Their Word & God’s Word: Do They Line Up?

It seems everywhere we turn these days, some individual or organization is disseminating information. We do not have to look too far to find the latest on how to dress, how to live, where to eat, where to go, and what to do. On the screen and in print, we get 'advice' on relationship, parental, familial, and marital issues. Our senses are so inundated with information that we risk becoming desensitized to what is truth and what is propaganda. The voices we hear and the opinions we read have become, to a large degree, the sources of authority. This is where believers have to be careful.

Not much of what we hear or read take God's perspective in mind. Ours is a secular society and with that comes the humanist effort - the promotion of and the reliance on self. Biblical advice and instructions are ridiculed and instead of ordering our lives and dealing with situations based on God’s principles, many find themselves embracing principles and concepts, touted by popular "experts," that run contrary to His Word.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul writes, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (2:8, KJV). Those words written almost 2,000 years ago are very appropriate for our times. As children of God we need to take a step back and assess the things coming at us. Before embracing something as truth and before incorporating it into our lives, we need to see how it measures up against the Word of God. It does not matter if we saw it on so-and-so's talk show or heard it from popular psychologist and expert on all things, Dr. John Doe. If it conflicts with the Word of God, it is misinformation and should be rejected.

 Our standard is not the latest fad promoted as being cool or even familiar ones that have become a part of our culture. This is not to say that all we see and hear are bad. There is very good information available that can help us in different ways but we must examine them carefully. And let us not forget the greatest source of information available, God's Word. In it He has "given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3). It is no wonder the Psalmist declares, “By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path” (Psalm 119:105, The Message). In other words, they showed him the way. As you look for the right ways to deal with your situations, have you consulted it lately?

Longing After God

When David decided to write what we know as Psalm 42, I believe in his mind was a picture of a tired and thirsty deer. Hunted for meat and sport, the speed of the deer was crucial to his survival. As a speedy animal, its moments of thirst are characterized by a panting, a longing, a condition that is only satisfied when it finds and drinks from the object of its search - the waterbrook.

As the Psalmist reflected upon the longing in his soul, he realized it was no different than that of the thirsty and panting deer. He writes, "As the [deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" (vv. 1-2). In context, David was banished to the land of Jordan away from the the courts of the temple, and as such was deprived from serving in and receiving the comforts of being in it. In exile, his soul longed for God and the joys of going into His courts with praise. This is not unlike the longing we feel when we are separated from those we love; the longing to experience the joy and comfort of being in their presence. As long as we are in that state, nothing else really matters.

It is one thing to love God but something different to long after Him. There are times when God places us in situations where our soul cries out for after Him. As Bible Scholar Matthew Henry writes, "If God, by [H]is grace, has wrought in us sincere and earnest desires towards [H]im, we may take comfort from these when we want those ravishing delights we have sometimes had in God, because lamenting after God is as sure an evidence that we love [H]im as rejoicing in God." The soul cannot truly lament after that which it does not love. David knew the joys of being in the presence of his God, and when he no longer had that his soul was restless; he could not be satisfied. Like the thirsty deer, he longed for the refreshing restoration that came with drinking from the fountain of living water.

In our world of mixed-up priorities, what is it that your soul longs for? If not for God and the things of God, could it be that your priorities are misplaced?

Calling "Home"

The phone rings and it is the dreaded automated response: "If you're calling for ABC, Press 1; for DEF, press 2" and so it goes. Another unsuccessful attempt, and depending on the number of times experienced, maybe a bit of frustration. As if by conspiracy, more times than not this happens when we really need to talk to a real person. However, as businesses engage in cost reductions and life demands more from us as individuals, automated response systems have become a part of our culture. Putting the phone down I wondered, somewhat amusingly, "What if God had an automated response system?" With angelic music in the background, maybe we would hear something like - "God is busy at the moment, but to leave a request, press 1; for thanksgiving, press 2; to complain, press 3", and so on. Then again, how many of us would simply hang up?

It can be frustrating trying to urgently reach someone by phone and not being able to do so . At certain times of the year, international circuits are busy, connections may be bad, lines may be down, yet how incredibly comforting it is to know that when we try to 'connect' with our Heavenly Father, we do not have to worry about those limitations.

In his conversation with God, David said, "I will call upon you, for you will answer me" (Psalm 17:6a, ESV). There was no doubt in his mind that his "connection" was clear both ways, him to God and God to him, and we too can have the same assurance. God Himself declared, "Call to me and I will answer you" (Jeremiah 33:3), and even better, through Isaiah, "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (65:24). These attributes of God did not disappear with the Old Testament believers for God is unchanging in nature. Of Jesus, God in the flesh, it is said He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and so we too can rest in the comfort of His assurances. It is no wonder John writes, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14, KJV).

God has made available to us an instantaneous connection to Him that is always on - 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. It does not go down in leap years either! If our calls are not going through, we need to check our side of things for possible obstructions. Are we properly 'plugged' in to Him? Any 'wires' crossed? Once things are in order, one thing we know for sure - no automated responses, no voice mail.

"I will call upon you, for you will answer me." What comfort!

Easy to Say, Harder to Do

We have all heard it from our parents, grandparents, teachers, and other authoritative figures. Those admonishing words of the 'golden rule': "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Yet there are times when I wonder if somewhere along the line we heard, "Do unto others before they do unto you."

Some cynically refer to the world we live in as a dog-eat-dog world; it is every man for himself. We do what we do to get ahead regardless of who gets hurt, bruised, broken, or whatever else in the process. Yet the Christian is called to a higher standard of living. Though we live in the world, on matters of morality, ethics, and principle, we are expected to rise above the mediocrity of societal standards and demonstrate a life made different by our relationship with God. We are expected to be mindful of the way we treat each others, always bearing in mind that we are representing not just ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course, that is easier said that done. Nevertheless it is something we are called to do. Jesus taught, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, Amplified). That 'light' is the way we live our lives including the way we treat others. Jesus affirms, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35, KJV). Every believer is called to this responsibility and the power of Christ has made it possible for us to succeed (John 15:5)

How are you treating those around you? If they treated you the way you are treating them, would you see Jesus in their actions?