|
How to Delight in the Flawless Word of God (Thoughts on Psalm 12)
by Wayne Davies The Bible claims to be the very Word of God. Yes, the words of this book were written by people, and each human author utilized his own particular writing style and vocabulary, but the ultimate source of Scripture is Almighty God Himself. Psalm 12:6 is one of dozens of verses to make this bold claim. Let's take a closer look at what David meant when he said, "The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6). The word "flawless" means pure. But let's not take David's analogy here to its illogical extreme. The Word of God was not impure and therefore in need of purifying. The point here is that Scripture contains no impurities; it never has and it never will. What is in view here is the finished product. How can this be? The perfection of Scripture is the direct result of its divine origin. The Bible is infallible because it is also inspired, or breathed out, by God. We can express the relationship between the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible like this: Scripture claims to be the very Word of God because every word of it comes from His mouth. 2 Timothy 3:16 makes this clear. "All Scripture is God-breathed." God cannot lie. He always speaks the truth. Hebrews 6:18, "It is impossible for God to lie." Therefore the Scriptures contain no errors. Psalm 12:6, "And the words of the Lord are flawless." Other verses that teach these concepts include Psalm 18:30, "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless" and Psalm 119:60, "All your words are true." Wow! Isn't this wonderful news? With so much uncertainty in the world, aren't we blessed to have the perfect Word of God in our hands to read and treasure every day of our lives? I am compelled to ask you: How are you feeling today about the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible? Do you have gratitude in your heart toward God for the amazing gift of Scripture? Can you say with the Psalmist, "At midnight I rise to give thanks for your righteous laws" (Psalm 119:62). Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night? I do. Every now and then I wake up at 3 or 4 am. I'm not sure why. And it doesn't really matter. The last time it happened, I was wide awake and ready to go! I started working on an outline for a book about the Bible. My mind became filled with thoughts about God's Word and how I'd like to tell people about it. At first I thought, "Oh boy. Shouldn't I go back to bed and get some more sleep?" But I was too excited about writing. I wanted to sit down and pour myself into the study of the greatest Book ever written! Do you ever have moments like that? You get so excited about what God is teaching you, you can't even sleep! Now don't misunderstand me. I usually sleep like a log. But whenever I get up a few hours early, I head straight for my Bible and read it or study it or write about it. I have moments when my heart soars with delight in the Word and I can honestly say to God, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103). How about you? If so, may I encourage you to tell someone about it? Don't keep your enthusiasm to yourself. May your love for the Word be contagious! Amen? By the way, do you enjoy reading the Psalms? To get your free copy of my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119" visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com. For more Bible reading tips, visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com for 2 free gifts: the Resource Guide "Top 5 Free Online Bible Study Tools" and my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119," by Wayne Davies, dedicated to helping you read and understand the Bible. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |