2 Kings 22:19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. NIV

So much of my life was spent asking, “What do you want of me?” If only the answer had come back early that God was looking for a heart response, I could have saved myself a lot of angst. Maybe, or maybe my heart wasn’t worthy of being heard back then.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Or maybe I just didn’t know my own heart. I might not have humbled it nor wept if I had. I don’t know. I would like to think the Lord would have heard it and responded no matter what.

And maybe He did.

The more and more I read, meditate and pray on the Word of God, the more I change. Perhaps it is this new heart of mine that is responsive to the Word?

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

God is just looking for a heart response.

2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

This Peter speaking about the writings of Paul. Petros, the Little Rock, the one whom Jesus Himself declared, on you I shall build my church. Now if Peter admits even he has difficulty understand all that Paul reveals, then we should not be surprised to hear our brothers and sisters declare the same.

However, difficulty does not mean destruction. The reason that I entitled this entry as “And Or” is the use of “unlearned and unstable”. Peter did not declare this serious problem existed for people who were “unlearned or unstable”. One can be unlearned or unstable and expect help.

Stable implies that you are on solid footing, the Rock, the Cornerstone. If one is unlearned, there is no better place to learn than from this position. Even so, being learned implies one has heard the gospel with understanding. This person can find solid ground, he can become stable.

How do I know this? Because Peter said “as they do also the other scriptures” meaning that they have not received the gospel message with understanding.

My issue here is this, that you should not consider yourself in danger of destruction if you do not understand the deep mysteries of the bible. You should not consider yourself less, Peter didn’t.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Grow in grace and in knowing Christ, don’t fret about the deep mysteries.