We do have our favorites.
They tend to fall into the general category of Scripture
Encouragement. There are many sacred
words and they say many things, but it’s the Bible Balm that has caught our
eye. With a partitioned Bible preparing
so many options for us, you might think it would be hard to choose. But no.
The people have voted. The
customers know what they want.
· * Jeremiah 29:11
· * John 10:10
· * Philippians 4:13
· * Joshua 1:9
If you didn’t already know, the addresses direct us to
these:
·
“’For I
know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
·
“I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
·
“I can do
everything through him who gives me strength.”
·
“Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Good, positive verses all.
But the shocking news to most people is that there is a parallel
universe Bible. It is rarely talked
about and almost never explored. In that
other world every positive and negative is reversed. Every verse has its anti-verse. In the parallel universe Bible, the favorite
anti-verses are:
· * Deuteronomy 28:29
· * 2 Corinthians 2:16
· * Isaiah 49:4
· * Deuteronomy 28:65
What? You don’t know these?
You’ve never seen them on a scenic piece of Christian framed art? OK, well, here’s what they say:
·
“You will
be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and
robbed, with no one to rescue you.”
·
“We are
an aroma that brings death.”
·
“I have
labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all”
·
“The LORD
will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.”
The real revelation may be that these anti-verses too are in
the Bible (our Bible, in this universe).
They are set apart, numbered and included in the lineup just like all
the rest. It’s just that nobody ever
wants to use them. They aren’t ever
selected. They are more like bombs than
balm. But there they are. Why?
If they are unusable, why are they there? Do we need them for anything at all? (And why do I have a suspicion that anyone being
confronted with these verses will
suddenly develop a strong interest in the original context, so as to nicely
distance themselves from any unpleasant implications?)
- From "Saving the Bible from Ourselves" - By Glen Paauw
