The Map and the Territory

Only in religion does it seem that people mistake the map for the territory. They have a deep relationship with the Book but know nothing about an experiential relationship with the God of the Book.

The Bible is the Map

Think of the Bible as a map. A map is not the territory. A map is a symbolic representation of an actual reality.

Now if I go to a map, I point to a city, and I say that’s New York. You know that it’s the symbol of New York City, not the actual City itself. That’s a metaphor.

Likewise, the Bible is a map, a symbolic representation of an actual reality. That reality is God and our relationship with Him.

Knowing God Personally

And we should never mistake the map for the territory. People have ended up having a relationship with the map, but never have had the experience of the territory. They know about God, but they don’t know God personally. What a shame.

It’s like looking at a menu and not realizing that it’s not food. People are eating the menu, rather than procuring the food. The Bible is the menu, personal experience is the food. “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8).

A Prayer for America

O Lord, America has lost its way
23px spacerSave this nation from
23px spacergreed, hatred, and confusion.
Convict and convert our president,
23px spacermembers of congress, our politicians,
23px spacerour judges, and all that are in authority.
Protect those who are fighting the good fight,
23px spacerbe with them and give them courage.
Open the eyes of our citizens
23px spacerand bring them to repentance.
Without Your intervention,
23px spacerLord, this nation will end.
Bring us back to righteousness,
23px spacertruth, love, and compassion.
In Jesus’ name.
— Amen.

Paraphrase of the Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian

O Lord and Master,

Deliver me and keep me free from a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talk.

Rather give me a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.

O Lord King, grant me to see my faults and not condemn my brothers and sisters: for blessed are you unto the ages of ages.

Amen.

Growing Older Reflections

You know one thing that growing older gives you, it is perspective. I don’t believe you can get that in any other way.

So many things that I thought were absolutely sure when I was younger, I no longer am so certain of. Age brings forth wisdom, if we are open to looking at things differently.

Growing older doesn’t automatically mean you become wise. You only grow wise when you see things from God’s perspective, and then act accordingly. Much of growing older is unlearning.

For me, faith has been difficult. I’ve gone through my doubts, my disbeliefs and my struggles. The truth is, it’s harder to believe than not to. But I’d rather have a faith troubled by doubt, than a doubt. troubled by faith.

They say that a faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted. My faith has been tested, and it has failed. But I have gotten up and I have returned. Like the prodigal son, I return to the Father’s loving arms. Great is our God!

The Divine Message

The Bible is a unique book. Its words are human, but its message is Divine. It is, in a sense, an incarnation.

Just as Jesus’ body was nothing special (Isa. 53:2). So too, the words of the Bible are nothing special. They are human words. And many stumble at this. They read it literally, not spiritually.

But as Jesus was both God and man, so too the Bible is both human and Divine. The message is not contained in the words, it’s conveyed by the words. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Do not read and interpret the Bible as you would any other book. Its message is spiritual. As Paul said, “we speak… in words… taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spirituals” (1 Cor. 2:13).

And because the Bible is a spiritual book, “But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14 NASB).