One of the subjects I have always found fascinating is history. I know some of you might be groaning on that topic, but beyond my interest in it I am persuaded that knowing history is key to helping us understand how we got to ‘now’ and how we can be less likely to repeat the mistakes we made before.

It seems clear that students of history must be in the minority because we as individuals, cultures, and nations so often repeat mistakes we should have learned from in the past.

“The thing about mistakes is, they become valuable when you learn from them.”

Lisa Wingate in The Sea Keeper’s Daughter

We live in an era where almost everyone has an opinion about almost everything. Unfortunately the opinions are often presented as though they are facts or that facts back them up. We seem to care little about that and gobble them down as if they were certified organic and healthy.

This behavior permeates all areas of our lives − even in the body of Christ.

I have been delving again into a couple of historical books in the Old Testament in my reading (Ezra and Nehemiah). These two books that were originally one book give us a picture of how the children of Abraham are doing after being in captivity in Babylon. Each of the persons for whom the books are named shares important information from which we can all glean wisdom.

These books are not new to me, but it isn’t unusual when we are reading passages or books in the Bible to have new things jump out at us.

Ezra arrived back in Jerusalem thirteen years before Nehemiah and despite his love of God and the law, it isn’t until chapter 8 of Nehemiah that we see him reading the law to those who have returned to rebuild the temple and the walls of the city. His zeal is evident, as he desires to make clear to the returning exiles how essential it was to know God’s law that they had abandoned before God gave them over to Babylonian captivity.

The scene in this eighth chapter is worth noting. It tells us that all the people of Israel gathered “as one man” into the square in front of the Water Gate. Ezra brings out the Book of the Law of Moses and he begins reading the whole of it. He begins in the early morning and continues until midday. The text also says “all the people were attentive.”

Ezra blesses the Lord and these tenets of Israel’s faith. What happens next?

Everyone says “amen” and lifts up their hands and worships God and bow their faces to the ground. They were grieved when they learned how far they had strayed from God’s plan for them.

They had received a large dose of the truth upon which to live, speak, and carry out their faith. This truth wasn’t opinion or speculation.

As we hear debates about positions of faith today on a diverse list of areas and moral questions − even among members of the Christian faith − I am puzzled by how so many different opinions can exist if our positions are based on the truth of God’s Word.

Is it possible that not unlike the children of Israel too many do not know the truth (based on scripture) to inform their opinions or positions? 

We are all always learning and growing in understanding of what the Bible says, but how much we learn and grow has a direct correlation to how much we have read and studied of it. We only get glimpses if our knowledge is based on a Sunday sermon, an Internet message, or a devotional we read.

To more fully understand the truth and speak from the source of that truth requires us to spend time reading in the Bible in its whole, not parts and pieces. That requires a discipline, but it also points to how we respond to the question of the risen Jesus when He asked Peter, “Do you love me?”

If we are brutally honest, we know that so long as we practice anything out of duty or as a discipline it will not be sustainable. If we love what we practice, however, it will not seem a burden to practice.

I wonder if our debates within the whole body of Christ shows how faulty our foundational understanding is of the Bible we say we believe. God does not intend for us (if we are his) to rely solely on a pastor or teacher to learn the truth meant to guide and sustain us through good times and bad.

In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah The Law of Moses was not available to everyone in a dozen translations and most of the poor people could not read. Not so today.

What if all our Christian leaders would stand up and begin reading the Bible from beginning to end as we stood there listening and we heard truth we may never have heard or recognized previously?

Would it change our dialogue and debates?

Would we respond in grief and worship as the people who stood before Ezra and Nehemiah as Ezra read to them?

I wonder.

Along the roadsides in our area there are several beautiful flowers growing in abundance. They brighten my days as I travel up and down the roadways. They look inviting and I have been thinking of finding a time to stop and create a wildflower bouquet, but I really was interested in what their names were.

I knew exactly who would know.

I have a good friend whom I got to know when we were both tutoring in a local school some years ago. She was a biology major and had a keen eye and knowledge about nearly anything and everything in nature. I have fond memories of taking some hikes with her in nature areas near us, hearing her name nearly every tree, plant, and flower that we passed. Sadly, I don’t recall most of the names save one, Trillium, Ohio’s state wildflower, which brightens the woods and hillsides in the spring.

I connected with her to ask about these two lovely flowering plants I have seen such a plethora of. One had an abundance of purple, lavender, and white blooms. I thought that one might be phlox. The other looked a bit like Queen Anne’s Lace, but the blooms were smaller and arranged differently on their stems.

Within a few minutes, she responded with the information, as I knew she would. The varieties of purple blooms were not phlox but do look similar except for the number of petals on each flower. She told me that these known as Dame’s Rockets (hesperis matronalis) are what she called “invasive aliens”. They are a part of the mustard family.

The second flowering plant that looked like Queen Anne’s Lace was actually Poison Hemlock (conium maculatum), member of the parsley family.

Despite their lovely appearance, she warned me that the plant is toxic posing a health risk to anyone or anything that might have close contact with it. They are masters of disguise and appear like many other harmless plants. All parts of the plant are poisonous and should not be touched. They comprise the fourth most common cause of nationwide poisoning, more than 100,000 reports to poison control centers. Area farmers have great concern about the risk to livestock as the plants are multiplying rapidly.

I was so glad to learn the truth about both plants from someone with the knowledge and discernment to recognize each of them accurately for what they are. It reminded me of the parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13:24-30.

Many times, it can be very difficult to discern whether something we see is good or harmful.

It is very important for us to learn and know the difference in not only things like plants, berries, trees, and the like, but also to recognize other choices that are good or harmful as well.

What gets in the way of our discernment is not simply whether we see that as one of our giftings.

We have a lot of information and experiences coming into our knowledge base. Some of it is accurate. Some of it is true. But not all of it is true or accurate.

All data points are swirling in our thoughts and reactions creating a logjam that hinders our power of discernment.

All these unfiltered data points affect our ideas, judgments, and responses. Never is this truer than in my relationships with others.

Added together, these can create mistrust, fear, and suspicion creating false judgments and discernment causing our hearts to be harsh and sometimes fill with criticism, resentment, and bitterness. They distort our perception.

Since our perceptions have great influence on us, this can be dangerous or even deadly for us. They hinder our capacity to love and without love and peace in our hearts our judgments on others will be harsh and most often false.

“Discernment comes from abounding love. What is abounding love? It is love that leaps out from us toward others. It is motivated by long-term commitment; it is anointed by sacrificial charity. True discernment is rooted deeply in love.”

Francis Frangipane

Frangipane also indicates that such false discernment has coldness to it that might on the surface appear to be packaged as love (cold love), but really comes from criticism.

So, how can we discern rightly?

First and foremost, we must seek the Lord, quieting our hearts so we can truly listen and focus on what He is saying to us. This is foundational to wise discernment and righteous judgments. It is also hard to accomplish. We can be so impatient and want to respond, defend, react, set right, or fix.

Secondly, we need to keep in mind that how we perceive life is always based on the condition of our hearts. If our hearts are not right, we must not assume we have accurate discernment with, toward, or about anyone.

When I wanted to learn about two plants, what they were and if they were good, I did not assume I knew. I went to someone who did.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)