1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – “Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.” NKJV

The old saying, “Don’t confuse me with the facts my minds made up” is applicable here and I find it more in Christianity than I’d like to acknowledge even among preachers and teachers of the Word.  We develop our “rabbit trails” through Scripture and our “pet doctrines” and are so locked into those that when someone presents TRUTH we can’t hear it because we’ve already made up our minds. 

I was one of those!  I could answer every objection to what I had to say with my little trail through Scripture and would not be shaken or allow anyone to cause me to deviate from my designed and determined path with partial quotations and half-truths.  Please understand I didn’t realize that I was giving “half-truths” until the Holy Spirit arrested me and challenged me to allow Him to go through my entire theology and belief system. 

That was neither fun nor painless because I had so many “sacred cows” that were slaughtered in the process and I still find one being offered up from time to time.  But, I have determined in my heart that I will not be “closed minded” to what the Bible has to say and will “test all things” and as I find something to be proven truth I will “hold fast to it” until and unless the Lord opens a new dimension that I have not yet seen.

Paul instructed Timothy to “study to show himself approved” in 2 Timothy 2:15 and in so doing would be able to “rightly divide” the Word of Truth.  The believers in Berea were commended over the Thessalonians because of their diligent daily receiving the Word with readiness of heart and mind and searching then to prove that which they had heard. 

Sadly, I’ve seen people so enraptured through the emotional presentation of a preacher that they ran with what he said as though it were “Law & Gospel” when, in fact, it was only partial truth.  Had they searched, studied, and proven the message they would have been spared much heartache but they didn’t.  Once they heard it they could be identified as those who would say, “Don’t confuse me with the facts my minds made up.”  I tried earnestly to point out to them some additional information but they were of no mind to hear anything different.

We need to always be ready to HEAR the Word of God and then know that TRUTH will stand up under examination and investigation.  The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart once that Truth was like a diamond with multiple sides or facets.  That only as I could view the Diamond from God’s position would I know ALL THE TRUTH. Therefore I should realize that looking at it from my earthly point of view I must always be ready to allow an expansion of what I understood as a new facet or side of that truth was revealed.  There are times that it takes me months if not years to settle an issue within my heart regarding a new perspective on a particular doctrine.  I will doggedly pursue the mining of that nugget until I am totally convinced that I have reached the foundation and the Holy Spirit has confirmed it to my spirit.

So instead of being “closed” to the possibility of something more than what you now see on a particular issue be “open” to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you, in the Word more fully.  It will enhance your spiritual walk and enable you to walk in greater light and fullness than ever before.

May God bless you richly as you go through your day!