I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. … I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. [Psalm 119:11,15-16 (NLT)]
“Biology!? Math!? English! AAHH!” groans Nancy in a recent one of Guy Gilchrist’s comics. “I shouldn’t have to memorize anything I can Google!!” she protests with a frown. Oh, I feel your pain, Nancy; indeed, I do! Were it not for my Bible’s concordance and Google, I’d be hard put to include Bible verses in my devotions. I can manage to remember the gist of many verses but don’t ask me for chapter or verse and you’d better not quote me because my words won’t be exact. If quizzed on Scripture, I definitely would need an open book test and, like Nancy, would much prefer having access to Google.
We are called to witness for Christ and yet, without a Bible (or a computer) in hand, I make a pretty poor witness. The Bible, however, is pretty clear about knowing God’s word—not just reading it—but actually knowing it. I may read it, I may study and write about it but, when it comes to actually knowing Scripture and being able to recite it, I’m at the bottom of the class.
Granted, being able to talk the talk and recite Scripture certainly doesn’t make someone a follower of Christ or a good witness for His kingdom. Having faith and walking the walk is more important that being able to rattle off Bible verses. Nevertheless, at some point, we’ll be asked why we walk with Christ and what makes us so sure ours is the path to take. It’s then that we need to be able to do some talking—to share what we believe and why we believe it.
At Bible study recently, someone asked our pastor how to defend his belief that Christ is the only way to salvation. The answer, of course, is found in Scripture—John 14:6 which says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Our pastor reminded us that the Holy Spirit will provide us with the words we need when witnessing and, indeed, He will. Yet, we need to remember that God already has provided us with most of those words in the Bible. Let us never forget that God’s armor has only one weapon—the Sword of the Spirit—which is God’s word. Even without our Bibles, iPads or a wireless connection, we’ll have all the weaponry we need if we have God’s word in our hearts and minds.
I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified. [Chuck Swindoll]
An illustration of a man stooped over with an enormous sack on his back adorned the cover of the church program. The man had a troubled look on his face as if thinking, “I’ve got this all this, now what I am supposed to do with it?” The words “Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions,” were superimposed over the picture.
Like many, I mistook the phrase, “just deserts” for “just desserts.” The phrase comes from a now obsolete meaning of the word “desert” which was something deserved or merited. However we spell or say it, we tend to take a certain amount of pleasure when our enemies, adversaries, and those people who manage to make our lives difficult or downright miserable get what they deserve. “Poetic justice,” we say while watching them reap the consequences of their actions. Bad attitudes, excess drama, inappropriate behavior, substandard performance, selfishness, pettiness, laziness and insubordination all have a way of catching up with people. It’s hard to have any sympathy for them when they end up in a world of hurt of their own making. Jesus doesn’t tell us we have to be sympathetic but He does say we have to love and pray for them! We don’t have to allow their poison to seep into our lives, make excuses for them, enable them, tolerate horrible behavior, or become embroiled in their drama, but we do have to love and pray!
Last January, an official in a northern city was found guilty of twenty counts of bribery, extortion, and conspiracy along with mail, wire and tax fraud. His crimes netted him over $2 million in ill-gotten gains. Last month, he was sentenced for those crimes and, while he didn’t protest his innocence, he did protest his punishment. His crimes were merely “ethical mistakes” made because he was inexperienced and just doing his job. His lawyer compared his offenses with those of other corrupt officials, asserting his client’s felonies were less criminal so a shorter sentence was in order. In addition, he wasn’t really all that guilty since, in spite of his dishonesty, the city still managed to collect over $700 million in fines from the program he managed. Being just a little guilty, however, is much like being just a little bit pregnant—no matter how you spin it, you’re still guilty or pregnant.
I was right. In fact, I was so right I deserved a gold star and he was so wrong that he should have gotten a big red “F” but he never admitted it. Although I congratulated myself for not saying, “I told you so!” I still wanted him to eat a little humble pie. Then the Holy Spirit did His job and rightly convicted me of being a bit self-righteous and a whole lot mean-spirited. I was reminded of Luther, a man from our church who I called “a disciple of Christ” in a previous devotion. He always greeted people with a smile and the phrase, “Jesus loves you and I do, too.” As I heard Luther’s words in my mind, I stopped in mid-gripe and remembered that Jesus loves my man and I do, too.
The Israelites were told to trust God for their daily manna and not to save any for the following day. Those that kept any manna found it spoiled and full of maggots the next morning. God wanted them to trust Him to meet their daily needs. Throughout the Bible we are assured that God will provide for us. Why then do we have such difficulty believing in His provision?
Devotions of the Heart 