2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
This passage of scripture teaches us that the word of God has several beneficial uses for any and everyone, including being profitable for doctrine reproof, and instruction in righteousness. But the benefit we are focusing on in this presentation is that of "Correction", which assumes that we were previously wrong in our understanding or concepts of God. There are times in our experience as Christians when we may genuinely be harboring erroneous ideas of God and spiritual things, and although God does not condemn anyone for the conclusions we may have arrived at innocently, yet He expects that we would harbor a humble and teachable spirit, so that any erroneous views may be corrected by the study and application of His word.
This process is not always easy, for there are some deeply held beliefs and theories about God, that have been handed down from generation to generation, and because we may not be able to discern the truth of the matter clearly, we may tend to go with the flow. But as Christians we must always remember that we are instructed not to live by "The flow", but rather by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and therefore, whenever our personal ideas and concepts conflict with what is written, we should be more than willing to immediately surrender our preconceived ideas, in favor of the truth. This is the only safe course of action for us to pursue, if growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is to be maintained on an ongoing basis. Let's read:
Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
A prime example of what is being referred to occurred after Job had fallen on hard times, and some of his friends had come to comfort him. In their speech they railed on Job for having done something wrong, and they concluded that this must be the reason why calamity after calamity had befallen him. Furthermore they went so far as to attribute the disasters to God, something that must never be done, if The Lord does not say so specifically, because there are many disasters and calamities which occur only by permission, as was the case with Job, and therefore they are not the direct acts of God. This reasoning of theirs, and the erroneous concepts thus harbored had been passed down from generation to generation, but was nonetheless in need of urgent correction. Let's read:
Job 3:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. 18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: 19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? 20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
In these verses uttered by Job's friend Eliphaz, we have some very divergent views of God being stated, which have no scriptural backing whatsoever, and which, being applied to Job's case, had the unintended effect of discouraging him, even as he was already feeling down and out. These concepts needed to be corrected by the word of The Lord, for if left to fester in the minds of mortal man without being addressed, we would erroneously conclude that God is our enemy and not our Friend and Redeemer, and because of this our obedience to Him would be built upon fear. This is the reason why God saw it fit to take the matter in hand, and in the reproof given to Eliphaz, we may well take away lessons that can be applied to our own ideas and concepts that may not be correct. Let's read:
Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
In our day the same occurrences which caused Eliphaz to draw wrong conclusions, may still be affecting us, for we may be speaking or thinking that which is not right about God, and may be ignorantly blaming Him for life's misfortunes, when in fact it may very well be the enemy of souls who is working behind the scenes to discourage us. In our day for instance, hurricanes or tornadoes are often described in our insurance policies as being acts of God, when in fact the scriptures do show in the case of Job, that terrible tornadoes and natural disasters are more often caused by the devil, than many people realize.
Thus it behooves us to cultivate a humble and teachable spirit, that wheresoever we may have erred in our thoughts and conclusions, that we may be willing to be corrected by the word of God, for as stated before, this is one of the reasons why the Bible is written in the first place. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to trust the providence of God, for He has promised to teach everyone who has placed their confidence and faith in Him. Let's read:
Isaiah 54:6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit".... 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!