Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (Psalm 119:89)(NIV)Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)(NIV)
The Word of God, the Bible is eternal. It was there in the beginning (Jn. 1:1), and it will stand forever (1 Pet. 1:25). As a nation, we are blessed beyond measure, like never before in the history of man, to have such complete access to the Word of God. We have many different translations to make it easier to read and understand. We have countless types of study Bibles, recordings of the Bible, electronic Bibles, on-line Bibles, and endless commentaries and study materials to help us in our learning. We have stores all over town that sell the Bible, and most of us have two or more copies in our homes. But how often do we pick it up? Once a week, on the way to church? Once a month? Once a year? Does it have a thick layer of dust on it? Can you even recall where it is?
I fear that in many ways we have become like the divided nation of Israel back in the days of Josiah, King of Judah. Hilkiah the high priest discovered the Book of the Law in the Lord's temple. (2 Kings 22:8)He apparently found it, meaning it had been lost for some time! Because of their sin, and the sin of the evil kings that had preceded Josiah (King Manasseh and King Amon), they had strayed away from God for many years, and even the high priest didn't know God's Word! He had apparently never seen it before. To his credit, when King Josiah found out, he repented and made many reforms, beginning to turn the nation back to the Lord. O how I pray that our president would come to the realization that we are in the place we are in as a nation because of our neglect of God's Word! What if Obama turned whole-heartedly to the Lord, and instead of putting God's Word down and turning his back on the Christian heritage of our nation, he would lead us to exalt the Bible and put it back to the rightful place of respect and honor that it deserves? Wouldn't the USA be a better place?
We have got to start spending more time daily in God's Word. The more time we spend in it, studying it, meditating on it, the more real it becomes to us. As it becomes more real, then it begins to change our lives. As it begins to change our lives, then we begin to obey it and live it out, and it will in turn impact the world around us for the building of God's kingdom.
Look at some scriptures that speak of and confirm the greatness of God's Word:
We read in 1 Sam. 15:22 that "obedience is better than sacrifice". King Saul decided He would rather worship God his own way than to obey God's commands. Because of that disobedience, God took away Saul's kingship and gave the kingdom to a man after His own heart--- a shepherd boy named David.
So to sum it up: PRAISE--READ--DO. Praise God for His Word--Read His Word--Do His Word. God's Word, the Bible, is real, flawless and forever. We need to understand how precious it is to have such great access to the Word, and try our best not to waste the opportunity we have to study it. We need to understand that it is truth and life and that we should read it every chance we get. But it doesn't need to stop there. We need to be a people, a church, a nation that does what God's Word says!
Joey C.
I fear that in many ways we have become like the divided nation of Israel back in the days of Josiah, King of Judah. Hilkiah the high priest discovered the Book of the Law in the Lord's temple. (2 Kings 22:8)He apparently found it, meaning it had been lost for some time! Because of their sin, and the sin of the evil kings that had preceded Josiah (King Manasseh and King Amon), they had strayed away from God for many years, and even the high priest didn't know God's Word! He had apparently never seen it before. To his credit, when King Josiah found out, he repented and made many reforms, beginning to turn the nation back to the Lord. O how I pray that our president would come to the realization that we are in the place we are in as a nation because of our neglect of God's Word! What if Obama turned whole-heartedly to the Lord, and instead of putting God's Word down and turning his back on the Christian heritage of our nation, he would lead us to exalt the Bible and put it back to the rightful place of respect and honor that it deserves? Wouldn't the USA be a better place?
We have got to start spending more time daily in God's Word. The more time we spend in it, studying it, meditating on it, the more real it becomes to us. As it becomes more real, then it begins to change our lives. As it begins to change our lives, then we begin to obey it and live it out, and it will in turn impact the world around us for the building of God's kingdom.
Look at some scriptures that speak of and confirm the greatness of God's Word:
- Jn.1:1--In the beginning was the Word
- Jn.1:14--The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
- Heb. 4:12--The Word is living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword
- Matt. 4:4--Man doesn't live on bread alone, but on every Word of God
- Deut. 8:3--Man doesn't live on bread alone, but on every Word of God
- Isa. 55:11--When it goes forth, it doesn't return void
- 2 Sam. 22:31--The Word of God is flawless
- Prov. 30:5--The Word of God is flawless
- Prov. 18:30--The Word is pure
- 1 Pet. 1:25--It stands forever
- Luke 21:33--Jesus said His words will never pass away
- Matt. 24:35--Jesus' words will never pass away
- Eph. 6:17--The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit
- Philip. 2:16--They are words of life
- Col. 3 :16--We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us
- Isa. 40:8--The Word of God remains forever
- Jn. 6:68--Words of eternal life
- Jn. 17:17--God's Word is truth
- 2 Tim. 2:15--word of truth
- Ps. 119:9--Live according to the word
- Ps. 119:11--Treasure His Word in your heart
- Ps. 119:89--Your Word is eternal
- Ps. 119:105--The word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path
- Ps. 119:129--Your decrees are wonderful, therefore I obey them
- Ps. 119;130--The revelation of Your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced
- Ps. 119:140--Your Word is completely pure
- Ps. 119:160--The entirety of Your Word is truth
- Rev. 19:13--His name is called the Word of God
We read in 1 Sam. 15:22 that "obedience is better than sacrifice". King Saul decided He would rather worship God his own way than to obey God's commands. Because of that disobedience, God took away Saul's kingship and gave the kingdom to a man after His own heart--- a shepherd boy named David.
So to sum it up: PRAISE--READ--DO. Praise God for His Word--Read His Word--Do His Word. God's Word, the Bible, is real, flawless and forever. We need to understand how precious it is to have such great access to the Word, and try our best not to waste the opportunity we have to study it. We need to understand that it is truth and life and that we should read it every chance we get. But it doesn't need to stop there. We need to be a people, a church, a nation that does what God's Word says!
Joey C.