One of the panelists on a recent segment of a religious TV program made a comment that immediately caught my attention. In referencing his remarks on a passage, he said, “The text doesn’t stop there, but often our reading does.” How true! Some of us, including yours truly, stop reading or listening before God has finished talking. Every time we do that, we are certainly missing something vital to our spiritual understanding, since there are no wasted words in Scripture. Due to space restraints, just a few of the more familiar passages will be cited.
- Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” What dynamic declarations from the Creator of the universe! Yet, many plaques, posters, bookmarks, Bible covers, etc. do not include those eternal declarations.
- Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Many times, the latter is virtually ignored in our quoting of this verse.
- Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” God is warning us in this verse alone about the acts and attitude of a fool, if we would just keep reading.
- Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Do we need to know the latter part of this verse?
- Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…And in all your getting, get understanding.” Getting understanding of God’s Word is not negotiable if we want to go to Heaven.
- Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” How many books, articles, pamphlets, tracts, etc. have been written on the first part of this verse? However, to get a clear understanding of this Scripture, verse 6 needs to be read, since the thought begins there and verse 8 needs to be read because it answers the why of verses 6 and 7. Verse 6 says, “Do not eat the bread of a miser [one who has an evil eye], nor desire his delicacies.” Verse 8 says, “The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, and waste your pleasant words.” How many sermons and lessons have we heard on these three verses lately?
- Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Too often, the initial thought in verse 12 has been used to promote the false premise of the works of merit. Works of merit have never saved anybody! As verse 13 completes the thought, it is God working in us through our submissive, obedient faith, in accordance with and in the center of His will.
- Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt…” The text does not stop there. It continues,“…that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Ouch!
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “pray without ceasing…,” but the text still does not stop there. It continues, “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We frequently hear these three verses as three independent thoughts, especially the first two, as they are used to make points in sermons and lessons.
- 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
- James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The text does not stop there. It continues,“…Cleanse your hands [actions], you sinners; and purify your hearts [thoughts], you double-minded.”
- James 5:16, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…” The text does not stop there. It continues, “…that you may be healed.” Still, the text does not stop there. It continues, “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The last part of this verse is quoted repeatedly as a stand-alone passage.
We would do well to slow down and look more closely at the countless passages we have chopped up for years. We have heard them so many times and put our personal interpretations on them. We fail to realize we are missing not only words but complete thoughts of inspiration given to us by the Holy Spirit. God help us. “For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14).
