Can God and His Word be Trusted?

"'This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth,

the LORD who formed it and established it--

the LORD is his name.'"

Jeremiah 33:2

The people of Judah needed a little reminder of Whom they were dealing with.  They needed to be retold Who it was that was sending them warnings of the coming judgement lest they ignore the messages and continue on with their own plans.  It's important to keep in mind that God was behind the words spoken to them by Jeremiah the prophet so that they had no excuse for rejecting Him.

I often need a similar reminder of Who is behind the script recorded on the pages of the Bible.  Or Who is responsible for that still, small voice that sounds as a warning to turn the other way, or as a guide at moments of indecision, or as a comfort just when I need it.  It's so easy to disregard, to write it off as my own imagination or to ignore as irrelevant or out of date.  God gave to Jeremiah a qualifier of sorts right up front:  Here is why you can trust My Word.

Authority.  "Who died and made you king?  You are not the boss of me!"  I remember using these lines on the playground whenever a particularly controlling classmate would try to give me orders.  I instinctively knew my peers did not have the authority to give me orders and it incensed me when they tried to do so. 

God, however, does have the authority to give orders, to enforce obedience to His commands and to make decisions on my behalf.  As LORD, He has the right to manage my affairs and by His name I know that He is in charge of all that I see, of everything that exists.  It is all His responsibility to rule.  Since He is the King of the world, it is my place, then, to submit to His authority.  He is worthy of my respect.  His Word is meant to be observed.

I can trust God and His Word because He possesses all authority under heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:21, Matthew 28:18).

Power.  He spoke the world into existence.  Where once there was nothing, He created something.  Once He finished making all things, He was perfectly able to guide His masterpiece much like a talented conductor directs every musician in his orchestra.  He has the ability to know the thoughts of each of His children, to perfectly understand every unique personality, to coordinate the lives of millions of subjects, to care deeply for the plight of humans (Psalm 139:1-6, Matthew 10:29-31). 

Because of God's great power, there is nothing He cannot do.  He is not bound by the constraints that restrict me as a human.  He operates outside of the boundaries of time.  Yesterday is the same as tomorrow for Him and the distant future is like today.  The laws of nature keep me from flying, or growing younger, or coming back to life once I'm dead.  God does not have these same limitations.  Nothing is off-limits for Him.  He can stop the sun, or part the waters of a sea, or cause a fortified city to crumble on its own (Joshua 10:13, Exodus 14:21-22, Joshua 5:13-6:20).  He can bring life back to a man three-days-dead, spontaneously combust a drenched altar, and restore skin ravaged by leprosy through a simple dipping into the Jordan (John 11:43-44, 1 Kings 18:30-35,  2 Kings 5:14).  There is nothing God cannot do, so great is His power.

I can trust God and His Word because He is all-powerful and mighty to save (Genesis 18:14, Zephaniah 3:17).

Supremacy.  He is above all things.  There is nothing that is greater than He.  He sits high upon His throne, reigning over all the earth (Psalm 97).  The earth is His and everything in it (Psalm 24:1).  The Lord is sovereign over every detail, every power, every authority.  Even that which seems invincible is under His thumb.  He rules over all of His creation.

Even though the world seems out of control, God is still firmly in control.  Even though my life often feels out of control, God is still firmly in control.  Even though the rampant evil looks to be sending all of mankind into a tailspin, nothing happens outside of His will.  He is supreme over every detail of my life; nothing falls outside of His domain.  While I may feel my problems are my responsibility to solve, they actually fall within His area of expertise.  He may not move world affairs in the direction I would if I were in control, or resolve my issues to my liking, but I can be assured that His way is better for His children and will give Him maximum glory.  

I can trust God and His Word because He has supremacy over all, and His plan is a good one.

It can be hard for me to trust God and His Word.  When it comes right down to it, I may wonder why I can place my faith in Him.  To ease my mind, He reassures me with the reminder of His authority, power and supremacy.  When I recall such truths, I am compelled to take Him at His Word.  Can God and His Word be trusted?  Yes, they can, no matter what.  But it takes faith to do so.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to do what He's telling me to do.

When do I doubt His plan, wondering if it could be the best He has for me?

How am I usurping His authority by trying to be in control of my own life?        

Inflexibile

"The words of the wise are like goads,

their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--

given by one Shepherd.

Be warned, my son,

of anything in addition to them."

Ecclesiastes 12:11-12

God's Word, His standard, is firm.  Either I adjust my line of thinking, my values, my way of living to line up with His, or I stubbornly insist on my own, placing myself in opposition to God.  He will not transform to meet my beliefs or desires, or to change with the times.

God's Word is infallible and immutable; if I try to alter it to justify my actions or ease my conscience I'll find it impossible as His Word is firmly rooted in placed.  In addition, the wisdom found there will prod me on in my walk with Christ, teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17) while separating what thoughts and attitudes belong and which don't (Hebrews 4:12).  Yes, the wisdom from God is quite inflexible.  What does this mean for me?

One Author.  Sheep generally respond only to their own shepherd's voice.  They also submit to his discipline, instinctively knowing he is there for their protection and has their best interests at heart.  Therefore, when he pulls out the goad, that pointy stick to prod them on, they respond not just because it's sharp point hurts their skin, but because they are under his authority.

Likewise, I am a sheep who is under the authority of my Shepherd (John 10:11-16).  He is the only One who created the standard for my life, and only through Jesus do I find forgiveness for my offenses against His criterion (Ephesians 1:7).  When I try to accept other teachings that sound good to me and ease my conscience, I am straying from my Shepherd's intention for my life, from His best for me.  This is quite an offense to my Creator and my Redeemer.  Therefore, any wisdom or beliefs that don't line up with His must be tossed away as rubbish.

The only beliefs I must pay attention to are the ones that come from my Shepherd.

Judge.  In this day and age of relativism, I am always hearing the phrase, "Don't judge."  While it's true I must refrain from questioning a godly activity, lifestyle or decision a brother or sister has embraced or made, it is vital that I judge the actions of others as a way of discerning what is godly and what is not (Matthew 7:3-6).  

The act of assessing that one's actions do not line up with scripture is a part of living in community with others (Galatians 6:1).  God may prompt me to gently restore a fellow believer who has strayed, or my judgement may lead me to share the Gospel with the lost as I observe the lifestyle that can only be kept by the unbeliever.  Either way, it is vital that I discern which behavior is as a result of keeping in step with God's Spirit, and which is because one is doing what comes naturally (Galatians 5:19-23), not so I can lord it over anyone.  Rather, so I can either tenderly bring a wanderer back or boldly reveal the Way of life to the lost.

The only judging I take part in is the discernment that reveals the need so I can point the offender to Christ.

Fruit.  There is an overload of information available at my fingertips.  When I am curious about something, I can search for the answers I need.  If I need more insight, I can look up word meanings or find the root of it's use.  When I want to understand another's beliefs, a plethora of background information is available to help me delve into their point of view.

As I study, I have noticed different responses within myself to different sources.  When I dive deep into God's Word I gain insight into how to apply certain passages to my own life and find peace as I adjust to God's best for me.  Other times I experience relief as I discover that destructive habits contrary to God's intentions were the source of some of the pain in my life.  There is much good that comes from studying the Bible.  

On the other hand, when I learn about Metaphysical Humanism or Buddhism or other worldviews that stray from God's wisdom, I feel a confusion and weariness as I try to comprehend such beliefs.  In addition, I often am overwhelmed when faced with such knowledge that is in stark contrast to God's.  The outcome of or response to my research indicates from where the knowledge comes.  

As I study, the fruit of my studies often reveals the source.

While the world tells me the times are changing and I need to adjust accordingly, God does not take this same approach.  Instead, His wisdom as found in the Bible is firmly set.  When I accept His Word as the one standard by which all mankind will be judged, I realize the deep need each of us has for a Savior who can deliver us from such condemnation and offer us forgiveness instead.  As I step into His grace, then, I must agree that His way is the only way so that I'll reject any other beliefs, be ready to judge that which does not come from His Spirit, and be sensitive to the fruit that comes from my studies as an indication of it's source.  When I do, I'm acknowledging how inflexible God's Word is, and adjust accordingly.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remain flexible in my beliefs, open to God's teaching throughout my life.

When do I refuse to let go of old beliefs that don't line up with God's?

How am I afraid to judge the actions of another, denying them the saving grace they need through Christ?