Ducking Darts

In the Disney movie "Lion King", the character Rafiki (the baboon), strikes a baffled Simba (the Lion) on the head with a big stick.   The conversation goes as follows:
Simba "Ow why did you do that?"
Rafiki "It doesn't matter. It's in the past.  The way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it."
He goes to hit Simba again, but misses because Simba ducks.

Many years ago, long before we went to bible college, my husband and I got involved with a cult.   It of course didn't have a banner outside saying "All Welcome to Join Our Cult."  Rather, it appeared to offer an opportunity to pursue the things of God, which excited our hearts.  

As our time in the group continued, it became increasingly obvious that it was not a Godly organization.  It's a LONG story, but the short version is, we recognized it for what it was and we left.  This experience had some painful times with it, but it taught us a lot, most significantly, it taught us to 'duck' some of the fiery darts of the enemy so we didn't get hit again!

We realized that the biggest reason we were suckered into deception was because we didn't
 know the truth.  In John 8 it says that we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. Knowing the truth makes us free.   It is the Word that often keeps us from walking into the snares of the enemy in the first place.   

John 17:17 (TPT) says “Your Word is truth!.." and Jesus described himself as the TRUTH.  It becomes clear that as we know Jesus and the Word we can be lead in the right direction and avoid pitfalls and diversions in many instances.   

In Psalm 119:105 it tells us that God's Word is a lamp to guide our feet and a light for our path.  When we know the Word we can avoid having to go through many of these trials in life, or if we are unable to avoid it (we will face persecutions and trials in the life for certain), we can know how to walk through it and overcome.

God's word doesn't make us more holy, or more spiritual, but we need to understand the value and importance of being in the Word.  It would save us a lot of trouble!  It is our life-source and wisdom.  It is truth and leads us into freedom.  It shows us who we really are, and who God really is.

For example, when something comes into our lives, it is the word that will show us the truth; it 's God word that shows us what is good, what is God and what is not. It will show us how to defeat the enemy, walk in health or prosper.  It will show us how to live in peace, how to mend relationships and will impact every aspect of our lives!

When we have gone through the less pleasant experiences in our life, we can, as Rafiki so succinctly put it, run from the past, or we can learn from it.  We can go back to the Word and look for God's perspective and next time things come against us we can spiritually 'duck' because we have given place to God's Word and learned His truth. 

God's Word needs to be a priority in our lives.  Spend time learning what it says.  Leave the past behind and press on and move forward to experience all that God has for us.