God'd Book--God's Voice, The Bible (part 1)

   One of the finest chapters I have read over the years was written by Pastor Chuck Swindol, President of Dallas Seminary and Pastor of several churches during his life. This chapter from one of his myriad books, I have used to teach Sunday School classes, Men's Bible studies, and the teaching of young pastors in India. It meant a lot to me when I read it and when I had the opportunity to share it with others. I hope you find it uplifting and encouraging as we get ready to start a new year with all its promise and challenges. Because of its length it is summarized and provided in two parts:

A.     THE ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY CRUTCH

1.     The Bible is the authority, the final resting-place of our cares, our worries, our grief, our tragedies, our sorrow and our surprises.

2.     Psalm 119 speaks of a man who knows what it means to hurt.

a.     He is no stranger to suffering (“MY soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word. “ (Psalm 119: 81)

b.     He waits for God’s word, not human reasoning (“My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying  ‘When will You comfort me?’ (Psalm 119: 82).

c.      God’s assistance is not always immediate (“The proud have dug pits for me, Which is not according to Your law. All Your commandments are faithful; the persecute me wrongfully; Help me! They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts.” (Psalm 119: 85-87).

d.     His only hope is God’s Word  (Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction,” (Psalm 119: 92).

“IF THY LAW HAD NOT BEEN MY DELIGHT THEN I WOULD HAVE PERISHED IN MY AFFLICTION.”

3.     In a world of relativism, the Bible talks in terms of right and wrong, good and bad, yes and no, true and false. It tells us straight. It provides the kind of solid foundation you and I need.

B.     WHY THE FOUNDATION IS SO DEPENDABLE

1.     In Luke24: 27 it is called  “The scriptures” (that which is written). In other words, the sacred writings.

2.     God did not simply think or speak His message. He insured that it was actually written down.

3.     In John 17:14-17 Jesus tells us that “thy word is truth”. This is not human counsel; it is truth—divine counsel. It is honest. It has integrity. It is as absolute as it is timeless.

4.     Truth, real truth, truth you can rely on, truth that will never turn sour, that never backfires, that is the truth of this book.

5.     As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “When I presented the truth of what Moses, Jeremiah, and Amos had said, you saw it for what it really was—the very word of God.”

6.     When you realize that the print on the page you are reading is, in fact, God’s message, God’s Word, it stands alone. Absolutely unique---in a class by itself.

     There are only two eternal things on earth today, only two: people and God’s Word. Everything else will ultimately be burned up—everything else! 

   “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is grass, And all the glory  of man as the flower of the grass,. The grass withers, And the flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1: 22-25)


What is your plan for spending time in God's word for the coming year? Do you have a plan. I know you have heard the saying: "If you don't plan, then you plan to fail."

(Condensed from chapter 3 of Growing Deep In The Christian Life by Charles R. Swindoll, 1986, Multnomah Press, Portland


PRAY:

1. Dear Lord, help me to set up a plan and stick to it that has me read Your word every day. 
2. Help me to really read, looking for You to speak to my heart and for me to have a teachable heart that is quick to obey and to apply what You teach me to my everyday life.
3. Help me not to be afraid to share with others what You are teaching me and to encourage them to spend time with You also in Your precious Bible!