"I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
Psalm 16:8 - A psalm of David
An unusual day for So. California. Dark skies, pouring rain whipped into chaos by strong winds, and our daughter is boarding a plane at LAX for a business trip to New York City. I'm in the car when I hear on the radio that people are hydro-planning all over the highway, and I immediately think of our son on his way to work at the library. He has mild Cerebral Palsy so he is a bit more challenged than the rest of us behind the wheel.
And then, PEACE comes. I am at the mercy of this world, but I don't have to be shaken and upset by what is going on around me. The Lord is always faithful. O.K., I'll admit it.....sometime I want to be upset. That's more 'natural' somehow! But, when He directs me to His Word, I can't help but calm down. If I was unfamiliar with the Bible, the words may not come to me and I may go through many days being upset, and finding no peace.
At one time I struggled with what happens to people who don't have a Bible, and if they did, they couldn't read it. There are many people in the world who are illiterate. Does that mean that they can't have a relationship with God? I've discovered 'NO', this is not so. God will meet us wherever we are and with whatever level of comprehension He's given us. We, as humans, are limited in what we can do. God has no limitations. Because we are human, we often try to make Him like us. God is God and we are not!
We who have the ability to read and understand God's Word are truly blessed! Many wise men (and women) have said that our education can never be complete without a working knowledge of the Bible. This one-of-a-kind book, inspired by God Himself, has been a cultural influence for hundreds of years. It's contents are reflected in art, literature and music.
"God helps those who help them self." NOT TRUE! When I hear someone say this, I know they've never studied the Bible or they would know that this is the very anti-thesis of what it says. I think this quote has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin....you will not find it in the Bible. What you will find is....
".....being confident of this, that he (God) who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (when He returns). Philippians 1:6 - In other words, God sought you out to be one of His own, and He's going to hang in there with you to the very end!
Jesus said to His followers in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". He does not say, 'try harder to get your act together and then I'll help you'. This may offend our human pride, but look at what David said in Psalm 103:
13 - 14, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear (revere, have reverence for) him; for he knows how we are formed, and he remembers that we are dust". 'Dust' doesn't do much except get in the way!
So, we have another reason to study the Bible; we will not be vulnerable to misinformation and poor teaching. Knowing the Scripture (Bible) will help us to speak with authority and not be fooled by worldly wisdom.
"All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible" -- Abraham Lincoln
