“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”

Pro 29:25 ESV

Ridicule in our Western society is usually the area where we mostly fall short. Let’s understand what the word means.

1. subject to contemptuous and dismissive language or behaviour.

   “his theory was ridiculed and dismissed”

It’s someone making fun of your beliefs, calling you names and poking fun at not following the majority’s thought patterns. It is all too common in our society, accelerated by the fast-paced social media trends, which work at easily mocking others through a digital keyboard; online.

I understand the feeling of wanting to fit in. It’s nice being a part of a tribe, a community. We are built to be part of families and communities. That’s why we were born into one, it is our natural disposition.

God’s Word

When we choose to follow God we must make big decisions about what we believe and follow, even if our community disagrees. First and always foremost it must be Jesus and his redemption for our sins. The cross is the payment while the resurrection is the receipt that God is pleased with the perfect sacrifice for sin. Once and for all, it is His grace and mercy alone (1 Peter 3:18).

We only know this truth when we read the word of God, the Bible. It then becomes the foundation ‘from’ what we believe.

So when we read in the Bible, God made the firmament (Gen 1:6) and placed it in the midst of the waters and set the earth to be fixed and motionless (Psalm 33:8,9). The question that the holy scriptures present is… Do you believe what it says and that it is reality?

Can human cosmology be wrong?

Is there a universe? Are aliens coming to Earth? Those satellites, how do they orbit the Earth? The milky way and asteroids, how do these questions get answered? The majority believe this, but God’s word does not support this.

The firmament ‘raqia’ is the place that trips up our human wisdom. It is a stumbling block to our conventional knowledge. How do you respond as a Christian? Do you believe that the word of God holds no errors?

As a Christian who holds that God’s word is true and without error, I submit and believe God’s word.

Truth makes you free

Ridicule can make us retreat into our shells and stay silent. It is a weapon of fear. Our children must know that God’s word is a “lamp to their feet and a light to their path”, and be bold in this truth (Psalm 119:105).

That’s why we created these simple resources. It’s not to prove the earth is flat through scientific means (even though it can be). It’s to investigate what scripture shows about what God says regarding his creation. Making them fun for kids allowing them to know the truth and be set free by it (John 8:31).

Be encouraged to stand in the face of ridicule, when you stand on the word of God. Knowing you are free by the truth.