Sara B. Anderson - 20/20 Vision: How Exodus 20: 20 Brings the Purpose of Our Trials Into Focus

Copyright 2020 by Sara B. Anderson, J.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, informational storage or retrieval systems, without prior written permission by the publisher or the author, except where permitted by law, for the purpose of review, or where otherwise noted.

BNA Publishing

P.O. Box 90453

Austin, TX 78709

Publishers Note: Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Examples cited are composites based on the authors experience, not on any particular situation with a person or couple. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental. This book does not replace or substitute for professional advice or services. Any information received from this book is not intended to be used in diagnosis, treatment, or as a cure. This book is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged through this book in rendering professional advice or services.

20/20 Vision: How Exodos 20:20 / Sara B. Anderson. -- 1st ed.

ISBN 978-0-5786410-5-8 Paperback

ISBN 978-0-5786412-0-1 Ebook

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

Dedication to My Chil dren

To know Gods love transcends any circumstances of this life

Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin

Moses to the people of Is rael

W hat does Exodus 20:20 have to say to us in the 2020s? A lot as it turns out. When the calendar turned over to 2020 many of us welcomed the new decade with cautious optimism. The tumultuous 2010s put us through some tough times individually, nationally, and globally. We are left wondering hoping that the 2020s will usher in a new era of peace and prospe rity.

As a whole, society is at a tipping point. We have no united standard for economic, social, or moral issues. Everyone is left to define his or her own standards, without regard for a consistent and unwavering anchor of truth. In the name of freedom, society has built an ideology from an unstable benchmark of relativism, resulting in confusion and unrest rather than security and hope.

Without a transcendent and perfect standard from which to gauge our beliefs, we have no consistent method to measure right and wrong. We are left reeling from insecurity as we ask, On which side of the line will my beliefs and actions fall? Many of us wont wait for the answer. Instead, we will resort to dropping our beliefs altogether. But, as the saying goes, If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. Alas, nothing of significance has been added to our united quest for t ruth.

So instead of offering us stability, subjective truth has left us floundering for footing. It offers little explanation for the problems we experience and little hope of finding a real solution. Desperate, we grasp for something in which we can place our hope. If we cant solve our problems on our own, then hopefully someone or something else can.

But in the quest to go along to get along, most of us wont look to our parents religion to solve our problems. Post -m odern thought insists that religion has failed to serve its purpose and that historical lessons are no longer relevant. Instead, human intellect is seen as the source of our salvation. In fact, hope in intellectual advancement is held in such high esteem that some people are willing to relinquish their autonomy to have its ideology enfo rced.

What are we really relinquishing? The answer: the solid ground of truth from our unwavering Creator. While progressives are looking to new, the answer to our deepest needs will be found in the old.

A progressive mindset doesnt need or want an unseen being intervening in human history to guide them according to His purpose. Humanists believe their intellect will uncover the answers to all of lifes conundrums. Humanity is the new sovereign. If youre not jumping on board with the newest thought trend, you are irrelevant and close -m i nded .

According to the Bible, however, there is nothing new. (Eccles. 1:9). In other words, no amount of innovation brought about by human intellect will ultimately turn the tide in our fallen world. Dont get me wrong. We should continue to advance and reap the benefits therefrom. However, no matter how far we advance, we will still contend with the same underlying problems. The issues may recycle in new packaging, but they all stem from the same age -o ld source sin.

Yet we mustnt throw our hands up in the air. The longer we elevate the human as sovereign, the more our culture will veer dangerously off course. And just because we may be secure in our faith doesnt mean that our children and grandchildren wont get swept up in the threatening current of this egocentric para digm.

Is it too late? Now more than ever we need to turn back to God. Not because things are good or because things will be good if we do. We turn to God because things have been rough andgiven our fallen world, our flesh, and the devilthey might continue to be rough until God drops the curtain on time as we kno w it.

Therefore, we turn to God because He provides the only true, living hope that the best is yet to come. But until His plan is fully realized, circumstances on Earth can get worse. Only God provides the buoy of faith to keep us afloat in the int erim.

In a bewildering world of social change, political stalemate, economic decline, moral confusion, and disasters both natural (tsunamis) and man -m ade (nuclear reactor meltdowns), there is something firm to hold on to. There is light for the path ahead. There is a script, a story of Gods saving work, in which we participate. This script orients us, indicates our location, bestows tasks and tools upon us, and assures us of our destinatio n.

So what now? If trials are what we can expect, then let us look back to look for ward.

Thousands of years ago, God gave His people a lesson on how to perceive and respond to their trials. Ironically, the source from which Im extracting such a lesson comes primarily from Exodus 20:20, offering us a nice pun for realigning our perspective on trials and tribulat ions.

With 20/20 vision, we can view our adversities for the purpose God intends for them to serve. The purpose is to compel us to concentrate on the author and perfecter of our faith in the midst of our trials, for He is our true source of hope in a tumultuous w orld.

It may be no coincidence that I wrote this simple study over three years ago; it had the same message then as it does today. I was pleased to be reminded of its relevance as we enter the 2 020s.

This study is sweet and simple. Although Exodus 20:20 speaks for itself, I always find it helpful to have a guide through. Scripture does not reach its full potential until it can be applied to our personal lives so I pray this gentle nudge from God brings your past, present, and future trials into focus for Gods g lory.