of the things that bothers me about this verse is that it shows that you can commit a sin by omission as well as commission!  There are times when I don’t want to go visit someone in the hospital; when I don’t want to take the time to send an e-mail or make a phone call; when I don’t want to go to a church work day.  When that happens, God reminds me of James 4:17 and I heave a big sigh, suck it up, and do that which I know to be the right thing to do.

Luke 12:48b (KJV) – For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:

One day, quite a few years ago, God and I had the following conversation:

• Me:  You know, God, I don’t like that part about much being required.
• God:  Yeah, but you like the part about “to whom much is given,” don’t you?
• Me (More than a little sheepishly):  Yes, Sir.

The thing is, God has Blessed me beyond measure!  That doesn’t mean I haven’t had trying times, but I have always been able to rely on

II Tim. 1:12b (KJV) – “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

We know that in every promise there is a condition, and if we want to have “much given,” we have to expect that “much will be required!”

Gal. 6:9a (KJV) – And let us not be weary in well doing:     

As you can see, Paul is encouraging us to “keep the course” of well doing.  Sometimes, especially now that I’m nigh on to being a Septuagenarian, I feel that I have lived long and hard in well doing.  But, God’s Word makes it clear that we don’t have an excuse for stop our well doing, and that we should never tire in doing so!

The GOOD NEWS today, at least for me!, is that while we don’t have to like all of the 23,145 verses in the Bible, we do need to adhere to them if, on the day that we meet Jesus, we want to hear what I believe to be the greatest reward we will ever receive:  “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”