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Thursday, April 22, 2010

And That's The Truth!

A few weeks after Christmas, Landon asked his Mother if they could take Alicia's new telescope and look for God. Amy, of course, explained that they couldn't find God by looking up into the sky through the lens of a telescope. ( Don't you love the observations and questions and the faith of wee ones? I know that I do!)
Last time, we saw in the first six verses of Psalm19 that God's magnificent creation does cry out concerning His majestic and powerful attributes. If one cannot see that, I believe, it is for the same reason a criminal can't find a policemen.

We know, though, that a general revelation isn't effective to meet our most important need, salvation and I find it interesting that in this particular psalm, that David leaves the thought of God's work and delves into God's Word, verses 7-11. The best place to look, if you are hungering for God, is to open the pages of the Book which still sells more copies than any other.

I have instructed others and know others beside me who have told those with honest and seeking hearts, people whose hearts truly want the answer to life, to start reading the Gospel of John. It's a good place to start. In fact, even the Apostle John says "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." It is why John wrote it. And in no way am I comparing myself (Johns' accounts, as the whole Bible is, are inspired- God breathed), but in a smaller way, it's why I write. I write to point those who read who may not be believers to the One Alone Who can change your life and to believers to challenge you to keep going to the well of God's grace, mercy, and comfort through the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's found in His Scriptures!

We live in a world today, some call it the postmodern era, and that being defined as that there are no absolute truths. Truth is relative and what works for you is your truth and what works for me is mine. You hear it espoused on TV talk shows, read it in books, and observe it in lives. Even, morally, we are mocked if we dare to speak out against what God's Word speaks out against, because after all, they say "This is my truth. Don't bother me with yours, I'll do the same for you." Isn't it interesting, Christian friend, that in the mathematical world, we don't argue over what the sum of two plus two is? I am reading a book by Ravi Zacharias and he uses the illustration of the formula of water, H2O, two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. If you think the formula is unfair and that there also should be two atoms of oxygen, change it if you like, but DON'T DRINK IT! because now, you have hydrogen peroxide!

So, in physics and mathematics, absolutes are important for things to run well, right? I mean, you may believe that gravity is not an absolute truth for you, but as some have found out, jumping out the 10-story window to fly didn't turn out too productive for them.

How can we trifle and gamble with the eternal truth? This truth concerning life and death, heaven or hell, our destiny, is absolutely essential to us and is there  any wonder that our enemy, the hater of God and everything that is good, has the world deceived into thinking that any truth, so long as you are sincere, is good? No, no, when Pilate asked Jesus just before His crucifixion "What is truth?", the Truth, the Way, the Life, was standing inches from him. He was hours away from the suffering and dying on a cruel cross for a lost and hopeless world, more specifically for you and me. Now, that's the Truth! Would He have given His life if any way was ok?

Using the outline from the MacArthur Study Bible, in verses 7-9, we see the attributes of God's Word. God's Word is perfect, sure, right, pure and true. I was just reading recently in 2 Tim. 3 of the perilous days that were predicted (no one would deny that we are living in them, would we?). But, as Paul paints not such a pretty picture to Timothy, I love in verse 14, he changes his thought and says "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ. Jesus."

Are you fearful today, dear one? I must admit that if I listen to too much news, threats of terrorism, global economies failing, earthquakes and volcanoes, fear comes to my heart but I quickly dismiss it because I know and hold and read the truth- it is beside me now as I write. Let it calm you, brother and sister. Politicians' promises and media's myths will not bring you comfort. Jesus is coming again to rescue  us and until that day, His grace will see us through. That's the truth!

The attributes of the Word,and secondly, the appreciation of the Word. The Psalmist says "more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." I don't mean to be critical but all over America, the Bible is in many homes collecting dust because money , appetite, and pleasure are appreciated more. It can't convert me if I don't read it (vs 7), even the simple can be made wise but we have to pick it up and read. Oftentimes, it makes my heart rejoice (vs 8) and opens my eyes to truth every time I read or hear it read. Do we appreciate the Book that God divinely inspired and preserved? Do you realize how often it has been opposed but we still have it? Thank You, Lord!! I wish it could still be read and prayers heard in our schools. ( Are you old enough, as I am, to remember that old speaker box clicking on first thing in the morning and the principal had a student read the Word? Interestingly enough, spitball fights and occasionally a rout on the playground were about as serious a threat as we had back then.)  But, I wish we were more concerned that we aren't reading and praying in our homes. Home is where it should start. And that's the truth!

Finally, the application of the Word-(vs 11-14). We are to read it, hear it, study it- for what? So we can say we read through in a year? No, so we can apply what we learn. James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." The following verses tell us that we look into a natural mirror in the morning to see what needs to be corrected before we head out to work. Maybe our faces need washing, our hair needs combing, etc. We don't head out in public until we do so and rightfully so. (Although I do wish less emphasis was put on the external- especially for our little girls' sakes- another lesson for another day) but what do we do when God, as we look in the mirror of His Word, points out something that needs to be cleaned up?  I fear, that many times, I ignore what He said and go merrily (I think) on my way. God, help it not to be so in our lives!

God shows us His majesty in creation and then He revealed Himself in His Word  and the Word became flesh, and as we read His Book and observe the life of the only sinless One Who ever walked this earth, we can know Him better, prayerfully, our life's goal.

Now, that's the truth!!
Looking up, Deborah

2 comments:

  1. That is the truth!!! Just read an article about a seminary professor who has decided that evolution might be the truth!! So sad...been teaching students for years about the authority of God's word, now he's not sure.
    Keep writing the TRUTH, Deb. Many people are being blessed!!!

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  2. Mrs. Samples - I am a part of Meadow Baptist. Pastor Jeff recently referenced your blog in one of his blogs :) Your daughter is precious and I knew that her mom would have some great spiritual insights! I couldn't wait to see what you had written here! I just read a few of your entires and was thoroughly blessed by your words (filled with HIS words) during my lunch devotion time. Thanks for sharing! Jan

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