03/09/12

 

Here is a wonderful devotion I read the other week.  There are so many "self-help" speakers and books out there in the world, but we are still seeing the world tumble into disaster.  

Why?

Because the Lord is the farthest thing from their mind.  This devotion has stuck with me a lot in the last couple of weeks so I wanted to share:

God's Counsel
Psalm 119:1-16

Have you seen the self-help section of the bookstores in your area?  It has shelves packed full of books promising to remedy just about every problem.  With so many topics being covered, you would think that by now everyone's problems would be solved.

For instance, those who struggle with their sense of worth should by now have their egos bolstered to the point of self-actualization, thereby accomplishing just about everything they ever dreamed of and going on to live happily ever after.  But it's not happening.  Why?  Because of all the counsel given in these books, few actually incorporate the counsel of the One who knows us best - God.

I don't think we realize that as Christians we are responsible to help those whom God has placed in our lives.  We can tell them there is no long-lasting solution without Jesus Christ.  We can warn them that there is no new life without the new birth.  We can teach them about God's guidance. We can inform them that God's Word is the number one tool they will need when they start to work on their problems.

Psalm 119 especially stresses the importance of God's Word.

Psalm 119 gives ten different names for the Bible: word, law, saying, statutes, way, commandments, path, testimonies, precepts and judgments.  Each name indicates what the Word is and how we should respond to it.  The writer pictured the Word of God as water, treasure, a companion and counselor, a song, honey, light, and a heritage.  Meditate on these pictures and see what they mean to you and your family's personal life of faith.  (Weirsbe, Warren.  With the Word. Nashville: Oliver Nelson, 1991.)

How beautiful to think of the Bible as a life-giving water, or a treasure worth more than gold, a friend, and counselor!  Think of the meaning in the rest of the descriptive words: honey, light, and a heritage.  Listening to what God says is the best way to live.  There are solutions to problems, comfort of heart, and a variety of other blessings for the one who will adhere to God's Word.

Dwell Devotional - Wednesday, February 22, 2012