Tuesday, March 30, 2010

A Guide Like No Other

Proverbs 30:4

         Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the
         wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his
         cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name,
         and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!

Who is qualified to give counsel to man and woman? Who is able to understand and comprehend the things that concern us? The one who created us and all that concerns us is eminently qualified to direct us throughout life here on earth and ultimately to bring us home to heaven. The writer of this Proverb asks "Who can compare with God?" He says if anyone is out there that can compare with me, then follow him. Obviously, no one else compares. God alone is qualified to lead us. Let's follow him with all our strength.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Serving Your Way To The Top

Proverbs 29:23

          A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

I knew of a church that was led by 3 to 5 elders. The model was for shared leadership among these men. They each preached, counseled, and made decisions unanimously. One day, one of the elders felt that he should be the head of the whole church. The rest of the church did not agree and the man left in an angry huff. Not only did he leave the church, but as far as we know, he has not walked with God in the last twenty five years.

In that same church, there was a man who would come an hour early to church to sweep out the storefront of the building we were meeting in. He would also arrange the chairs and make sure everything was ready for church service. After ten years of faithful service his spiritual leadership was recognized and he was asked to serve as an elder. A position he has served in faithful for twenty five years.

Honor comes to the servant of all.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Confession Is Good For The Soul

Proverbs 28:13

          He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and
          renounces them finds mercy.

Confession is good for the soul. We live in a culture that does not acknowledge sin. I am tired of hearing yet another celebrity mea culpa over a "transgression" or "misstep". I wish someone would step up to the mike and simply say, "I am sorry, I have sinned against God and my family and with God's help will live differently ", and then just simply walk away. I fear that with all millions on the line that people are trying to do damage control in order to keep their endorsements, rather than enter into soul cleansing repentance - the acknowledgement of sin and turning from sin to God - many settle for avoidance or shallow apologies. True mercy and forgiveness comes to those who renounce their sin and choose to walk a different path.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

How Much Is Enough?

Proverbs 27:20

          Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of
          man.

A talented man I know once told me that he felt a definite call on God's life to go into vocational ministry, but he felt that he needed to make money to support his family.

A young man tells me that he loves his girlfriend of five years, but he doesn't think he can afford to get married now.

A young married woman with tears in her eyes tells me of her deep desire to have children, but her husband doesn't believe that they cannot afford children due to their financial condition.

To each of these people I asked, "How much is enough?", "What is your number?" "When will you now when you have enough money to go into full-time ministry, afford to get married or have children? I have rarely met the person that places a self-imposed cap on their salary. When was the last time you heard a CEO of a large company or an athlete say, "You know, I have made enough money in my career, I don't think I need any more?"

The point is that we need to place our trust and confidence in God and not our bank account for ultimate decisions in our life. We need to learn to say "enough" of our own desires and yes to God's design for our life.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones...

Proverbs 26:2

          Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse
          does not come to rest.

As a parent, you hear alot of angst over the words of one sibling to another. "Mom, she called me a name", "He's bothering me!" and many other refrains. If it were not so annoying, it would be funny. Imagine, believing as an adult that we were controlled by what other people say. Ridiculous!?
 
I remember an incident when I was serving in a church when a missionary made a financial request. After listening to his request, I had to tell him that we could not fund his project. The next thing out of his mouth was, "I curse you for withholding from the Lord's work." To which I responded, " I don't receive that and you can take your curse with you as you leave." The curse was baseless.  An undeserved curse flutters away.
 
The words spoken over us that do not originate from the throne of God do not belong to us. We should not receive nor be controlled by controlled by the words of others
 
          Romans 3:4 - Let God be true though every one were a liar.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Law and Order

Proverbs 25:8-10

          What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court, for
          what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame? If you
          argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's
          confidence, or he who hears it may shame you and you will never
          lose your bad reputation.

A frivolous lawsuit is when you a sue a person for very suspect reasons. Some estimate that civil lawsuits cost the US economy over 200 billion dollars per year. They are not only costly, there are embarrasing to those who bring them. It is better to seek reconcilaition personally than to display ones ignorance for all to see. Here is one of my favorites.

          For a while in the 1990s, Anheuser-Busch, the producers of Budweiser,
          ran a series of ads in which two beautiful women come to life in front of
          two truck drivers. A Michigan man bought a case of the beer, drank it,
          and failed to see two women materialize. Cue the lawsuit. He sued the
          company for false advertising, asking for a sum in excess of $10,000.

A bad reputation is difficult to recover.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Pay Back Is... A Job for God

Proverbs 24:29

          Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
          I'll pay that man back for what he did."
 
Deuteronomy 32:35
 
          It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time
          their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near
          and their doom rushes upon them."

Romans 12:19

          Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for
          God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge;
          I will repay," says the Lord.

I believe that payback belongs to the Lord for two reasons:

1. We are not very good at giving people what they really deserve God knows exactly what each persons.
2. When we engage in exacting vengeance, we get damaged in the process.

So, let's leave payback to the Lord.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Art of the Long View

Proverbs 23:4

          Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show
          restraint.

I want instant results. I want to lose (weight) in three months what took me 27 years to put on. I want to get on a budget and become financially secure in three months, when I have a spending history that has not always been disciplined. I want to finish a chapter in my dissertation in one week, that takes two months to do. The road to instant gratification is littered by many earnest souls.

Instant gratification leads to mighty efforts, expenditures on the latest fad diet or the next piece of technology that is going to "sync" our life into perfect harmony. The proverb today exhorts us to run away from the Instant Interstate and to ride along the road marked restraint. Restraint will help us take steady, measured steps towards our goals. It will put us on a 12 month weight reduction plan with clear and measurable targets, rather than a three month health wrecking diet. 

"We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year."

Monday, March 22, 2010

Why a Proverb a Day?

Proverbs 20:17-18

               Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart
               to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your
               heart and have all of them ready on your lips.

I had a seminary professor who read a Proverb a day in the morning and five chapters of Psalms in the evening; in this way he would read and meditate on the wisdom literature and the prayer book of God's people each month. By continual reading and meditating (blogging) on these wise sayings, we become active listeners to the word of God. As active listeners, we are led to apply the teachings of the truly wise one to every part of our life and learn to cherish the word of God in our hearts.

A Proverb a day keeps the sayings of the wise on our lips and guides our behavior on the path of the just.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

eHarmony marriages

Proverbs 21

          9 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house
             with a quarrelsome wife.

        19 Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and
             ill-tempered wife.

I have done a few eHarmony marriages. On average, 236 eHarmony members marry every day; that accounts for 2% of U.S. marriages.* eHarmony claims to use a scientific approach to matching singles based on using its 29 DIMENSIONS® model to match couples based on features of compatibility found in thousands of successful relationships. It places a needed emphasis on compatibility or shared vision in helping couples discern if they are right for each other.

I have found in my own marriage that many of the disagreement that reoccur have more to do with our personalities than being right or wrong. Knowing how my wife is wired helps me live with her in an understandable manner. It helps me to see that more times than not, my wife is not being difficult, she is merely living out of her make-up.

Marriage is a life-long commitment to living well with another person. Doing our homework on our spouse can pay dividends.

*2007 survey for eHarmony by Harris Interactive®

Saturday, March 20, 2010

My Take On the Proverbs

Proverbs 20

          3 It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to
          quarrel.

Only fight when you have to.

         4 A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks
         but finds nothing.

In the book "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty", Harvey Mackay provides wisdom on looking for your next provision before you have to.

         6 Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who
         can find?

         11 Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is
         pure and right.

Don't judge me by my words or intentions, judge me by my actions.

         13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will
         have food to spare.

Sleep is restorative. Sleep is not an escape from life.

Friday, March 19, 2010

True Friends

Proverbs 19:4-7

           Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.
           A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies
           will not go free. Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the
           friend of a man who gives gifts. A poor man is shunned by all his
           relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he
           pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.

A recession is a good time to check who your friends are. When things are going well, it is amazing how many people surround you. Michael Vick had a large posse around him when he was living the high life as a NFL superstar. But once his legal trouble began, his "friends" deserted him. In fact, it was those in his inner circle that turned states evidence against him. Right about now, Mr. Vick knows who his true friends are.

Do you know who your true friends are? Cherish them and do not abandon them when your life circumstances go up or their life circumstances go done.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Facebook Friends

Proverbs 18:24

          A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend
          who sticks closer than a brother.

I have 960 friends on facebook and counting. Obviously, I can't keep up with 960 people in any intimate or deep way, it is not possible. We were made social beings, so it is good to be friendly and have many acquaintances. But when things get serious, we need a close friend, someone we know and who knows us. We need a person in our life that has remained by our side in good times and bad. A friend that has our best interest in mind and will always tell you the truth, even before we may know what is true.

When I was a singles pastor, it amazed me to see how so many people bounced from church to church. Just when they were getting close enough to know others and more importantly to be known by others, they would bounce. At its core, many are just not comfortable when people know them and can call them out about their stuff.

We have a choice: deep, open, and honest relationships or facebook relationships.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Meritocracy Over Aristocracy

Proverbs 17:2
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

The divine right of monarchs was a theory that people were born into their station in life and would remain in that station whether or not they were worthy of their position. It led to a type of determinism that convinced people that they could do nothing to improve their lot in life. I can even see in my own Hispanic upbringing that we had a particular pecking order, the elder ruled over the younger. We grew up in an aristocratic model rather than meritocracy that reward people according to their character and competence.
 
The writer of the Proverbs cautions against such a view. A person's character and integrity will cause them to rise or fall. In the Rule of Saint Benedict, even the youngest member could be elected the leader if the merit of his life and the wisdom of his doctrine were above reproach.
 
        But let him who is to be elected be chosen for the merit of his life
        and the wisdom of his doctrine, though he be the last in the
        community.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Random Or Not

Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

In a review of Richard Colling's Random Designer, the book describes how

        the forces of randomness and chaos, which play central roles in our
        physical existence, are actually creative. The Creator simply taps
        these apparently random physical processes to accomplish his higher
        goal, the creation of human beings capable of consciously perceiving
        and acknowledging him.

I have experienced things that seemed unconnected, random and even contradictory in my life. One of the most pleasant surprises is how God has used what I deemed random, useless experiences and brought about good for myself or someone I love.

It is good to know that ultimately all decisions come from the Lord and are made into creative forces in molding us into the children of God.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Coram Deo: The God Who Sees Me

Proverbs 15:3
         
     The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked
     and the good.

Coram Deo literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. Coram Deo is a keen awareness that all our life is lived out on a public stage before an audience of one. Coram Deo reminds us that none of our joy nor struggles is forgotten by our God who sees us.

One of my favorite names of God is revealed in an encounter that Hagar had with God after she fled the presence of Sarai who was jealous and mistreated her when Hagar become pregnant and Sarai remained barren. Hagar was sitting by a desert spring alone and unsure of her future. In the midst of her turmoil she encounters God. She meets the one who sees her, the one who knows her. We too can know that we live before the one who sees us and provides us.

Genesis 16:13

     She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God
     who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Look Before You Leap

Proverbs 14:15-16

  • 15.
  •  
  • A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
  • 16.
  •  
  • A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

We've all heard the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  But I question its application in the business world.  When I started out in business, I was a simple man, according to Proverbs.  I thought that I would look out for everyone's best interests and they would look out for mine.  But that isn't true.  A friend once said, "You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate." Contracts have become much more important than intentions.  What you wanted doesn't matter, the only thing that matters are the terms set forth in the contract. The value of a contract, though, is that it forces us to think about what we are getting into.  When you enter a partnership, the contract allows you to spell out what you believe, to "give thought" to your steps and "shun evil."  It's a real opportunity to look before you leap that should be taken advantage of, lest we become "hotheaded and reckless."

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Slow Money

Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

A few years ago I was talking a couple of drug dealers who worked on my street. I asked them a question, "Why do you sell drugs and don't do legit work?" One of their answers got my attention,

"I don't like making slow money; I can make a couple of "G's" in a minute"

But when I asked about the competition on the streets, the threat of violence and/or imprisonment, they just shrugged it off as the price of doing business. I then told them about my rental property business. I explained how the renter was paying for my mortgage, providing me with some income, and the house was appreciating in value. I showed the benefits of slow money. He was so impressed, that he asked me if I would sell him my house. I said I would think about it, fortunately he got busted and I didn't have to entertain a deal with questionable financing.

The lure of quick money has entrapped many. We need to heed this proverb, "he who gathers money little by little makes it grow".

Friday, March 12, 2010

It's a Dog's Life

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

I am not a lifelong animal lover, but I have had a few dogs and cats that I have loved. You can tell a person's character when they are caring for someone or something dependent on them. The theory goes that the respect and honor shown to someone considered to be in a lower station than you will indicate what kind of leader a person will be in the future. If you "kick the dog", what will keep you from dealing with those under your authority with the same kind of contempt? The righteous reveal their character through love and concern for all people, not just those that can profit them.

If you want to see a man's true character, look at how he treats his dog.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

One for All

Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

A friend mine who serves as a chaplain for professional football team made the following comment the other day. "A basketball team can win a championship with one or two superstars and the rest of the team can be average. In football every player on every play is vital to the success of the team. When a left tackle misses a block, the quarterback gets sacked." Success in life, church, and business is dependent on everyone contributing to the work before them.

As I get older, this Proverb makes more and more sense. I have seen things prosper and fail based on the accessibility and reception of good counsel. I am learning to submit my ideas not only to the Lord, but also to those he has placed around me. I see this Proverb as a call to seek out worthy advisors whenever I start a project.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What Is In Name?

Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Bernard L. Madoff’s daughter-in law Stephanie filed a formal request to have her surname legally changed to Morgan, as well as those of her two children. She fear death threats and the notoriety of being associated with Bernard Madoff who is serving 150 years in prison for the largest-ever Ponzi scheme, estimated at over $50 billion dollars. By day Bernie Madoff seem to be a jolly man, concerned with his clients. By night he built a huge, partly secretive investment business that lured the wealthy and not so wealthy to part with their money by the lure of great investment returns.

Much of the allure of investing with Madoff was his good reputation and seeming concern for others. The Madoff name went from being a blessing to a curse. His memory will never be cherished and his works forever be considered a shame.

Though righteousness may take concerted effort and may not receive the acclaim of society, it still yields the highest return on your investment. “Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty”. (Proverbs 21:5, TLB).

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Criticism and Character

Proverbs 9:7-9
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

At my Ph. D. orientation, our cohort was told that constructive criticism is our friend and that if we listened to it and did not take offense, we would benefit from it. Those were prophetic words! We received strong critique of our work, the kind that can make you say, "Are you sure I belong here?" But as we are going through the program, we have learned to cherish our toughest professors, for they are making us better able to do rigorous, valuable work in our field.

But as we read this Proverb, we also see that correction reveals character. We do not know a person's heart until we have offered them the loving hand of criticism. The teachable heart will love you; the unteachable heart will hate you.

Here are a few things I have learned on handling criticism:
     1. Receive the criticism as if it were true.
     2. If they were true, what changes would you make?
     3. Make the changes that will improve your performance.
     4. Reject the parts of the message that were not true.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Search and Rescue

Proverbs 8:1-6
Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding. Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.

On my way into work I was thinking about a couple friends that have not been responsive lately. I feel like I have to do all the initiating and I have decided that they are not worth my investment anymore. I do believe there is a time that we should cut some people off, but I also believe that there are times that we have to pursue those going opposite God's wisdom. Wisdom calls out and makes her voice available to those who have long ago stopped listening. Perhaps we have to go on a search and rescue mission to those in our life who are perishing.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

There is often a disconnect between what I say I believe (espoused theory) and what I do (theory-in-use). The words of God are not meant to be studied alone; rather they become alive when we cherish them and direct our lives by them. True wisdom closes the gap between espoused theory and theory-in-use.

Proverbs 7:1-3
My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Neither a borrower nor a lender be

Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself…

                          LORD POLONIUS:
                          Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
                          For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
                          And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
                                                            Shakespeare, Hamlet

Several years ago a friend of mine truly needed a car. Her car broke down; she was a single, working mom and didn't have enough to make a down payment. I made the down payment and became a co-signor on the loan. My friend couldn't make the payment, wrecked the car, and I had to finish making all the car payments. A few years ago I purchased some investment properties. It looked smart a few years ago, but when the housing market collapsed, I was left carrying mortgages that are now undervalued.

I am learning to give a loan or to receive a loan may be a way to circumvent God’s plan to teach us to be content with what we have and to wait on his timing.

Friday, March 5, 2010

When an Upgrade Is Not An Upgrade

Proverbs 5:18-19
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

The grass is rarely greener on the other side. Psychology Today stated that a whopping 60% of remarriages fail. And they do so even more quickly; after an average of 10 years, 37% of remarriages have dissolved versus 30% of first marriages. Solomon, the writer of the Proverbs, exhorts us to find joy and fulfillment in the wife of our youth. To find satisfaction in the marriage partner that God has provided for you.
 
My first line in premarital counseling is that marriage is a covenant, not a contract. A covenant is a unilateral commitment to be actively engaged in your spouse's life, for life. A contract is an "if/then" agreement that can be entered into and existed based on the performance of your spouse. Within the context of marriage, God has made full provision for our sexual and emotional fulfillment. Instead of looking for an upgrade, we need to maintain, repair, and cultivate our marriages.
 

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The High Cost of Education

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Education is expensive. Many parents begin planning for their children's education before they are born. College students take out loans to acquire an education they believe will give them the necessary tools earn a good living. But many do not calculate the real cost of education, time.

True learning is the result of the investment of time into worthwhile endeavors. We will have to prioritize the pursuit of wisdom over watching sports, playing video games, and watching of favorite television show or movie. It might even mean limiting our time on facebook!

According to A.C. Nielson Co., the average American watches 4 hours of TV a day or 28 hours a week. How much more time is invested in social networking sites, video games, and a hobbies on a daily basis? What would happen if we invested some of that time in pursuing God's wisdom for living? What would happen if we just split the difference and gave 1 to 2 hours a day mediating on God's wisdom? Are we willing to pay the price for that kind of education?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"God, Can I Trust You to Meet My Needs?"

Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Giving a tithe to your local church or Christian ministry is always a hot button issue. People wonder if the receiving agent will use the funds correctly or if they will get a good return on their investment. I believe that we are called to give because it leads to trust in God to meet our needs and not our ability to meet our financial needs. The unspoken message from God is “Do I trust me?’

In Leviticus 18, the Israelites were having a similar problem when God instructed them to give the land a Sabbath rest. In verse 20 they asked, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" The Lord is not angry with their question but assures them in verse 21," I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years."

Can we trust that God will meet our needs if we give to him first?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

God Our Protector

Proverbs 2:7-8
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

I remember singing this song during summer camp as a teenager,

          My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
          All I have to do is follow,
          Strength for today is mine all the way,
          And all that I need for tomorrow.

In that simple song is a mouthful of theology. The way of the upright is protected by the Lord because he is our constant companion in life. To be upright, blameless, and just is to yield our life to the ways of God's wisdom, rather than following our own or the world's wisdom.

Victory is within our grasp, if we would only in the words of the old hymn, “trust and obey” God today.

Monday, March 1, 2010

God and the Scientific Method

Proverbs 7:1

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

I heard it said that "the astronomer peers through the telescope to see the theologian waiting on the other side". This little anecdote is meant to convey the teaching of this Proverb, that the acknowledgement of God as the Creator of all things leads to productive academic inquiry. The fear of the Lord leads us to believe that the universe is orderly which in turn helps us to arrive at the truth faster than those who do not start their knowledge with a belief in God as the ground of all that exists.

The scientific method begins with asking a question, doing background research, making an educated guess (hypothesis), and testing your idea. If your hypothesis assumes an orderly universe, then you have a head start in your investigation. If you do not assume an orderly universe, you have to begin with square one and seek to find patterns in things you assume do not have an overarching order. It is foolish to begin with our own presuppositions when we have a God that can lead us into all truth.