Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 24  Searchlight Of HIS WORD???

 

I would like to challenge us today to examine our lives in light of what God’s Word says we are to ‘be’ and ‘do’.  We are bombarded with so much conflicting information and choices, that it is imperative that we know what God says.  I am truly weary of misinformation which some proclaim to be God’s Word, and people just take it as truth; and while God’s Word is truth not everything that is attributed to God, or His Word is actually from God’s Word.  Please, understand that we MUST get into God’s Word for ourselves, so that we will KNOW what God has said for ourselves, only then can we truly judge our lives and behavior by God’s standard instead of the world’s!

“Search me,

O God,

and know

my heart:

try me,

and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way

in me,

and lead me

in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24

We are to seek God’s favor not man’s, and the Psalmist knew that we must open ourselves up for God’s searchlight of truth; and while it is often (almost always) somewhat painful—it is always a work of God’s grace, love, and purification of His own, for our good and HIS glory!

“Hearken unto me,

ye that know righteousness,

the people

in whose heart is my law;

fear ye not

the reproach of men,

neither be ye afraid

of their revilings.”  Isaiah 51:7

Paul often shared the import of examining our own lives according to God’s Word and standard, may we heed his advice!

“Wherefore whosoever shall eat

this bread,

and drink

this cup of the Lord,

unworthily,

shall be guilty

of the body

and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself,

and so let him eat of that bread,

and drink of that cup…

…. 31 For if we would judge ourselves,

we should not be judged.

32 But when we are judged,

we are chastened of the Lord,

that we should not be condemned

with the world.”  Portions of 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Hebrews gives us one of the clearest messages about how God views our life choice, and how urgent it is that we don’t fail to receive truth and obey it, for God will act and discipline His own, for their good and HIS glory!  I encourage us to ponder the truths contained in this message!

“And ye have forgotten

the exhortation which speaketh unto you

as unto children,

My son,

despise not thou the chastening

of the Lord,

nor faint when thou art rebuked

of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth

he chasteneth,

and scourgeth

every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening,

God dealeth with you as with sons;

for what son is he

whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement,

whereof all are partakers,

then are ye bastards,

and not sons.

9 Furthermore

we have had fathers of our flesh

which corrected us,

and we gave them reverence:

shall we not much rather

be in subjection unto the Father of spirits,

and live?

10 For they verily for a few days

chastened us

after their own pleasure;

but he for our profit,

that we might be partakers

of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present

seemeth to be joyous,

but grievous:

nevertheless afterward

it yieldeth the peaceable fruit

of righteousness

 unto them which are exercised

thereby.”   Hebrews 12:5-11

Not a passage that we hear very often, but it is God’s Word and we need to not only heed it, but also take note of what God is doing in our lives—especially when HE is correcting us (even if we say ‘ouch’!).  And just FYI, the words in this passage from Hebrews 12, ‘chasten’ and ‘chastise’, are forms of a word that means “child training”, which includes all those lessons that are necessary to help a child learn and grow to maturity!  How many of us are ‘growing’?  How many of us are ‘mature’ users of God’s Word, those who are “approved unto God”?

“Study to shew thyself approved

unto God,

a workman

that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing

the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

And Paul also told Timothy that God’s Word and the study of it is ever profitable—and that is true for us today as well.  What are we doing about it?  And FYI, ‘perfect’ in this passage simply means ‘mature’ not sinless!  And there is also an implication that we need to keep in mind, if we are called to be “rightly dividing the word of truth”, it implies that we can (as many today do) “wrongly divide” God’s Word! We must let The Word say what it says, and heed and obey it!

“All scripture is given

by inspiration of God,

and is profitable

for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God

may be perfect,

thoroughly furnished

unto all good works.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

Oh, that we would dive into the word of God like we do into our favorite sport, or novel, TV program, or other pleasures. Which can cause us to neglect God’s Word and HIS very presence (oh, Father forgive me for the neglect that marks so many of my days, may I draw near to Thee to hear Your voice and heed Your direction in my life?)!  Oh, may we remember the declaration of the Psalmist:

“The steps of a good man

are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth

in his way.

24 Though he fall,

he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him

with his hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24

May our cry be:

“Order my steps

in thy word:

and let not any iniquity

have dominion over me.”  Psalm 119:133

May we truly pursue the face of God and His holiness in all we are (to be more like Jesus every day) and all we do—for what we ‘do’ comes out of our heart and reveals who/what we ‘are’!  May our heart pursue steps that HE is ordering, for us, day by day!  (See Hebrews 12:1-3)

“And Jesus said,

Are ye also yet without understanding?

17 Do not ye yet understand,

that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth

goeth into the belly,

and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed

out of the mouth

come forth from the heart;

and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed

evil thoughts,

murders,

adulteries,

fornications,

thefts,

false witness,

blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man:

but to eat with unwashen hands

defileth not a man.”   Matthew 15:16-20

And again, Jesus said:

“Either make the tree good,

and his fruit good;

or else make the tree corrupt,

and his fruit corrupt:

for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers,

how can ye,

being evil,

speak good things?

for out of the abundance of the heart

the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man

out of the good treasure of the heart

bringeth forth good things:

and an evil man

out of the evil treasure

bringeth forth evil things.”   Matthew 12:33-35

And one last thing to measure by: a question for us all, “What’s in my heart?  The love of God, and Word of God, or not?”   Remember what’s hidden in the heart will come out in word and deed!  What will HIS searchlight find in my/your heart?  God’s light is true!  Am I?

“With my whole heart

have I sought thee:

O let me not wander

from thy commandments.

11 Thy word

have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin

against thee.”  Psalm 119:10-11

What’s hiding in my heart?  In yours?

Amen and Amen!!!