"Who's Who"

"Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt." (Psalms 74:2) You might have noticed by now, but I tend to sometimes draw outside the lines. When I was a kid, I would always trace the lines, as if making a border to ensure that I could stay inside the lines; but the more complicated things became, the more easy it was to blend certain things together; if you get my meaning. The most important thing that we have been given, besides our salvation, is God's word; His word is the proof given for us to learn by. We get to learn what His standards are, what His plans for us are, and what He expects from us. It's all right there in the Book; everything we need to know about what we need to know. That does not mean there is not more things to know, because there most definitely is; but what we need to know, what we don't know, and even what we cannot know, are all completely different issues. For now, we can just consider our need to know to be what God has given us in the Book; if it's not in the Book, then we don't need to know it! That said, I need to make known my pattern of thinking, if you have not picked up on that by now; because the way I see it, everything within the Book is totally and completely overlapping. It's almost as if you could read the Book through the pages; and if the pages were transparent, then reading down through the pages would make as much sense as reading line by line. I know it sounds completely absurd, and you are right in saying so; but it's not totally out of the question, and for what it's worth, it works better if you think of it like a photo album. Regarding this verse before us today, it is only fitting to consider God's perspective upon the words being spoken; especially since these are God's words that are being read! No, you remember! Remember that you are part something bigger than yourself; something extremely special and precious to God, and something that He gave His all to purchase. The "rod" is used for beating or striking, much the same as if God corrects His children with a rod of discipline. Only in this case, it's more about the rod being used to shape the world, as in the children of Israel being His rod of instruction, for all others to learn by. It is beyond our ability to comprehend, but God's grace far outreaches man's ability to sin; in other words, you can not sin more than God's grace can overcome. If you think I am wrong, then look at John's view of how much sin the blood of Jesus covers: "And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2) Connect the dots, and you will see that God's grace is more than sufficient to save your tiny little life; compared to all of humanity, where do you think you rate? Besides, it was God's promise to Abraham, don't you know? That's another thing important about the Book He has given us: His promises are written down and He has signed them with His blood... "For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14) NLT