Bible League: Living His Word Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. It would be nice if life was always sunshine and roses. It would be nice if life was always mountain top after mountain top. There would never be any gray skies or rain. There would never be any dark valleys or impassable rivers. Everything would always go our way. Everything would always turn out right. We don't live in a world like that, obviously, and all of us have to come to grips with that fact in one way or another. How will we handle it? Will we try to go it alone? Will we rely on family and friends? The trouble with relying on ourselves is that we are limited, fallible people who don't always have the abilities necessary for the journey, or the knowledge necessary to find our way. Friends and family can be helpful, but they are not always willing to help, or they are not always in a position to help, or they have nothing better to offer. When rain, valleys, and darkness come our way, people are not very reliable when all is said and done. In the journey of life, David does not ultimately rely on himself or family and friends for direction and help. For David, the Lord is his shepherd (Psalm 23:1). He turns to the Lord for help in negotiating the perilous pathways of life that we must sometimes traverse. He follows the Lord through the dark valleys, even the valleys where death is a real prospect at every turn. David has made the decision that following the Lord is better than following anything or anybody else. In the dark valleys David fears no evil, though evil may be lurking everywhere. Just as sheep are comforted by the shepherd's staff, so David is comforted by the presence of the Lord. Come what may, he knows that it will work out well for him because the Lord can be relied upon to protect him. The Lord is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). There is a very good shepherd available for following if you are willing. He will not lead you astray; He will not abandon you when evil comes around; He will always be there and He will always care. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNumbers 5, 6 Numbers 5 -- Purity of the Camp; the Adultery Test NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Numbers 6 -- The Vow of the Nazirite and the Priestly Blessing NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 4:1-20 Mark 4 -- Parables of the Sower, Lamp on a Stand, Seed Growing Secretly, Mustard Seed; Jesus Calms the Sea NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't worry about the wickedor envy those who do wrong. Insight We should never envy evil people, even though some may be extremely popular or excessively rich. No matter how much they have, it will fade and vanish like grass that withers and dies. Challenge Those who follow God live differently from the wicked and, in the end, will have far greater treasures in heaven. What the unbeliever gets may last a lifetime, if he is lucky. What you get from following God lasts forever. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Acts 8:30 Understandest thou what thou readest?We should be abler teachers of others, and less liable to be carried about by every wind of doctrine, if we sought to have a more intelligent understanding of the Word of God. As the Holy Ghost, the Author of the Scriptures is he who alone can enlighten us rightly to understand them, we should constantly ask his teaching, and his guidance into all truth. When the prophet Daniel would interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, what did he do? He set himself to earnest prayer that God would open up the vision. The apostle John, in his vision at Patmos, saw a book sealed with seven seals which none was found worthy to open, or so much as to look upon. The book was afterwards opened by the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who had prevailed to open it; but it is written first--"I wept much." The tears of John, which were his liquid prayers, were, so far as he was concerned, the sacred keys by which the folded book was opened. Therefore, if, for your own and others' profiting, you desire to be "filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding," remember that prayer is your best means of study: like Daniel, you shall understand the dream, and the interpretation thereof, when you have sought unto God; and like John you shall see the seven seals of precious truth unloosed, after you have wept much. Stones are not broken, except by an earnest use of the hammer; and the stone-breaker must go down on his knees. Use the hammer of diligence, and let the knee of prayer be exercised, and there is not a stony doctrine in revelation which is useful for you to understand, which will not fly into shivers under the exercise of prayer and faith. You may force your way through anything with the leverage of prayer. Thoughts and reasonings are like the steel wedges which give a hold upon truth; but prayer is the lever, the prise which forces open the iron chest of sacred mystery, that we may get the treasure hidden within. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 97:11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.Psalm 126:5,6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. • He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. 1 Corinthians 15:27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 1 Peter 1:3,6,7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, • In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, • so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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