Bible League: Living His Word The grass withers, the flower fades,but the word of our God will stand forever. What is the nature of the Bible and how should we relate to it? Should we take its words seriously? Can we rely on them? Or are they just interesting artifacts from ancient times that say something about those times, but say nothing to us? After all, we live in a world of change. Nothing stays the same. The only constant seems to be that there is nothing constant. Things come and things go. Isaiah spoke, but Isaiah was a mere man. Men say all sorts of things. Why take Isaiah's word more seriously than any other man's? Indeed, Isaiah seems to have undermined his own message. He likened people to grass and said, "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it" (Isaiah 40:6-7). Does this not apply to Isaiah himself? Are not his words the mere words of a withering blade of grass? People come and people go and their words come to naught. Why should anything be different in his case? Isaiah, however, does not draw this conclusion. Although he was a withering blade of grass and a fading flower of the field like everyone else, he proclaimed his message not as his own but as the fixed and firm word of God Himself. Isaiah knew he would fade away, but he also knew that his words would stand forever because they came from a place above and beyond his transient existence. In this ever changing world we live in people desperately search for words that will stand fixed and firm; they frantically search for words that speak unchanging truth about our world. Those of us granted the eyes to see and the ears to hear believe that Isaiah's words, along with all the words of the Bible, broke into this temporal world of ours from heaven above and gave us the eternal words we need. These words have the same status as Jesus' words, of which He said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). And we know that this is the case by the faith that rises up within us when we hear them, for "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Kings 1, 2 1 Kings 1 -- David in Old Age Anoints Solomon as King NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Kings 2 -- David's Charge to Solomon; David's Death NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 22:54-71 Luke 22 -- Preparing the Passover; Jesus Arrested, Disowned by Peter NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Using a dull ax requires great strength,so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. Insight Trying to do anything without the necessary skills or tools is like chopping wood with a dull ax. If your tool is dull, you should sharpen it to do a better job. Similarly, if you lack skills, you should sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the ax means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. Challenge Find the areas of your life where your “ax” is dull, and sharpen your skills so you can be more effective in God's work. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 5:13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee "the beds of spices" are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of "the sweet flowers," that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle--that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than "pillars of perfume." If I may not see the whole of his face I would behold his cheeks, for the least glimpse of him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heartsease and my cluster of camphire. When he is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of his grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of his promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss thee in return with the kisses of my lips. Daily Light on the Daily Path Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 1 Corinthians 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Isaiah 26:3 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 32:17,18 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. • Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; Proverbs 1:33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. 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. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |