There are so many messages bombarding us these days. It used to be there was the newspaper, the evening news, and a magazine or two. With the internet and social media, it seems we can’t escape someone trying to tell us something every second of the day. We hear these days about “fake” news. We know we can’t “believe everything we read.” So, what can we do? There is freedom when you can unplug and just be still in God’s presence. You can hear so much more.
Today in my stillness, I can hear the wind rustling in the trees, birds chirping, car horns in the distance, a dog barking (not mine), and a rooster cock-a-doodle-doing (they do that here in Mexico it seems at every hour of the day)! In my quiet time, I have God’s word. As verse 5 and 6 says, “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.” I don’t need to worry about fake news. I can trust God and his word.
We need to be careful to respect God’s word. Other translations say God’s word is pure or flawless. It is true. It is from God. It’s not our job to question God. I trust God’s word to be true, to be pure, to be flawless. Trouble comes when we try to inject our own interpretations where they don’t belong. Many will try to add to God’s word or twist God’s words to make it fit our situation in a “politically correct” manner.
That is a slippery slope to be sure. We have a warning here against that very thing. I’m not sure about you, but I certainly wouldn’t want to go looking for a rebuke from God. What if we question God’s word or the intended meaning? Shouldn’t we go to the source? Shouldn’t we just ask God to clarify his word for us? There are plenty of examples of passages that are difficult to understand. God will give understanding to us through his Spirit.
Why is the Bible so important to us? It’s God’s word. It is his message to us. It’s what he wants us to know. Luke 4:4 says, “For man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” It’s that important. We can trust it. Living by the truth of Scripture will set you apart. There are even churches who try to dilute the Bible’s teachings so that people are “comfortable.” Living the Christian life is not meant to be comfortable. But it prepares us for an eternity beyond our wildest dreams.
Take some time today to be still in God’s presence. If you are wrestling with a passage in the Bible, ask God to enlighten you and give you a supernatural understanding. We can let Scripture prove Scripture and speak with other God-fearing people to help us find clarity.
Let’s pray … Lord, I thank you for your Word and how it sustains me. I look forward to each new day and opportunity to read, reflect, and realign my life in a way that pleases you. Forgive me when I question you or try to put words in your mouth that are not intended. Help me to know when I am doing that. Speak to my heart. May your Spirit fill me with understanding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
