Let's Rewrite Scripture!

No, I am not talking about all of the efforts currently to write a more culturally friendly 21st century Bible, but that would be a good post!
No, I am not talking about all of the efforts to come up with a translation of the Bible more meaningful in 21st century, but that would be worth posting about too!
What I am talking about is how you have the ability to, and may very well have done some modifications to just one verse of the Bible to make your faith more palatable to you!  Yeah, you are changing Scripture and did not even realize it.....

So, has God ever told you to do something and you were not exactly excited about it?  In fact, it might be a cold day somewhere before you would even contemplate it?  You even rushed out and got ten of your friends to agree with you that this was just plain madness?  You know, just so you feel justified in doing things your way?  Obviously, it can not be of God if you and your friends are against it - right?

I have struggled for months over choices my loved ones make.  God tells you what to do, you find a convenient excuse not to, and voila! no more decision to make!  Right?  But, there is that little sticking point - God told you what to do .....  And I struggle with that.  When God tells me something, I do it.  When God tells others something, they do the opposite.  I do not get it.....

So, I am driving along on Monday morning, numerous poorly expressed thoughts swirling through my brain and then God suddenly answered that question I have asked dozens of dozens of times.  Turn if you like to Acts 10 in your Bible and read through verse 14.  Here we have the story of how Peter is being called to go and baptize a gentile, a Roman, a soldier, an occupier of the Jewish homeland no less!  And God takes the tack of presenting Peter with every unclean animal and commanding him to eat of them.  Of course, Peter rushes out to find his fork and knife - NOT!  He responds to God:

Acts 10:14
    "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
(NIV)

He said NO to God!  Of course, God does take no for an answer and Peter was sent off to do as God wanted him to in the first place.  God does tend to get His way after-all.

"Surely not, Lord..."  I am not sure that I have ever said no to God, even when what He asks is unreasonable or personally objectionable to me.  Probably because of having seen God completely, totally, thoroughly, utterly destroy a close friend of mine - whom did say "No" and did the exact opposite.  It was what left all of us in the old group in mortal fear of God because we saw something that was horrifying.....  And even they knew they were in rebellion, even as they were being creamed by God.  It was not something I tell lightly to my Sunday School classes.....

So how have you and/or my children rewritten Scripture?  Right here in Acts 10:14 it seems.  You have to either remove "Lord" from the verse or you have to remove "Surely not".  You have got two choices, either God is the Lord of your life or not.  If not, then really you can not expect too much out of life until you get back with God.  Conversely, you can obey and let Him know you don't like it.  But, in the end, you will obey, one way or the other, one for eternal credit - one for not.

And,  I thought about this as I sat at the traffic light, waiting for it to change ..... I did as I was told and God has been gracious, though make no mistake - this year is the worse of my life.  And as for you?  Well, only you really know if you are doing as told or not! and/or rewriting Scripture to fit your own desires.....

The light turned green and I made my left turn, I found myself quietly humming the tune to the 151st Psalm..... 

Life is simpler when you listen to the quiet voice and do as told.....

"... with every breathe I take, I will thanks to God above, I will testify to love ..."