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October 2004

Our Guide for Living

   “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”         Psalm 19:7-8

            I grew up thinking that the Bible was something a person received for some special event and then was put on a shelf to gather dust.  It took a lot of persistent encouragement from others before I would risk what people might think if I joined a local study group and began taking the Bible earnestly.  Now I would like to declare to the world the wonder of God's word.  It is like food for me, for if I do not immerse myself in it daily, I notice my life growing perceptibly weaker and strangely less free.

            The quality of our life depends on the importance we place on the Bible.  The Scriptures are designed for action.  They are our guides for living.   They are not for those who wish to float on the superficial level of life or spend their energies on trivialities. They are for the questing, for those who want to realize their greatest creative potential and personal fulfillment.  God is calling us out of our egocentric existence, out of our small and self centered world. He is calling us to a greater understanding of Him, to a new understanding of ourselves, to deeper relationships of love and to accomplishments we never dreamed possible.

            A disciple is one who learns in order to do.[1]  To live life as fully as possible we bring God's word to everything we do, and something wonderful happens.  God speaks to us -- not only through the written word, but also through an `internal' word deep within us. His Spirit guides us to freedom by revealing His truth and helping us to change our attitudes and behavior.[2]  With all of our human resources, we do not have the ability to know His truth and be obedient to it. This can only come through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. It is a miracle that cannot be explained or proven scientifically, but all who are willing to take the Bible seriously can experience it.

            Scholars have labored over the Scriptures for more than 2,000 years.  People have questioned and attacked their authenticity and validity, but God’s word has stood firm.  The discoveries of history and science, rather than weakening the Scriptures, have strengthened them. 

            The most important of these discoveries is known as the Dead Sea Scrolls -- found in 1947 when a Bedouin shepherd seeking a lost sheep came upon them in a cave on the western shore of the Dead Sea.  For two years they were passed from hand to hand until finally they were sent to the University of Chicago. There, nuclear physicists determined that the linen which wrapped the scrolls had been made from flax harvested in the time of Christ.  The documents themselves were considerably older.  The most remarkable find was the complete scroll of the book of Isaiah.  It was seventeen sheets of leather sewn together into a length of nearly 23 feet, and it agrees with our current text.  Surely this must have been similar to the scroll that Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth.[3]  Professor Parrot, who worked on the discoveries, wrote, "Every movement of Jesus' hands is brought closer to us for we can still see on the reverse side of the leather the marks of the reader’s fingers."[4]

            I used to think that the Bible contained ancient texts that weren’t very helpful today.  Now I am amazed at how relevant they are to the challenges we all face.  There will be times when we may not find a specific answer to a unique problem, but there are always principles to guide us and, when followed, we will find the answers we need. 

          Most important of all, the Bible is the story of God loving His people and seeking a relationship with them.  It tells why people prospered and why they failed.  It describes what our life will be if we allow God to guide us and what will happen if we go our own way. 

            Being a Christian is first an experiment before it becomes an experience.  We trust God and His word and step out to see if He is faithful.   As we realize how much we can count on Him, we begin to discover the wonderful life of which Jesus spoke:

   “I have come that they might have life and have it to the full . . . Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”     John 10:10,  17:3

            Ask God to help you set aside some time (or more time) each day to be alone with Him and His word.  Seek His will regarding what time of day is best for you and how long He wants you to spend with Him.  Ask Him to help you order your days so you can be faithful.

            It will be a time to be still and know that you are with God.  Allow Him to love you and let your love for Him flow out in return.  As you read the Scriptures, ask yourself, “What is God saying to me?  Is there some promise for me to claim?  Is there something in me I need to deal with? Is there an attitude I need to change? Do I have a relation­ship that needs healing? Do I need to change to help bring that healing about?” 

            Pray about what God is revealing to you and ask Him to help you put into practice what you are reading.   Then praise Him for who He is and what He is going to do!

   “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.  Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.  I will run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”       Psalm 119:18,24,27,32 

A Thought to Ponder

                        All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful.”   Psalm 25:10

How do the Scriptures help you to experience the love and faithfulness of God?   

Suggestion for Prayer-Listening  

            Heavenly Father, is there something happening in my life about which you want me to seek your counsel? 

What is it I need to know?

Suggestions for Meditation

   a)      Recall some events where God has been faithful to you in the past and tell Him how much His faithfulness has meant to you.  Meditate on the following Scripture:

            “God sends his love and faithfulness.”    Psalm 37:3

            In quiet and stillness, receive God’s love and His assurance regarding His faithfulness.

Encouragement to Ministry Leaders

Our Lord Jesus Christ promises peace, joy and blessings to those who serve Him.  There are times, however, when I feel uncertain what path I should take.  Sometimes He closes a door and asks me to wait on Him until He opens a new door to move me forward as His ambassador. 

Waiting is not easy for me.  I realize that Paul went into the desert for many months to prepare him for ministry and Jesus spent much time in prayer with His Father to receive guidance.  I accept that a period of preparation is often necessary and I need to spend important time with the Lord.  There is either something God wants to work in me or work around me (or both).  I know He always wants me to surrender to Him more deeply in childlike trust.

I am now in one of these periods and sometimes it feels like a desert.   “I am now going to allure her, I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.  There I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.  There she will sing as in the days of her youth.” Hosea 2:14-15

As I wait upon the Lord, He urges me to “cling” to Him in prayer and meditating on the Scriptures.  “My soul clings to you: your right hand upholds me.”  Psalm 63:8  In these ways He sustains me and fills my heart with gratitude and praise.  I thank God that the Scriptures have been preserved for us.  The power of the living word enables us to live by faith in peace and joy.

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