The Word

John 1:1, 14a,  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

    The Bible is God's written Word.  It tells us what God is like.  It displays his attributes.  He is all knowing, all powerful, holy, righteous, just, truthful, faithful, merciful, forgiving, full of love and grace.
    The Bible also tells us what kind of characteristics God desires to see in us--such traits as faith, courage, kindness, faithfulness, integrity, humility.  Not only does Scripture tell us about these attributes, but people in the Bible model some of these qualities so we can see how they are actually lived out.  For instance, Abraham modeled faith when he answered God's call to leave his home and most of his family and follow God's leading.  When I think of courage I remember young David facing the awesome giant Goliath with only five smooth stones, a sling, and faith in God.  For faithfulness we have the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow to an idol even though they knew it would result in their being thrown into a fiery furnace.  And Joseph fleeing from the unwelcome advances of Potiphar's wife gives us a very clear picture of integrity.
    Jesus on earth personified God's attributes for us.  The Bible TELLS us about God, but Jesus' life, death, and resurrection SHOW us God in person.  In Him we see how God's attributes are to be applied in a human life.  The greatest example of love the world has ever known is the cross of Christ.  So, Scripture is the written Word, but Jesus is the Living Word, our gracious God in the flesh showing us how to live and making it possible by empowering us through the Holy Spirit to follow His example.

Father, thank You for Your written Word, which TELLS  us about You and for Your Living Word, Jesus Christ, Who SHOWED us who You are and made it possible, through the cross, for us to experience the Christian life by the Holy Spirit's power within us.  Amen.

Benefits of God's Word

 

      In Psalm 119 almost every verse extolls the benefits of knowing and obeying God's Word.  Some of these benefits are listed below. 

[Verses are taken from The New Living Translation]

     HAPPINESS--Psalm 112a, "Happy are those who obey his decrees.

      PURITY--Psalm 119:9, "How can a young person stay pure?  By obeying your word and following its rules."

      KEEPS US FROM SINNING--Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

      SHOWS US THE TRUTH--Psalm 119:18, "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law."  Psalm 119:91a,  "Your laws remain true today."

      WISDOM--Psalm 119:24, "Your decrees please me; they give me wise advice."  Psalm 119:98, 99a, 100a,  "Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide.  Yes, I have more insight than my teachers.....I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments."

     HOPE--Psalm 119:43b,  "My only hope is in your laws."

      FREEDOM--Psalm 119:45,  "I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments."

      COMFORT--Psalm 119:50,  "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles."

      RESTORATION and JOY--Psalm 119:93,  "I will never forget your commandments, for you have used them to restore my joy and health."

      ENLIGHTENMENT--Psalm 119:105,  "Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."

      PEACE and STABILITY--Psalm 119:165,  "Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble."

      In Psalm 119:54 the psalmist gives a lovely summary of what God's word has meant to him when he says,  "Your principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage."

Father, thank You for Your Word.  It is truly music to our ears and hearts and shows us how to live a full, rich, and meaningful life. 

Amen.

      

Knowledge

Romans 11:33-34, "Oh,the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.  How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?"

Deuteronomy 29:29,  "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

      In this era of computers a person can google practically any subject and find out all about it.  This has great advantages, but sometimes I think we live in an era of information overload.  Any business transactions these days seem to require reams of paper setting out all kinds of rules and regulations, complicated details that I really wish I didn't have to know.  The world is so small because of our communication and transportation systems that we are burdened with and affected by the problems of people everywhere.

      Often we chafe because we cannot know the future or do not understand events of the past or present.  We wish we could know more.   

But suppose God were to dump all his immeasurable knowledge, all of mankind's problems and needs, into our human brains.  Actually, I am greatly relieved to have a Heavenly Father who does know it all, who can look down through time like we see through space, who knows the end  from the beginning, and who is wise enough and powerful enough to orchestrate every detail so that it all fits into his master plan. 

Granted, there are things I wish I could understand now, but there is great comfort in knowing that God comprehends it all, that he is omniscient, all knowing, that he is never taken by surprise, and that he is in charge of every detail.  All we really need to do is learn the things that he has revealed to us and trust and obey him regarding the rest.

Father, You know I sometimes struggle because I can't understand the why of some events.  May I be content to leave all details in your wise and powerful and loving hands.  Amen.

The New Year

Colossians 2:6-7,  "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and over flowing with thankfulness."

      Many New Year's resolutions fall into the categories of: losing some weight, eating a more healthy diet, exercising more often, or, possibly, stopping some bad habit such as smoking or biting one's nails or losing one's temper.  And it's a good thing to make resolutions. 

Someone has well said,  "If we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time!"  In one way it's discouraging to be setting the same goals year after year, but, hopefully, as we keep trying we'll see some improvement from the year before and the year before that.  Someone put it this way,  "I'm not what I want to be, but I'm not what I used to be either."

      While many of the goals we set for a new year are physical ones, it's also a good idea to set some spiritual goals to aid in growing more Christ like year after year.  Such goals might be: to determine to have a quiet time everyday; to read the Bible all the way through during the year ( a one year Bible is a great help toward accomplishing this goal); memorizing Scripture during the year; writing down each day some of the thoughts and prayers you have during your quiet time; worshiping regularly with other believers; singing in the choir or teaching a Sunday School class or helping in the church in other ways according to your spiritual gifts; perhaps joining a Bible study; deepening your prayer life; reading spiritually inspiring literature. 

We will never, in this imperfect world, become all we would like to be but, by God's grace and striving toward godly goals, we will become more like our Savior year by year.

Father, this year I want to grow in grace and in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ, to become more and more like Him.  Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

My New Year's resolutions sound familiar, 

And why that is should be very clear; 

No wonder I recognize them so easily-- 

They're the very same ones I made last year!  (reprinted)

The Christ Candle

      The first four candles of Advent represent hope, peace, joy, and love.  The fifth candle is the Christ candle, underlining the fact that Christ has already come into this world.  When He came, He brought with him all the attributes of the Godhead and made them available to us. 

It is in Christ that we have HOPE for the future.  Ephesians 2:14 is speaking of Christ when it says,  "For he himself is our PEACE." 

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that it is the JOY of the Lord that is our strength.  Romans 5:15b says,  "God has poured out his LOVE into our hearts by the Holy spirit, whom he has given us."  God has given us power to be victorious over sin in our lives and evil in the world. 

Ephesians 1:19b-20 states, "That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." 

Colossians 2:9-10 sums up these thought by saying,  "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

      When we are born into this world, we come fully equipped with everything we need to live a physical life.  However, a baby must learn to use its hands and legs and feet and must develop strength and coordination.  When we are born spiritually, we are given everything we need to live the spiritual life in Christ, but we need to develop the attributes we have at our disposal.

      The lighting of the Advent candles reminds us that Jesus is the Light of this old dark world, and as we allow Him to live His life and express His attributes in and through us, we will also be lights that lead others to Him, and, through Him, to hope, peace, joy, and love.

Father, thank You that when we have Christ we have everything we need to live godly lives.  May we allow Your Holy Spirit to cause the attributes of Deity to shine through us.  Amen.