It's tough even for history scientists to try to fill in a list of all the innovations of libraries between man's knowledge first being written on walls of caves and today's on-line libraries with mind-blowing search engines. We are stampeding toward 'living' on-line, as we work, learn, entertain, and communicate so many hours every day.
As
an author and teacher, I use the Internet most every day. But I have
to continually remember that going on-line is somewhat like walking
through a jungle, known for its vicious hungry predators.
A
strong caution is appropriate here, spoken in 1st Peter
5:8:
“Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The
world wide web gives us stupendous amounts of resources. But we must
remember, ESPECIALLY AS PARENTS AND TEACHERS, it TAKES from us, far
more than it gives; namely, our privacy and our identity. This
happens to us on a personal level, but also on a national level.
We'll not take time here to detail these intrusions on us. The WWW
news daily tells us of greater advances by evil people.
What
we want to focus on, is the 'advice' we get from the web. Webpages
are decorated and worded to make us believe what we read on them, is
the 'gospel truth' (as grandma would say). The 'news' we read and
hear on-line, is put there by employees that are competing to keep
their jobs and profits for their company. And if their words happen
to align with the real truth, well, it was just coincidence.
My
daily Bible reading (actually, FEEDING) has me just finished reading
the Old Testament book of Job. (rhymes with “robe”) There are
many aspects to his life story, but we want to touch on just a
couple. I think of Job as being an employee of sorts. He had many
responsibilities that are detailed in the first few verses of the
book. He was a leader that many looked to, for decisions and
provisions. But in a sense, God allowed Satan to 'fire'; to demote
him, to a very sick man sitting daily in an ash heap of despair.
The
First “W” of WWW
I
see the ongoing question from Job, that sounds like, “Why God are
you doing this to me, I'm a righteous man?” Using the WHY word
toward God and His plan, is a step toward trouble. The WHY word,
seems to me, to always lead to the WHAT IF questioning of God's full
knowledge of what's best for us. This line of questioning was first
and foremost used in the Garden of Eden; in the ears of Eve. The
subtle serpent taught Eve to question, God's clear directives.
The
Third “W” of WWW
The
third W of WWW leads us to be really cautious WHO we get our advice
from. Eve was getting her's from the subtle serpent, Satan.
As
Job asked God why all these things were happening to him, Satan had
placed plenty of evil reasons and suggestions, beginning with Job's
wife telling her husband to curse God and die. (Job 2:9b) That was
just the start of all the evil advice Job's 'friends' were
continuously giving him. When we begin questioning God's plan for our
lives, the path of our future is flooded with pain, inside and out.
That
path of questioning God, lays a foundation within us that undermines
our assurances that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
(all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present) In a word,
CONTROL. Questioning God WHY plants seeds of doubt that He alone has
control.
What
is REQUIRED, whether we are employed, unemployed, or retired, is to
remind ourselves that God is in control and He loves us more than our
language can describe. We must immerse ourselves in black and white
proof each day, by reading Heaven's history book, our Bible, to see
examples of man following God's advice or trusting his own advice.
It's your choice, as you start each and every day God gives you
breath.
