The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 KJV
Context:
David is credited with writing this psalm, and as you read the whole chapter, you know that it takes personal experience to write this way. Until you have an encounter with the Word of God, you may only be able to speak eloquently of the letter but not the Spirit. From a young age, David had made it his duty to seek God out. His life choices showed that he found God. He did not always make the right choices, but there was no doubt the place God had in his heart. Where does God stand with you? Is he your all, or do you have room for other 'viable' options?
One of the surest ways to know God is through the written Word. This generation is privileged because God's Word is very available in the letter form; most of us use smartphones that provide the bible in various versions, all available by regular data subscription and some even offline., However, we are more open to embracing the values of the world than those of the Word. We can recite whole albums of songs from those who don't care who God is, but we struggle to recite two verses of the Bible. How can a man grow in God if he does not know what God cares about?
Message and Response:
This is why today's extract is instructive. It is called 'the law of the Lord' because no matter what I tell myself, God's Word is not a list of negotiated points, but a window into his will. I do not get to choose which one I will obey; I must either take all of him or none of him. We want to make God our buddy; someone we can take up when we want, and drop off when we want. Indeed, he is our friend, but he is a friend with rules of engagement. I cannot enjoy the fullness of who God is until I take up the fullness of who he is. It is as simple, yet also as complex as that.
When I embrace the law of the Lord, what do I get: a conversion of the soul. No man encounters the word of God and remains the same. No man meets with God and is left the same way. There is a work that God must do in the life of all who come to him. He cannot deal with sin, so he has to do a work in me that will deal with the nature of sin in me. That work MUST be done in anyone who looks forward to eternity with God.
Don't settle for the surface work that men can bring about; make sure that God does the work in you that will last till eternity. It is that inner work that will last; every other work is on surface level and will only be good for the earth. Is my soul converted, or am I still pushing around the body of sin I inherited from Adam? Jesus has no use for that body of sin, and his sacrifice on the cross makes it clear that a life that reflects the finished work of the cross is of value to him. Am I converted?
John the Apostle, in the book of Revelation, writes about the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. There is a witness to the power of God, and the effectiveness and efficiency of his Word. He does not speak anyhow; he means what he says, which is why his testimony is sure. Men swear by someone greater than them; God swears by himself. He is not caught out by man's weaknesses because he is not man. Another version reads: The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. Once again, you get the clear message that God is not negotiating with me or seeking to please me. I am the one who must strive to please God by embracing his rules.
What do I get from the rules: they impart wisdom to the unexperienced. Or make wise the simple. Man's greatest mistake is to think that his intellect or reasoning can help decipher God. There are learned men, with academic degrees from all over the world, who do not know acknowledge God. It is not in the multitude of degrees, but in the degree of personal experience of God. Am I a simple man in need of the wisdom only God can provide or have I arrived, safe and secure in my knowledge and not in need of help? It is foolish to think that there is anything in me that can secure eternal life for me, outside of God. The one who promises it is the one who can secure it. If he says I can only get it through Christ, and because he does not lie, I won't really get it anywhere else.
Am I in dire need of help from God and taking the steps to seek him out? Remember: this is not a negotiation; this is a command structure, with God as the leader and all who have submitted to him as his subjects. His instructions become our daily pursuits, so that we can take hold of all that he promises all who come to him. All of him is available and accessible, and what you get in and from him will speak into eternity. His time of favour is here.
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