Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly ground coffee? I’m pretty sure I liked the aroma of a just-opened can of coffee long before I learned to drink the stuff! These days I’m thinking about coffee within minutes of being awake. Funny though. We love the smell and taste of coffee, but would never think of eating a spoonful of it! Over the years people have developed quite a variety of sometimes elaborate methods for filtering their coffee, essentially separating the grounds from the delicious drink it provides. 

How many times have I read scripture and passed it on to my soul through the “filter” of my own understanding. To my detriment, this reasoning of mine is sometimes ready to strain out parts of God’s word before allowing the rest to be poured into my spirit. How? By asking questions like, “Is this for me, or for someone else?” “Did God really mean it, or should these words be “taken with a grain of salt?” “I believe this verse when it comes to the Body of Christ at large, but am I allowed to apply it as God’s promise to my personal life?” Those questions do sound “reasonable”, don’t they? 

Don’t get me wrong, these days that filter is usually buried deep in my mind’s hall closet. But in years gone by it was in daily use. I’ve learned that it was really more about my limited understanding of my all-powerful God’s intimate knowledge of me! I’m so thankful that I have grown in the assurance that God actually holds deep affection for me, which in turn has made by love for Him spring up and overflow. Our love relationship allows me to trust that God’s Word is genuinely all for me (and all for you too, of course!) So now it’s a rare occurrence when satan rummages through that hall closet and brings out the “my own understanding” filter. Thank You Lord! 

This morning during my quiet time I was reading some verses which had been included in some birthday cards and gifts I’d received. As I read them I became aware of something: There was not even a hint of that old filter! I was soaking in every word, embracing each phrase or verse as truths spoken to me by God. His words were so life-giving!  And as I realized that the filter was gone, I sensed God whispering, “When it comes to Me or My Word, there will never be a reason to tell yourself, ‘Don’t be so naive!’” 

I know that sounds odd, but I knew what He meant. When we tell someone to not be naive, we are basically saying that with more life experience they will learn that people typically aren’t that nice, you often can’t take things at face value, life isn’t always so easy, or that even nice people don’t consistently mean what they say. But the Lord was saying that when it comes to reading scripture, “Don’t be naive” should never filter my understanding. In fact, weren’t we told to come to Him as a child, with a childlike trust?

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3

God was telling me that His words are freely offered for any child to embrace. They can be completely believed because He always means exactly what He says. Jesus, the light of the world, is full of truth. Think about it, if you looked at a brightly lit bulb, would you be able to find some darkness tucked away inside? 

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1John 1:5

Jesus is truth and His truth is for all. There will never be even a shadow of change in who He is or in the truth that His words carry. James wrote, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

Heavenly Father, I’m delighted to come to you as “naive” as a child! You are good, You are truth, and Jesus, You ARE the Word! Oh how I love to have my soul refreshed in the water of Your pure, perfect word. Thank You that it is always mine for the asking. I invite You to expose satan’s tactics every time he tries to use my own understanding to filter out some of Your truth. In fact, in Jesus’ name, I choose to toss out that filter! I love You Lord. Amen.