The River

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her,she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.       Psalm 46 (NIV)

Have you noticed how often God speaks about rivers in His Word? I grew up in a town along the Mississippi River. I have stood on its banks during a sweltering summer and I have seen it flow with huge chunks of ice during a bitter cold winter. My mother told a story of how this mighty river did freeze solid when she was a young girl and her father walked across it. What pictures is God calling to my mind when He speaks of a river and what does that teach me?

The Flow. There is a cavern in Chattanooga, TN with a waterfall named Ruby Falls can be seen deep within the moutain like a hidden jewel of God’s creation. I’m not a spelunker but for my one and only lifetime walk down into the earth, I am forever grateful that I made the trip and experienced seeing this phenomena. A river may flow in full view of sunlight through mountain ranges and flatlands or it may dip below the earth’s surface like the Tennessee River did to create Ruby Falls. God too works in full view every day but He is also there in the quiet aloneness when we often need His Presence the most. Psalm 139 testifies that I can never hide from God and neither can I be lost from Him as all I have to do is cry out “Father, I need You!” and God is there before the words come from my mouth. His Spirit moves over, through and around me covering me with His love and wisdom.

The Power. If I were to stand on the shore of the Mississippi River in my hometown the river would seem to move slowly as I looked out on it. But if I were to attempt to swim across the river, I would soon feel the undertow of the river and suddenly I do not see the river as lazy and slumberous. A river can push boats with tons of payload much like I move a piece on a checkerboard. The Niagara River flows into the impressive Niagara Falls, supplying power to thousands of people.

God’s power is a concept nearly impossible for me to define or comprehend. Like His love, His power is vast and all-encompassing. With a Word, He spoke all that I know into being, as His creation.

The Life. Water that sits stagnate is a dead pool. A river usually is full of life with many levels of creatures. The river itself provides life to all that it touches as it flows from source to mouth.

God desires that my life ebb and flow much like a river. There will times of great activity, even easily recognizable power. There are also times of quiet when His work may seem hidden and He uses me like a stealth weapon that is not recognized by those around me but God and I know and rejoice in what He has been doing.

There is a quietness in my life right now. A season that is filled with prayer and listening as God teaches and pours Himself into me. I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in my life. The assurance and building of faith has been an infusion of power that is for me but also God intends that I plug into others and be a conduit of His grace and mercy. God’s River is Life and refreshing to a world that is parched and dry.

The River is Here written & sung by Andy Park

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Family: The Omega

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from May 7, 2010]

“But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”      Matthew 6:33 (WEB)

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. 22:39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”      Matthew 22:37-40 (WEB)

What principles can I take away from God’s words about family?

If I am betting on having a ‘good’ family, make sure God is running the table. God must be Head of the House. He must be where the family turns not just in the crisis but every day. It must be more than prayers at meals and one hour on Sunday. In every aspect of the family life, God has to be a part of it.

It takes two parents. It is unfortunate that many times this does not mean that ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ are married to each other. But Mom and Dad need to be grown-ups and keep their eyes on what is best for the children, leaving their egos at home in the closet. Too often children become ‘collateral damage’ even ‘collateral casualties’ because their parents use them as tools to manipulate and supposedly inflict pain and inconvenience on the other spouse. Children need the gifts that each parent brings to their lives. They may have a non-biological parent(s) that bring a tremendous Godly impact as they show unconditional love that comes from their God-given overflow of love.

Children need to listen to their parents! Parents need to listen to their children! God listens to me no matter how many times I come whining. He listens and doesn’t ignore me because it’s trivial. I matter. God is my example. Taking time (or making time) to listen and speak words of encouragement, wisdom, love, and any thing that produces fruit in the lives of all members must be a priority in the family. Daily attention to my relationship with God shows me the importance of daily attention to my relationship to my family.

God’s love is sufficient. Receiving the love that God has for me fills me with the best love to spill out on to my family. It gives me extra measures that I may need. In my flesh, those that I love the most have the capacity to hurt me the most. God’s love is sufficient. His Spirit supplies me with the gifts of forgiveness and patience and kindness and – (see Galatians 5:22) self-control– that of course I will need! Every member of the family will need it!

Family begins and ends with God. He leads through the valleys and will carry every member through when they think they cannot make it. God is there in the celebrations, watching with joy when the family stands together and bends their knees in worship, prayer, and thanksgiving for all the many, many ways He has held them together with His mighty, gentle Hand.

If your family has always walked with God, do not take that blessing for granted but rejoice and give thanks every day for it! If you have not been part of a family that walks with God, grab on to His hand and start today! You and He together are a family. Watch how He is your Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, and Best Friend.

Thank You, Lord, for my family…ALL the generations!

Swingin’ With The Saints arranged by Mark Hayes, sung by Cincinnati Mens Chorus

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Family: The Alpha

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from May 3, 2010]

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.        Ephesians 3:14-21 (WEB)

Some days God speaks to me in my devotion time and I know it is just for me. Other days what God says is for me first and then I am to share that with you. Most days I do not second guess and it is just like transcribing what I hear. And then there are days like today when I have peace about writing it down but it does feel like I am out on a limb.

I doubt there is anyone reading this today who does not have a prayer in their heart for their family. Marriages are under attack and crumbling under the pressure from all directions. Children are navigating through turbulent waters that have threatened generations before them but at the same time are uniquely treacherous to them. Parents are alternately buying into allowing their children the freedom to “be themselves” and pulling in the reins so tight, thinking that if they can just do everything “right” that their children will be “all right”. Adult children are struggling with parents who are living longer and government support (Medicare and Social Security) – it’s not looking good, is it?

It is not surprising that statistically the families that are individually and as a group committed to their relationship with Jesus are the ones who are thriving. Why is that? I believe that it is because when I accept Jesus’ free gift of love, my heart receives this new and bigger capacity to love. The ‘conditions’ that I may have put on love changes, even disappears.

Priorities change. And when the family members become ‘Jesus servants’, to each other and those outside their family circle, the family discovers their ‘calling’ as a family. As they grow and mature, their calling may draw them away from their unit but they will always support each other and encourage each other.

Let us stand together in prayer for each other. God knows each one of us. God knows each of our needs.

Lord, I lift up the families of those who are represented here. You know each one of us,Lord, by name and every hair on our heads. We need You, Lord. We need Your love; Your protection; Your strength; and wisdom and faith to seek You in all that we do. We thank You, Lord. We thank You that before we even call, Lord, You are already answering. It is because of Jesus that I pray. Amen.

In Christ Alone written by Keith Getty & Stuart Towwnsnd & sung by Kristian Stanfill

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Vaccine Against Discouragement

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me,
because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of our God’s vengeance;
to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,
and splendid clothes instead of despair.
And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.     Isaiah 61:1-3 (HCSB)

We are two weeks into a new year. How many people reading this have already experienced disappointment in their personal life, work, or even in their spiritual life? Yes, we are not living in heaven – yet.

Like many people we make resolutions to do something positive and constructive such as get in better physical shape. Usually a gym membership is bought, running shoes are pulled out of the back of the closet and that torn and beloved sports shirt is dug out of a drawer. There is bottled water and fruit juice in the refrigerator instead of Dr. Pepper. All is well for a week or two and then we catch that first cold. We are in the bed for two days and spend the next seven days struggling to keep going to work. Since breathing through a stuffy nose is difficult, we stop going to the gym. The running shoes are kicked out of the way in the closet and Dr Pepper is back in the frig because we know we need to drink fluids and it just tastes better than water. Resolution nullified. Instead of renewing our gym membership this month, we join the Discouragement Club which is free to anyone who wants to come hang out.

A similar scenario may play out as we attempted to commit ourselves to spending time with God each day in prayer and reading His Word. We joined a study group. We started back to church. And then an illness or work responsibility got us off our commitment schedule and it all became just too hard to juggle with all the many voices who are demanding our attention.

This Scriptures today spoke to my heart because it proclaimed God’s power in my life. I hear God telling me to just be willing to allow Him to direct my days and He will be there with His truth and light in my life. Just get up each morning and admit, “This is a day You made, LORD. I will be glad and I will rejoice in it – with Your help.” I testify that God will will show me how to spend time in His Word (a Bible app on my phone) and provide the time to pray and listen to Him (a car makes an excellent prayer closet). And when my head hits the pillow at night, I will embrace God’s peace that blankets me and occurs somehow beyond my understanding because of His great love for me. Instead of the despair of this world, I live in the mercy and grace of God each day. And with this step of faith, the Holy Spirit blesses me with perseverance which in turn builds spiritual muscles to help me prioritize each day, one day at a time. God is faithful. May I listen and learn from Him today.

Be Still My Soul written by Russ & Tori Taff, sung by The Imperials

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My Family, God’s Way

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.     John 7:1-5 (NLT)

Family is often a great blessing, an un-Godly distraction, and, next to God, resides closest in my heart. Today it is the family that I was born into (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc), who have my prayers and meditation. They are the family I had no choice to be a part. They are part of my life and influenced me as a child and still do even now as I enter into the group of what I used to call senior saints.

Blessings. Many spend time and money researching their ancestry to find where they come from. The influence of parents, grandparents and siblings can be profound in a life and it is a blessing to find a legacy of faith and commitment to God. And when hard times come, a family that circles and holds together is a special blessing.

However, few have such families. Most people I know and observe find themselves dealing with petty conflicts that change holiday gatherings from Norman Rockwell portraits to Bart Simpson snapshots. Faith is challenged, doubted and ridiculed. This is especially true if you have taken a prodigal son path and upon returning to a committed life with Jesus Christ, it is family who are the last to believe that you have really changed.

My witness. Oh, how often I have joined in praying for a lost family member! The desire to witness to a father, sister, or cousin and see them come to accept Jesus as Savior is heavy on many hearts. The reality of that burden is rarely does a person come to their faith through the repeated attempts of a family member. Occasionally there is a success when we keep our mouths shut, allowing the testimony of how we live our lives speak with the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is our prayers affirming how much God loves our relative even more than we do and asking God to continue His work in their lives that brings the larger harvest.

Choose wisely. How hard it is to deal with conflict in a family to God and heed His wisdom to let go and move on, trusting Him to bring restoration in His time. We must not allow our family conflicts to keep us from answering God’s call on our lives and being obedient to where He wants us to serve and how He wants us to serve. It is obedience to God which must come first.

Jesus asked,“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”     Matthew 12:48-50 (NLT)

Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” …
[And Jesus said,] “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.”     Matthew 19:27, 29 (NLT)

These are hard passages to swallow and accept into our lives. Jesus is telling me that if my parents and siblings cannot get on board with His plan for my life, I must embrace the non-biological family that He will bring into my life and keep on the path with Him. And when I take that difficult step, His promise to me is an eternal reward. He will not take away my loved ones choice to freely choose Him just as I did.

In God’s eyes, family is more than biology. It is the joining of lives that reach across biology, race, age, and all the barriers that we as a society may develop. God does not acknowledge these lines. He joins fishermen, tax collectors, old and young, men and women into His colorful family that have one thing in common – their love for God and desire to obediently follow His Way.

Better Than A Hallelujah written by Sarah Hart & Chapin Hartford & sung by Amy Grant

Posted in John, Matthew | Comments Off on My Family, God’s Way

Listen to God’s Love Song

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from November 11, 2011]

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”    Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

In Matthew’s gospel after Jesus was baptized and went through 40 days of temptation in the desert, He began to preach. And His first proclamation was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”.

God loved us so much that He sent His Son, gave His Son as the only sacrifice that would wipe out my sins. Jesus was the blood sacrifice. And His first sermon was about repentance. “Turn away from your sinning, Jody. Make a change. Come My way. And live with the Father forever.” It’s that simple. But not easy.

Sin is the “comfortable” place where I am born. It is what my flesh wants to do. It is where my pride and my ego can live and grow. It takes little effort for me to do as I please. Like a child, I have to learn what is best for me. I have to obey my Father when He knows better than I do, when I do not see the consequences of my actions.

The thing is, God has this extravagant, overwhelming love for me. His motivation for desiring that I am obedient is – love. God is not about harsh discipline or seeing me suffer. He is about showing me, through Jesus’ example and His Spirit’s wisdom, how to live a life that is full of joy despite the hardships of this world. He wants me to see the treasures that are not destroyed by rust or age (Matthew 6:19).

Let’s spend time this weekend thinking, reading, listening to God’s love for each of us, allowing the words to become more. Consider: is it your spouse or sibling or parent just saying “I love you” or is it growing to know them and know their love in your heart. Let’s allow that to happen at a new level this weekend. Here are some passages to read when you get up in the morning or before bed at night or as you sit in the sun this weekend or in front of a warm fire with a warm drink. Pick a couple and give it a try.

Psalm 91

Psalm 121

Matthew 5

Luke 18

John 14

Romans 8

1 Corinthians 13

2 Corinthians 1

Ephesians 3

1 Peter 4

1 John 3

I Will Carry You written by Nate Laughlin & Michael W Smith, sung by Michael W Smith

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Having a ‘Bad’ Day?

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from December 6, 2012]

By the rivers in Babylon we sat and cried when we remembered Jerusalem.
On the poplar trees nearby we hung our harps.
Those who captured us asked us to sing; our enemies wanted happy songs.    Psalm 137:1-3 (NCV)

I am tired of crying to you.
Every night my bed is wet with tears; my bed is soaked from my crying.    Psalm 6:6 (NCV)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us.    2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NCV)

It’s amazing to me that we Christians too often believe that if we really have faith that we will not be sad or cry or just have “a bad day.” The psalms are filled with the phrase “crying out to God.” I think that is more than “calling.” There is emotion and probably tears in that call to God.

Sometimes this life just – stinks. (You can put many different words in place of “stinks”!) There are things that happen that no amount of spin can make it OK. God never said that His children wouldn’t have suffering or sadness. In fact from Genesis to Revelation, the opposite is declared. When Adam and Eve left Paradise, God told them they would “labor” and “sweat.” This is the world we live in. There is suffering and pain. But we also have Hope. Jesus came and suffered and died. He showed us that this is how it is when we live in this world and how to live in this world. Even Jesus wept and I believe more than once (John 11:35, Luke 13:34 and 22:40-44). Then He conquered death and went back to heaven to prepare the Paradise where we will live together.

So why am I writing this today? I believe God is telling me to acknowledge my times of sadness just as I embrace the laughter and joy in my life. It’s OK to weep! He wants me to come to Him with tears and feelings of being overwhelmed. “Come in, Jody. Have a seat. Here’s a tissue. I’m here for you.” And He will listen. He will help me to sort through the emotions and words that are swirling around me. He will show me how to separate the truth of my life from the deception of the Accuser, Satan. Satan would tell me that God expects me to hold my head up and that crying shows that I don’t really believe in God enough. Hogwash! God knows my heart. God knows what we have been through together. I know that God’s strength can get me through anything! I will be healthier spiritually and physically if I take my cry to God and leave it with Him instead of carrying it around like a ball and chain that I refused to notice.

One of the first patients I cared for my freshman year in school was a woman with breast cancer. The tumor was the size of a softball. She had found the lump when it was tiny but for various reasons, she had decided to ignore it. And now here she was in the hospital, dying. Ignoring something because it is difficult can produce far worse results. It is fear and lies that sorrow will never get better or it is pain that is unbearable. It is another ruse of Satan to keep us isolated and alone.

Darrell Evans wrote a song that says, “I’m trading my sorrows. I’m laying them down for the joy of the LORD.” I believe that in the strength of Jesus and with the knowledge of His Hope that He gives to me, I can acknowledge what is in my heart and take it to the Physician who replaces those emotions, those hurts, and fills the now clean empty place with His joy and His love.

Trading My Sorrows written and sung by Darrell Evans

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Psalms | Comments Off on Having a ‘Bad’ Day?

A New Season

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from June 14, 2012]

He said to his disciples,“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”    Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT)

What is the season of your life? Do you recognize the season that God has you in so that you are obediently walking and working in that season?

I have a friend who is moving into a new season in his life. He has been a 12-18 hour a day worker in God’s vineyard for many, many years. I mean he has put in some serious sweat equity for the Kingdom! He is now moving away from that season and, frankly, there are those who are upset that he is, in their mind, no longer going to be preaching and teaching the Gospel as he has been doing. They cannot imagine not having him as their leader.

But they are wrong. He is still going to be preaching and teaching the Gospel. He could no more stop doing that – than he could stop breathing. He has eyes to see that God is sending him to work in a different part of the vineyard now. There are people that will never hear the Gospel inside a church. Even if they are in the church, they may be too distracted or too religious to really hear what God is trying to say to them. But sitting on the porch with my friend, drinking an icy glass of sweet tea, they may have ears to hear and a heart to receive God’s Word, His instructions to them. And my friend will deliver it!

God’s vineyard is BIG and diverse! Job descriptions to work in His vineyard are as diverse as the harvest the workers are to bring in. We need to open our eyes and ears to His voice so that we do not miss an opportunity, a season, in the work that He has called us to do. There aren’t “hard” jobs and “easy” jobs. Each will have its challenges. Each has the potential to bring Him great glory. And each can be camouflaged by the enemy to make us think that the job isn’t “important” or “as necessary” as what someone else is doing. Let us make sure we are doing our job the way God wants us to instead of looking around and criticizing others in their work!

So when we read this passage, and others, about working for the LORD, let us open ourselves up to all the possibilities where God may use us. He’s a very creative guy! His Good News goes well with salsa and chips and a tall glass of sweet tea on the front porch. Share it with whoever He sends over! Let us see our lives, what we are called to do, through God’s eyes.

Through Heaven’s Eyes from the movie, Prince of Egypt, sung by Bryan Stokes Mitchell

Posted in Matthew | Comments Off on A New Season

On Call

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.                  Mark 4:37-39 (CEV)

As a retired nurse and always gramma, I get phone calls, especially late at night, from mothers about their sick children. Did you ever notice that a fever will go up, a cough gets worse, or the flu symptoms really hit after office hours?

And so it is with problems in my life, they seem bigger and more insurmountable in the night. Like the disciples in the boat in the middle of a hurricane-like storm, I am scared. And remember that many of these men are experienced fishermen. They aren’t going to complain or become frightened by a little wind! This was a storm violent enough to sink the boat!

“God, don’t You care?!!” I have cried out to God at 2 a.m. when problems and worries seem to be suffocating the very life out of me. And God is there to take my call.

I don’t have to diagnose my problem and determine if it is really important. Jesus is there to take the problem, big or small, whatever concerns me, He is there to listen. When I get that phone call or text from a mom, I always remind them that a $25 co-pay is a small price to pay for peace of mind. Especially when its a child, its better to be over cautious than to get into a larger problem because you didn’t want to “bother” with a smaller problem. Jesus feels the same about me. Call on Him before the problems and worries get bigger.

Jesus doesn’t require a co-pay. Jesus doesn’t go on vacation or keep limited hours when He is available. He is there 24/7. Isaiah said,

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.        Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

Even in the times when it seems that God is silent, He is there. He does hear me when I call on Him. God isn’t silent to punish me. Silence can bring focus and call His promises to my mind. I can recall other times when He was tangibly present in my life. Does Jesus care that I feel like I am drowning? Absolutely! He carried a heavy cross when He did not have to. He was rejected and died alone so that I know that He knows what pain and suffering is all about.

Whatever my sickness, wherever my pain, Jesus is there and “on call” 24/7 and 365 days a year. The Doctor is “in.”

Call on Jesus written & sung by Nicole C. Mullen

Posted in Isaiah, Mark | Comments Off on On Call

Perfect Teachings

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Jody Neufeld

Nothing is completely perfect, except your teachings.
97 I deeply love your Law! I think about it all day.
98 Your laws never leave my mind,
and they make me much wiser than my enemies.
99 Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my teachers,
100 and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a long time.
101 I obey your word instead of following a way that leads to trouble.
102 You have been my teacher, and I won’t reject your instructions.
103 Your teachings are sweeter than honey.
104 They give me understanding and make me hate all lies.
105 Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.      Psalm 119:96-105 (CEV)

“Nothing is perfect except what You teach me, LORD!” Do I believe this statement? If I do believe it, then spending time every day listening and reading with the LORD would be my #1 priority, right?

God’s Word isn’t just a book of rules and commands. It is a living role model as it tells me about those who have gone before me and relates Jesus’ words and Paul and Peter’s letters. It is living because it teaches me something new every time I read it. What I learned in 1995 when I first committed my life is not the same lesson I hear when I read the same passage almost 20 years later. Those words do not go out of style or become irrelevant to my life now.

The psalmist describes God’s word as sweet like honey. I hear that as nourishing and good for me. I crave that sweetness in my life. I also need some vegetables to balance that sweetness and so God’s Word may need some “chewing” to meditate and consider a passage for a time until His Spirit speaks to mine and reveals His teaching that God wanted me to learn.

Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other. Proverbs 27:17 (CEV)

As I study and listen to the LORD teach me, I also know that I need others in Christ’s Body to encourage and challenge me. Some of the best books that I have used in studying the Bible are ones that I disagree with. They make me consider why I believe what I do that is different from the author. And so I also like to study with people who do not always agree with me about Scripture because they make me think.

I am so glad to have scholars like my husband who can read Greek and Hebrew as easily as I read English. But Henry would be the first to say that having this skill does not make him superior in God’s eyes. And he would also tell you that the best Bible translation (KJV, NIV, CEV, etc) for each of us is the one that we actually read.

So many of us make resolutions as a new year begins and within 30 days, we drop the resolution and go back to doing what we did the previous year – and yet expect a better outcome. It seems to me that spending just 10 minutes more per day with God, listening and reading His wisdom is a good plan. He is our best teacher. He is our Savior. He is our Father. He is our Comforter. Let us get quiet, open our Bibles and listen to God’s perfect teachings that are just for us to light our path.

Thy Word is a Lamp written & sung by Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith

Posted in Proverbs, Psalms | Comments Off on Perfect Teachings