Author: looking2jesus13

The Word Implanted

Bible Reading: James 1:19-27; Matthew 13:18-23

I planted a garden this spring–carrots, onions, beets, radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.  Things are looking pretty good so far, though only the radishes have grown enough to eat.  There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing and maintaining a garden if you expect for it to produce a good crop.  It’s not enough to just throw some seed out in the dirt. The seed needs to be placed at the right depth with the right spacing.  Then there’s the need to water appropriately and keep the weeds out.  But above all else, one can only expect for things to grow if the seed is sown in good, well-prepared soil.

James alluded to such when he spoke of the need to “receive…the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).  In the broader context, the verse speaks to the need to both hear and do the Word.  It is not the forgetful hearer, but “a doer who acts,” who “will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:25).

To “receive the implanted word” it is first necessary to “put away filthiness and rampant wickedness” (James 1:21).  Peter spoke likeness of the need to “put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” before receiving the “pure spiritual milk” of the Word (1 Peter 2:1-2).  Warren Wiersbe explained it this way: “The soil of the heart must be prepared to receive the Word. If we have unconfessed sin in our hearts, and bitterness against God because of our trials, then we cannot receive the Word and be blessed by it.”  You’ve got to de-weed the garden before you plant the good seed, lest the weeds hide the sunshine and crowd out the good plants.

Just as seed must be received by prepared soil, the word must be received by a prepared heart. It must be received with meekness.  The term was used in extra-biblical literature to describe a horse that someone had broken and had trained to submit to a bridle. It pictures strength under control, specifically the Holy Spirit’s control. The evidence of this attitude is a deliberate placing of oneself under divine authority.  Meekness equates to having a teachable spirit.  This is an aspect of the study of the Scriptures that is often overlooked.  It is in humility that we acknowledge our need for Jesus and His Word.  Humility is a gift of God in the working of the Spirit, whereby we rightly esteem ourselves to need Him. Just as we need Jesus always, we are always in need of His Word.  We work the soil of a garden, softening the ground and removing rocks and such, with shovels and hoes and rakes.  It is the Spirit who works the soil of our hearts, in ridding us of pride and self-reliance and turning our eyes to Jesus.  Prayer plays an important role.

John Piper described it this way, “But James says receive it with meekness. When you open your Bible, say to God: I trust you, I submit to you, I need you to help me. Incline my heart to love your word. Open my eyes to see the greatness of what is really there. Satisfy my soul with the glory of Christ revealed in all of this book. I bow. I yield to the supreme truth and value of this book. In all meekness and lowliness, I look to you. I wait for you. Come to me through your word, my Savior and my Lord and my God and my friend and my highest treasure. That would be a meek way of receiving the implanted word.”

A heart open to God is soil in which the seed of His Word can flourish.

Anonymous

BREAK THOU THE BREAD OF LIFE

Break now the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
as once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you, O living Word.

Bless your own word of truth, dear Lord, to me,
as when you blessed the bread by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
and I shall find my peace, my All in all!

You are the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
your holy word the truth that rescues me.
Give me to eat and live with you above;
teach me to love your truth, for you are love.

O send your Spirit now, dear Lord, to me,
that he may touch my eyes and make me see.
Show me the truth made plain within your Word,
for in your book revealed I see you, Lord.

Transformed by the Truth

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 2:13

1 Thessalonians 2:13, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

She’d been on hospice for quite some time, long before I started my job as hospice chaplain.  The hospice team had done a wonderful job of caring for her and her household, but she had not been interested in being visited by the hospice chaplain (me).  So, one of the nurses “negotiated” my first visit.  According to the terms, I could accompany the nurse on a visit and return for subsequent visits only if I met with our patient’s approval.  So, I visited.  We talked.  I listened.  She was concerned about what was going to happen to her when she died.  That first visit led to many more.  She had never attended church and had never read the Bible!  I got her a large print version, but the print wasn’t big enough, so I found one with an extra-large print. After explaining to her some Bible navigation basics, I encouraged her to read through the gospel of John, keeping two questions in mind: 1) Who is Jesus?; and 2) What does He want you to do?  She read the gospel and kept on reading, through Acts and into the epistles.  There were a lot of questions, and we spent a lot of time talking about Jesus and salvation and heaven!  We didn’t know it when she professed her faith in Jesus, but she was soon to leave this world. As with the thief on the cross, salvation came when she was at death’s door.  How important it was for her to accept the Word for “what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). 

The term translated accepted in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 speaks of a deliberate and ready reception of what is offered.  It means to welcome with open arms, even going beyond what is normally expected of a host.  Laura and I stayed with our son in Astoria over the recent Mother’s Day weekend.  He was such a gracious and thoughtful host, seeing to his mom’s every potential need.  He did that because of his love for her.  You might say that he laid out the welcome mat for us.  That’s the idea behind the use of the term.

Have you laid out the welcome mat of your heart to your Bible?  You’d not welcome an intruder into your home.  A solicitor or a stranger would not be readily received.  But your door swings wide open for a best friend or beloved family member.  Likewise, your heart’s door should swing wide open to the Word.  You’ve no better friend.  To be sure, he might sometimes confront you with hard truths, or bring up things you’d rather keep hidden or forget, but he does all that it does in love for you.  No other friend can encourage as he can.  No other friend can speak with such wisdom.  No other friend will always prove true in all he speaks and promises.  To hear from him is to hear truths that are powerful to save and transform.  So where are you at with the word of God?  How do you relate to it?  As a hostile intruder?  A questionable stranger?  A mere acquaintance?  A neglected friend?  Anything less than a beloved and welcomed friend is not good enough.  Devotion to the Word is born out of such a perspective.  And to the extent we welcome the Word and give it free rein in us, it’ll powerfully work to save and transform!

Lay out a welcome mat of your heart to the Word of God, you’ll find no more trustworthy friend.

Jerry Conklin

LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation;
enter ev’ry trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev’ry troubled breast.
Let us all in thee inherit,
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
nevermore they temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;
true and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.

Blessed by the Book

Bible Reading: Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:5-8

Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Famous for its fishing and white-water rafting, the Deschutes River lies not too far to the west of here.  Its headwaters lie far south at Little Lava Lake in the Cascade Mountains.  From there, it flows 250 miles north to its confluence with the Columbia River.  Whereas its upper reaches are set against the beautiful backdrop of tree-covered mountains, the lower half makes its course through an arid high desert landscape.  I’ve fished in the lower portion of the river on many occasions.  It has a beauty all its own, the blue of the river and green ribbon of bank-side vegetation, set against the backdrop of the barren golden hills that rise up on either side.

Trees and green vegetation line the riverbank because that’s the only place where they can find sufficient hydration.  Long after the sweltering summer heat has worked to vanquish the green and life from the surrounding hills, the trees along the river live on.  Year after year.  Season after season.  Rain or no rain.  Not only are they happy trees, they are happy trees despite their placement in a harsh environment.  The one who trusts in the Lord is like one of those trees.  The term blessed “connotes the state of ‘prosperity’ or ‘happiness’ that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on one” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).  Note this from our two passages: true happiness in life is not found in pursuing happiness, true happiness is found in pursuing God.  He bestows it on those who meet His conditions.  What are his conditions?  Trust in Him.  What does that look like?  Psalm 1:1-3 explains…

To trust in the Lord is to turn away from worldly wisdom and worldly ways (Psalm 1:1-2).  The blessed man deliberately forsakes unbelief, ungodly ways, and ungodly counsel.  It’s not that he’s unexposed to such things, but that he’s adopted a mind-set in which he measures all he hears and sees according to what the Scriptures say (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21).  He knows ‌trusting God equates in practical terms with knowing and doing what God says.

“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).  Meditation here has been analogized to a cow chewing its cud.  Though not a pretty picture, it is a helpful illustration.  A cow first chews its food just enough to soften it, before sending it to one part of its stomach.  The food is subsequently sent back to the cow’s mouth, where it is re-chewed repeatedly before going back into its stomach to be fully digested.  The purpose is so that the maximum possible nutrition can be gained from the food.  

The blessed man, the one who trusts in the Lord, approaches Scripture like that.  He thinks about it all the time.  He thinks about its meaning.  By what it says, he measures everything. He thinks about how it relates to his life. He does this repeatedly until the truth takes root and is planted deep in his heart.  The process is in keeping with what Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”  It all starts with the sowing of a thought.  And there’s no better seed to sow than the truths we find in Scripture.  By delighting in God’s word, you can be like a happy tree planted by streams of water!  Set against the backdrop of troubled times in which we live, there’s much beauty in that!  

True Happiness is not found in the pursuit of happiness, but in the pursuit of the One in which it is found.

Jerry Conklin

COME TO THE DEEP, CLEAR RIVER

Come to the deep, clear river,
Come where the pastures call,
Give to the great, good Giver
The trust that is thy all;
From want eternal fleeing,
Come to an endless store;
Bring thy whole famished being,
For he wants nothing more.

If thoughts of thine appall thee,
Oh, lean on him and live;
To sacrifice they call thee,
While he is here to give;
Accept thy Father’s measure,
Of need that he can see;
The heart to do his pleasure
Is in his love for thee.

He will not now refuse thee,
Weak hands and vision dim,
For some things he will use thee,
But first they wanted him.
The spirit worn with straying
Will find his judgment best;
Oh, hear what he is saying,
And yield thyself to rest.

For one transporting minute,
The beck’ning word obey;
There is a pow’r within it
To bear thee on thy way;
That voice of mercy speaking,
Is God the Savior’s might,
And all thy heart is seeking,
Lies safely into light.

Worship and the Word

Bible Reading: John 4:23-24; Colossians 3:16-17; Ephesians 5:18-21

To say that it was not your typical worship service would be an understatement.  From a human perspective, there was little that would work to incline or motivate a person to worship.  The Sanctuary was plain to the point of austere, with no luxuries at all.  There were no song leaders or musical instruments or song books to sing from. There were only two in attendance, and they were not adorned in their Sunday best.  They were, instead, wearing the cuts and bruises indicative of a recent beating.  But there they were in the inner prison of a Philippian jail, with their feet fastened in stocks, “praying and singing hymns to God.”  It was the first and last worship service held in that place, as a great earthquake suddenly brought an end to the service and to the prison itself.  We read in the account that “the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).  No kidding!  Those prisoners had seen nothing like that before!

Worship is acknowledging God for who He is and what He does in what we say and what we do.  Acceptable worship is worship that is in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).  As Jesus made clear, God is seeking true worshipers that will worship Him that way (John 4:23).  He has saved you unto that glorious purpose, having worked through Jesus to cleanse you of your sins and make a true worshiper out of you (Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 2:9).

For our worship to be acceptable to God, it must be on His terms.  What are His terms?  “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).  To worship God in an acceptable manner, one must first be born of the Spirit and then subsequently led by Him (Ephesians 5:18-20; Philippians 3:3).  Paul and Silas may have been locked up in a jail cell, but being filled with the Spirit, their hearts were perfectly free to pray and sing praises to God.  Note in Ephesians 5:18-20 that when a person is filled with the Spirit, the worship of God is the result.  That kind of Spirit-borne worship is possible wherever, whenever, and in whatever circumstances.  Indeed, we are exhorted to worship God at all times and in all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31)!

Colossians 3:16-17 is clearly a parallel to Ephesians 5:18-20, with each passage speaking to a cause-and-effect relationship.  The effect is similar in both passages, but the cause differs.  Note that in Ephesians 5:18 the exhortation is to “be filled with the Spirit” whereas in Colossians 3:16 it is to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”  As we see in Colossians 3:16-17, when the word of Christ richly dwells within the believer, the worship of God is the result.  It is an inside-out work of the Spirit.  Worship flows from the heart of the believer in that manner–from his heart and out his lips and life–as his heart is led by the Spirit and through the Word.  It is therefore necessary that we make use of every means that the word of Christ might richly indwell our hearts. As Charles Spurgeon once said of John Bunyan: “Prick him anywhere, and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God.”

Nice facilities, song-leaders, and truth-filled songs to sing are a blessing from God.  But having the very best of those is still no substitute for the work the Spirit can do in our hearts in leading us to worship!  Peter and Silas worshiped God from a prison cell because they were filled with the Spirit and with the truth.  What was available to them is available to any of us.  Worship is more than something we do on Sundays at church. We can worship anywhere, at any time, and in any circumstances.  But for that to happen, we must depend on the Spirit and devote ourselves to the Word!

Paul and Silas worshiped God in a jail cell, “and the prisoners were listening to them!”  These are difficult days in which we live.  And so many are struggling to find their way.  People are watching. Do they see you worshiping God (1 Peter 3:15)?  If we are Spirit-led and richly indwelt by the truth, they will!  And God will be glorified in that!

When the word of Christ richly dwells within us, the worship of God is the result!

Jerry Conklin

TRUST AND OBEY

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

Temptation and The Word

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 John 2:14

The first event recorded by Matthew after Jesus’ baptism is His temptation.  He was “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.   And the temper came…” (Matthew 4:1-3).  Three times He was tempted.  Three times, He responded by quoting Scripture.  Through it all, He never sinned.  

Jesus never sinned.  Not then, not ever.  He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  He never thought a sinful thought, never did a sinful deed, never said a sinful word (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).  He perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will in every respect.  Never before or since has there been anyone like Him.  The Devil tempted Adam and Eve and they sinned.  Sin entered man’s existence, and every other soul born since has sinned (Romans 3:23).  But Jesus never sinned.   O Blessed truth!

In his allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan likened our world to a “Vanity Fair” where travelers are enticed by countless temptations: “Almost five thousand years ago … Beelzebub, Apollyon and Legion, with their companions, perceiving that the pilgrims made their way through this town of Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair wherein should be sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all year long.” We live in such a world, and are ever confronted by temptations to seek pleasure, profit, or power apart from God and His will.

John Bunyan wrote also of the temptation of Jesus: “The Prince of Princes Himself went through this town to His own country, and that upon a fair day too; yea, and as I think it was Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited Him to buy of his vanities; yea, would have made Him lord of the fair, would He but have done him reverence as He went through the town. Yea, because He was such a person of honor, Beelzebub had Him from street to street, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that He might, if possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities; but He had no mind to the merchandise and therefore left the town without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities.”

Jesus knew no sin—He never sinned.  He was therefore qualified to be offered up as a substitutionary sacrifice for us as a “lamb unblemished and spotless” (1 Peter 1:19).  Because of His death and resurrection, He provides for the believer salvation from sin in every respect–freedom from its penalty, power, and—in heaven—its presence.

Jesus was tempted with the temptations that are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13)–“the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16; Genesis 3:6).  But He, the Word, responded with the Word (Matthew 4:4,7,10).  In this respect, He has provided for us a great example.  It is as the Word, the sword of the Spirit, is treasured in our hearts, that victory over sin is attained (Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 6:17).  Indeed, the “young men” of First John were commended because they were strong and overcame the evil one.  How were they made strong?  The Word of God abided in them (1 John 2:14; Colossians 3:16).

How precious to know that in this world where sin is an ever-present reality–and terrible and tenacious foe–there is One who never sinned and indeed won the victory over our the devil and death (Hebrews 2:14-15).  And that we’ve been well-provisioned with the armor of God that we might overcome temptation.  Devotion to the Word is an imperative for the believer in Christ.

Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”

John Bunyan (handwritten note in the cover of his Bible)

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain]

Christ in the Word

Bible Reading: Luke 24:25-27, 44-45; John 5:39

A co-worker and I were talking about puzzles the other day, as she was planning to take and work on a puzzle with one of our hospice patients.  Putting together a puzzle can be a time-consuming enterprise in working to figure out where each piece fits.  Bible study is kind of like putting together a puzzle.  There’s a lot of verses and passages and it’s sometimes difficult to figure out where they fit. 

In putting together a puzzle, it’s good to focus first on the edge and the corner pieces, since with those there’s at least some limitation where they go.  Building the outside frame of the puzzle will make it easier for the rest of the pieces.  It’s kind of like that with studying our Bible.  We need a framework in which to fit the rest of the pieces.  There are certain fundamental themes that run throughout the Bible that are founded on basic truths we learn about who God is and who we are.  Learning these will help us as we go!

The more you get done in working on a puzzle, the easier it gets, since there are less possible vacancies for the remaining pieces.  It’s common for a newly saved person to struggle with studying and understanding the Bible, but as with anything else, the more you learn, the more equipped you are to learn even more. There’s encouragement in that!

The biggest frustration for me in doing puzzles is when I’ve got a piece that seems to be the right one, but for whatever reason, it won’t quite fit where I want it to.  With Bible study, that’s arguably the source of greatest error.  We’ve got a piece (a preconceived idea of what we think the Bible says or what we want it to say) and we are determined to shove it into place no matter what. But context rules in Bible study–the context of a passage, the context of the book of the Bible, and the context of the Bible as a whole–if it doesn’t fit, then you are not understanding it correctly!

The biggest help in putting together a puzzle is the picture that’s on the front of the box.  It is that picture that ties everything together.  In looking at the picture, and at the colors of an individual piece, it’s sometimes possible to discern where that piece might go.  In studying the Bible, it’s imperative that we realize that above all else it’s a book about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  All the pieces in the puzzle have to do with Him!  It is through the Word of God that the Spirit of God works to unveil to us the beauty of the Savior!  

The Bible is all about Jesus Christ.  In the Old Testament books of the law, we read of the promises of Christ.  The other Old Testament books–history, poetry, and prophecy–anticipate Christ in their types, experiences, and prophecies.  The four gospel accounts have to do with the life of Christ.  The book of Acts and the epistles speak of the church of Christ.  The book of Revelation foretells the unveiling and coronation of Christ.  From beginning to end, the Bible is a book about Jesus Christ.  He’s there in the first verse, as the One through whom all things came into being (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3), and you’ll find Him in the last verse too (Revelation 22:21).  

The Bible is “the word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16).  Wherever we look in the book, we find Him!    And if His word “richly dwells within us” we are Spirit-led to worship and serve Him.  That’s why we need to be devoted to the Word!

God the Father is the giver of Holy Scripture; God the Son is the theme of Holy Scripture; and God the Spirit is the author, authenticator, and interpreter of Holy Scripture.

J. I. Packer

TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS

Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart every word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels, in chorus,
sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain:
Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart every word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert,
tell of the days that are past;
how for our sins He was tempted,
yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
tell of the sorrow He bore;
He was despised and afflicted,
homeless, rejected, and poor. [Refrain]

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
writhing in anguish and pain;
tell of the grave where they laid Him,
tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
clearer than ever I see:
stay, let me weep while you whisper,
love paid the ransom for me. [Refrain]

The Encouragement of the Word

Bible Reading: Romans 15:1-7

Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife, Norine, had served as missionaries in Turkey for 23 years before he was detained in 2016.  It took months in jail before Andrew even learned the reason for his imprisonment.  He experienced times of incredible loneliness and despair, as he later recounted: “There was nothing to do, no reading, no writing, nobody to talk to.  On its own, this would have been enough to drive me mad.  But with the added weight of fear, it was overwhelming.  Piece by piece, I could feel myself falling apart.  In the moments I was able to think clearly, I forced myself to focus on a single question: What am I going to do to stop myself from going crazy?”

One day Nadine smuggled into the jail a little prayer booklet inside of a dinner some friends had prepared.  The verses in that book made a world of difference: “Instantly I realized this book was more precious than gold to me.  It was life.  Finally, I had some verses from the Bible I could read, some prayers that I could say when my own words were too fogged up with fear.  I now had something that I could build my day around, and I started spending hours and hours each afternoon and evening pacing from the door to the window and back, reciting the verses and letting the book inspire my prayers.”

Pastor Brunson was falsely charged with being a part of a terrorist group and ultimately spent two years in prison before his release.  Back home in America, he spoke of how the book of 2nd Timothy helped to get him through the hard times, saying, “I read 2 Timothy where Paul talks about suffering and finishing the race well. This became my prayer. I want to be faithful and endure and finish well.”

No matter where we are, or what we are going through, the Word of God can encourage us.  God is “the God of endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:5) and He speaks to us through His word.  How does the Word do that?  As in the case of Jeremiah the prophet, it can work to shift our focus away from ourselves to the One who knows and cares (Lamentations 3:16-24)!

It is as Corrie Ten Boom once said, ““If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”  Looking at God involves closely examining the Scriptures.  There we will find encouragement in the truth of who God is—in His amazing compassion, omnipotent ability, and incomparable wisdom.  The Scriptures work to encourage us, as they unveil to us the glory of our Savior—in who He is, His presence with us, His loving sacrifice, His resurrection, His promises, His work in us, His intercession for us, His coming again for us, His example to us and countless other ways.  We are encouraged as we read of how God has worked on behalf of those who have gone before us (Hebrews chapter 11, for example).  The sure promises of God’s Word encourage our hearts.  No one knows your heart like God.  He loves you and is able to speak to your need through His living word according to the need of the moment. If you’ve need of encouragement, look in the book. 

The God of encouragement has an encouraging word for you.  You’ll find it in His book.

Anonymous

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro’ death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion–
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

How to Handle the Word

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:15

Our verse is the one from which the AWANA kid’s program derives its name: Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.”  In its context, it is a part of the Apostle Paul’s message to Timothy regarding how he might prove himself to be “useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).  At the heart of that calling is the need to exercise great care in the study of the Scriptures.

You’ve likely sat through the instructions given by a flight attendant on an airplane concerning what to do in case of an emergency.  Perhaps you’ve listened attentively, most don’t.  You’ll see passengers chatting, or reading, or doing just about anything except listening!  Imagine instead if those same instructions were being given following the pilot’s announcement of an engine failure, pending depressurization of the cabin and emergency landing.  No doubt people would hang onto every word of the instructions, even anxiously digging through the seat pouch to find the printed version, so they could double check everything.  What changed?  In the second case, they were listening to the same instructions, but with a sense of urgency, which motivated them to pay careful attention.  How motivated am I in my reading and study of the Bible?  Am I more akin to the first case, or the second?

This verse is a call to the believer to exercise great awareness in the handling of the Scriptures.  And while we may not be called to teach in the same way Timothy was, we all “teach” in some manner, whether it be in relationship to our children, our spouse, or to others God has put into our lives.  If we are to prove useful to the master, it is necessary for us to exercise great care in the way we interact with our Bibles, approaching the Scriptures with an attitude of awe, respect and prayerful dependence on the Spirit.

A Bible study methods book, or course, will typically speak of these four steps to studying the Bible: preparation, observation, interpretation and application.  I’ve taught such courses, even to my dear Ugandan friends.  I would heartily encourage anyone to find and read a good book on Bible study methods if you haven’t been through such a study before. It’s of utmost importance that we exercise great care in our study of the Bible!

Ray Pritchard has commented on this: “Those who serve the Lord must take care in the way they handle the Word of God.  We must not use the Word of God to support a pet theory or our own ideas, but must follow the true teaching of the Word of God, making it the straight pattern for life. This involves knowing the Word and being able to explain it accurately to others.  First, I must know the Word. Second, I must apply it to my own life. Third, I must diligently study it in order to teach it. Fourth, I must teach it correctly so that others will understand it…So how are you doing in your knowledge of the Word? Do you read the Bible on a daily basis? What steps have you taken to grow deeper in the Word? If you want to be an “approved worker” whom God can use, you must be grounded in the Word. And remember, it doesn’t happen by accident. Make it your aim to know God’s Word deeply so God can use you greatly.”

“We must approach God’s Word as if our lives depended on it–because they do.”

Anonymous

ANCIENT WORDS

Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.

Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.

Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Songwriters: Lynn Deshazo
Ancient Words lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music

The Living and Active Word

Bible Reading: Hebrews 4:11-13

Over the course of her 5½ year cancer journey, Laura has had hundreds of doctor appointments. Every month, she sees her oncologist and palliative care specialist. And every month there’s a blood test. These tests produce an amazing array of data regarding things like her tumor markers, liver function, neutrophils, white and red blood cell counts, sodium level, etc. Occasionally, the oncologist has scheduled Laura for imaging tests. These imaging tests have revealed both the location and size of various tumors in her body and are so accurate radiation treatments can then be targeted with precision to shrink them. Modern medicine has progressed so much, there are now noninvasive ways to examine the innermost places of a human body.

The spiritual counterpart to such imaging tests is the Bible. It is “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Sin is the greatest of all maladies. It is a debilitating sickness which causes immeasurable harm both to ourselves and others. How thankful we are for the saving work of Jesus! The shed blood of Jesus is indeed “of sin the double cure,” cleansing “from its guilt and power” (Rock of Ages). Yet though the believer is forgiven, and no longer enslaved to sin, the fact is, as long as the flesh remains, he still deals with sin.

We aren’t always honest with ourselves when it comes to our sin problems. We’ve a tendency to ignore, cover-up, rationalize, or excuse things. It is as God spoke through Jeremiah: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord search the heart and test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:9-10a). If sin is to be dealt with at the heart level, we need to go to the Great Physician. His Word is the tool He uses to examine us. It reaches into the innermost recesses of our being. People generally don’t like to go to the doctor, I don’t! But if there’s something amiss, it’s an important thing to do. How thankful we should be for the saving work of Jesus. God has purposed to save us from sin, and in every respect. Even now, He has indwelt you with the Spirit of God and provisioned you with the Word of God so sin will progressively give way to Christlikeness. That transformation is a miraculous work and anticipates your glorious, sinless destiny.

There is a great truth here… “The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). It is not a dry academic textbook to be studied for the sake of gaining more knowledge of its contents. It is God’s word through which He is even now able to speak to each of us about things pertaining to our walk and relationship with Him. How many times have you heard a passage preached, or came across a text in Scripture, sensing God was speaking directly to you? God speaks to us through His Word! That’s why it’s so important that we be devoted to the Word, how else can we expect to hear what He has to say? For every reproof, there is correction. For every ugly sin put off, there is the beauty of Christlikeness to take its place. From “one degree of glory to another,” the Spirit patiently works through the Word to conform us to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29).

“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.”

Martin Luther

THE WORD OF GOD

The Word of God is like a light
That shines serenely thro’ the night;
Its rays will light my weary way
To the realms of a fair, unending day.

Refrain
The Word of God is strong and sure,
Forevermore it shall endure,
When oceans cease to kiss the shore,
When suns shall set to rise no more;
’Mid crash of worlds it shall remain
Unshaken midst the starry rain,
Upon its firm foundation strong,
I will plant my feet thro’ the ages long.

The Word of God is like a sword
That pierces hearts, thus saith the Lord;
And like a hammer, weighty, strong,
That can break up the rocks of sin and wrong. [Refrain]

The Word of God is like the bread
On which the hosts of old were fed;
From Heav’n it came to fill our need,
Hungry hearts it will satisfy indeed. [Refrain]

The Word of God is like a fire,
It kindles in our hearts desire
To see its Author face to face
And to know all the fullness of His grace. [Refrain]

A Firm Foundation

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:24-27

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake that struck offshore of Japan was one of the biggest naturally-caused disasters in our lifetimes.  Some 15,000 people died.  Over one million buildings were either totally or partially destroyed. As of 2017 there were still people residing in temporary housing.  At the edge of Aneyoshi, a small village on Japan’s northeastern coast, a 10-foot-tall stone tablet stands, carved with a dire warning to locals. “High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants,” the rock slab says. “Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point.”  The stone was erected, along with others that dot the coast, following a previous tsunami.  Tragically, many failed to heed the warning.  Jesus spoke of the need to be careful where and how we build with respect to our lives.  The wise and foolish builders of this passage illustrate the varying results dependent upon where and how a person builds.

We should note this similarity between the circumstances of the two builders Jesus spoke of in our passage.  Both constructed a house that is in turn struck by a storm.  The storm was like many I experienced when living on the north Oregon coast.  “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house” (Matthew 7:25, 27).  If we compare the living of our lives to the building of a house, one thing we should take away from this text is the understanding that trials are an inevitable part of life.  The Christian is never promised a life devoid of troubles, but he is provisioned by God with the resources necessary to endure and even benefit through them (James 1:3-4).

One of the builders was deemed “wise” and the other “foolish.”  The wise builder was prudent and sensible in his actions, building his house on the rock.  The Maryhill Museum of Art, located across the Columbia River from The Dalles, was built as a home by a man named Sam Hill in 1914.  Built on solid rock, and constructed of steel-reinforced concrete, he built it, he had said, to last “one thousand” years. The foolish builder, on the other hand, built his house upon the sand.  The resort town of BayOcean was established in the early 1900s.  Located on a sand spit between Tillamook Bay and the Ocean, it was a beautiful tourist destination.  But by 1971 the last remaining building was swept away by a series of storms.  It’s all gone now.

Obviously, no one wants to suffer the ridicule or consequences associated with being deemed foolish.  So, what was the main point of the analogy?  Those who hear and do Jesus’ words are like the wise man, those who merely hear and don’t do are like the foolish one.  In hearing and doing a person is provisioned with heaven-sent resources to withstand and prevail amidst the troubles of life.  Note, importantly, it is not good enough to merely hear the word, it is necessary to put God’s word into practice. It is foolhardy enterprise to build one’s life on the shifting sands of prevailing beliefs and practices.  It makes far more sense to hear and do according to the unchanging and unassailable truths of God’s holy word (Matthew 5:18).

The wise man builds his house on rock
Instead of sinking sand
By doing what the Builder says
And following His plan.

Dennis J. De Haan

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.