Kool-Aid

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Today I was thinking about Kool-Aid.  Sounds strange, I know, but there was a reason I was thinking about it the sugared beverage.  The 4-H Club Christmas party was to be at our house after school. and I was considering buying Kool-Aid to serve to the kids.

As I drove to Altus, contemplating whether to buy and serve Kool-Aid or not, I realized that my usual Kool-Aid/lemonade maker (daughter, Lauren) wouldn't be home after school to mix it up for me.  She would still be at ball practice.  Sure, I could make it myself, but I never seem to get it right.  I'm not ever sure how much I need and don't really like it anyway.  Lauren enjoys making sure it is "just right"...not too watered down and not too concentrated.  (I realized, too, that there are directions on the container, but not all pitchers are created equal.  I comes down to a taste test for me, so I've passed the task on to Lauren.  She likes her role as chief Kool-Aid maker :).

I decided against the Kool-Aid, but continued thinking about how "Kool-Aid" is like the truth.  The truth, meaning God's Word...the Bible.  Just like Kool-Aid, the truth can be watered down.  The Bible can be diluted to the point that God is not recognized as the ultimate judge of a person's soul and the One who will say "enter in" or "depart I never knew you",  to where people believe that as long as he/she is a basically "good" person, everything is okay and that their "goodness" will get them in to heaven.  The watered down truth may not realize that hell is just as real as heaven because a "loving God" can't be a God who will judge the hearts of people.

On the other hand, the Bible can be made too concentrated at times.  This happens when the scriptures are taken out of context and made to fit one's own personal agenda.  My husband, Joe, used this illustration in a devotional thought last Wednesday night.  He doesn't like raisins.  In fact, he pointed out that no one should eat them.  He went so far as to say said that eating them is a sin.  Hmmmmm......

Look at Numbers 6:3.  It says "they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins."  So see???  My husband was right!  Or was he????  No, of course, he was just teasing in that eating raisins was sinful - despite his feelings about eating them himself. He was simply making a point that sometimes scriptures can be taken out of context.  This verse is part of the Nazarite vow - a special commitment an Israelite could choose to make.  

How do you view the scriptures?  How do you take what the inspired Word of God says?  Do you water it down and make it less than what it is?  Do you concentrate it to fit to your own personal thoughts?

The Bible has scriptures that deal with any type of watering down or concentrating the truth: Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Galatians 1:6-12.  These verses should be something we all need to remember as we read and study the Bible. And consider this verse in Revelation 22:18-19 from NASV.  John writes what God himself inspired him to write,

“I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book (Note:  meaning the book of Revelation), if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.”  

With all of these verses being inspired by God and all pertaining to the truth not being tampered with, it seems that changing God's Word by watering it down or concentrating and distorting it is wrong, doesn't it?

Kool-Aid is only good when it's just right.  It's not good watered down or too concentrated.  God's Word is only useful when read, studied and taught as the whole truth and inspired word of God that it is.