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Having grown in our appreciation of the raw materials inherent to all communication (tell, show, imply), it's time to delve a little deeper. Practically speaking, how does the Bible direct us? In real-life terms, how do we transition from reading God-breathed words on the printed pages of our Bibles to leading God-approved lives? How can I faithfully interpret his communication to mankind that was delivered thousands of years ago and faithfully apply it to my own individual life? How does God speak to me and direct meat this point in history? consider six "connective paths"-within the tell, show, and imply realm of communication-between the word of God and the human heart. Straightforward Declarations of Truth There are hundreds, if not thousands, of straightforward,direct, to-the-point statements throughout both the old and New Testaments. They are candidly delivered truths from divinely-appointed spokesmen, Spirit-led writers, or, at times, even from the very mouth of God himself. From the eternal mind of the infinite Creator, these matter-of-fact statements of truth are communicated to finite, temporal human beings so that we, as image-bearers of God, might believe and act upon his will for our lives. Examples of this"connective path" between the word of God and the human heart abound.In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.(Gen 1:1)For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl12:14) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isa 55:8-9)Regardless of my reaction, these are straight forward declarations of truth from the Creator of the universe to humanity. I can hear them, believe them, and act upon them or not, but my ignorance of or chafing under, or rebelling against these God-breathed truths will not change the fact that they are true. God has seen fit to define reality for all mankind in a written revelation. As a part of that revelation, he makes many straight forward declarations of truth. Overarching Principles A principle is a general law or basic truth from which further elements of instruction or expectation are derived. Principles provide a guiding sense of requirement and obligation. They serve as the groundwork of a system, an essential part of a whole. Jesus' words in Matthew 6:22-24 are just a few of the many principles we find in the New Testament. Like foundational building blocks, they support the structure of Christian living."The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy,your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad,your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."There's a difference between "In the beginning, God created ..."and "You cannot serve God and money." The former is a straightforward declaration of truth; the latter is an overarching principle. It's not a specific command or an explicit example, but it is an overarching principle. Regardless of my geographical, historical, or cultural context, the principle holds true-I cannot simultaneously serve God and money.