Trusting in God's Word

We can trust in God's Living Word - sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Symbolism in the Bible speaks to us about the truth of His Word and the perfect timing of God's plan for all of mankind.

For instance, Jesus - our perfect sacrificial Lamb - was crucified on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year (1 Corinthians 5:7). That was no accident.

This is the exact day and time that the Passover lambs are slain as a memorial of the Jew's deliverance from the death angel while in Egypt.

Christ's sacrifice makes us fully acceptable and totally pleasing to God by washing away our sins and giving us Christ's righteousness. His Word gives us faith to believe in Him.

The Word informs us that God's Spirit renews our mind and character, establishing in us the fruit of His Spirit and the character of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:3-10). Seeing our identity in Christ improves our self-image and deepens our union with Him.

Christ in us makes us the light of the world, a city high on a mountain top, which is impossible to hide (Matthew 5:14). However, this also means that any sin in our life is instantly visible and damages our witness for Christ.

Our words and actions affect our testimony either positively or negatively. That is why we are exhorted to keep our self unspotted by the world, and God's Word helps us to do this (James 1:27).

God's Word also makes us realize that Satan only has power over us if we give him something to devour (1 Peter 5:8). If we submit to God and resist the devil, he has to flee from us (James 4:7).

Trusting in God's Word gives us peace of mind, the security of faith, and hope for tomorrow. His precepts and prophesies give us solid ground on which to stand in this world of shifting sand.

Prayer:

Father God, life on this earth is scary and unpredictable, debilitating and demoralizing, full of pain and suffering. If we had to live without You and Your Word, our hearts would fail us for fear (Luke 21:26). Yet, trusting in Your Word gives us strength within, which permeates all of our decisions and fuels all of our actions.

As we walk in Your Spirit through every moment of every day, there is no guesswork to consider, no mistakes to reap from and no mishaps for which You have not already prepared us. Thank You for not leaving us on earth without Your Word to comfort and encourage us.

Thought for the Day:

Criticizing the Word of God is human arrogance at its worst; only the wise will believe in His Word and trust in its insights. - 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 10:17

My Life Was a Wreck - Part 2

The complete dependence on God, which I learned during my first car wreck, helped me to survive the devastation of divorce and to settle into a new life back in my home town.

About a year later, I drove home from work on my usual route, but my mind played a trick on me. Confusing the traffic light at the next street with the light in front of me, I ran a red light.

A large, commercial van t-boned my car, pushing the driver’s-side door twelve inches into the space where I was seat-belted behind the wheel.

Needless to say, my bones started breaking, one of them punctured my lung, and my head ricocheted back into the window. This impact shattered glass into my face, gave me a concussion and knocked me out.

Waking up in the hospital, I learned that my little finger had a compound fracture and 11 of my ribs broke in the impact. I had bruises and lacerations all over the left side of my body.

After getting shuffled around through excruciating x-rays and tests, I told the doctor I was through being tortured, and I wanted to go home. 

Smiling to himself, he promised to send me home when my punctured lung healed. He informed me that most people with only a few broken ribs find it hard to breath, so I should be under an oxygen tent for a few days. 

I declined His offer and slept in the chair overnight, because the only time I experienced pain was reclining or sitting up from a prone position.

From that same chair, I greeted a surprised doctor the next morning when he made his rounds. He had to keep his promise to send me home. Not only did I have no pain, I also had plenty of oxygen in my body and a healed lung.

At my follow-up appointment the next week, my astonished doctor admitted that prayer and God’s grace were the only reasons I was not still in a hospital bed and under an oxygen tent. He released me to go back to work as a bookkeeper for my brother’s business.

God used this experience to bless my life in so many ways. The most important was God's mercy to save my life once again.

The second benefit was that my fiancé’s love for me never diminished, even though I could have won the prize in a Frankenstein’s sister’s “look alike” contest.

Kevin, my parents and my three brothers did everything they could to make my life as easy as possible. Together, we witnessed God's amazing healing power.

Though I slept in a recliner for three months until my ribs mended enough to lay down in a bed, I never had to take even one pain pill (Psalm 107:2).

Prayer:

Father God, the tiny piece of glass still lodged under the skin of my face is a constant memorial of Your glory and grace. The few ribs, which healed at angles, still poke my muscles to remind me that You hold the power of life and death in Your hands (Deuteronomy 32:39).

Although Satan tried again to snuff out my life, You had plans for me, which are always for my good and for Your glory (Psalm 147:3; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). Without eternity, I would never have enough time to praise You for Your constant care for me (1 Peter 5:7).

Thought for the Day:

The unwavering love of the Lord never ceases and His mercy and grace never come to an end; in fact, they are new every single morning due to His great faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23