A Few Words: Psalm 119

Showing posts with label Psalm 119. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Guidance (Elements of Existence) #AtoZChallenge

Still life with Bible, by Vincent Van Gogh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105
New International Version (NIV)

Many have doubts as to where they are going in this life, what they should be doing, or why they even exist. These are indeed difficult questions if we dwell upon them to deeply. Without God in our lives there is no particularly reasonable answer.

Those who live without a hope in the Creator's promise of a perfect eternal life might be prone to live the carpe diem philosophy which is to live to the utmost today and forget about what the future may hold. The Bible tells us that we should not fret about our future on Earth as sometimes we have no control over the things that happen to us. However, we do need to think about eternity and make a decision about which way we are going to choose--God's way or the wide roadway which leads to destruction.

In our time on Earth we are to learn what we can and make the right decisions. If we let the ways of the world be our guide then we might feel good for a short term, but we will eventually realize that there is more meaning to our existence than just accumulating possessions and having a good time. A better guide is found in scripture.

Forget the self-help books and the philosophies of those who think they know the answers. If the authors of these schools of thought are not grounded in sound Biblical doctrine then they are espousing vain doctrines of empty-headed blathering. Oh sure, some of the ideas found in the world of human thought are fine, but if they are contrary to what the Bible teaches us then they are not the guidance you should be seeking.

Thousands of years in the making, the Bible has all you need to know about life. It might take some digging and rereading, but all of the books in the psychology sections of all the libraries and bookstores would take just as much or more time to peruse to find answers to life and for the most part the answers are still going to be inadequate.

Need answers? Need guidance? It's right at your fingertips in the Bible. We were given the Bible for our benefit. Are you taking complete advantage of what the Bible offers you?

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
New International Version (NIV)

Sunday, March 15, 2015

The Gospel Truth

Moses Pleading with Israel, as in Deuteronomy 6:1-15, illustration from a Bible card published 1907 by the Providence Lithograph Company
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.
Psalm 119:160

New International Version (NIV)

Our current pastor keeps running people off with his sermons. He must be doing something right. Nowadays people don't want to hear the Bible as it is meant to be, but how they would like it to be.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

New King James Version (NKJV)

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Word #atozchallenge

Your Word (Photo credit: rachel_titiriga)

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

King James Version (KJV)

If you think back to the first chapter of Genesis you might recall that the first creation pronouncement of God was "Let there be Light." (Genesis 1:3). The comparison of light to the Word and to Jesus is a common theme throughout the Bible. When we contemplate on the metaphor of the Word being a "lamp" and "a light unto my path" the meaning is very clear.

The Bible is a book of illumination and guidance. Through careful study of the Word of God many concepts and teachings become more lucid to our understanding. Prayer, meditation, and the reading of the Word is a powerful combination in attaining a greater proximity to God the Father.

When life is thought of as a journey on a path through time, it becomes easier to see the vast history of eternity and how we are all connected by the Word and the promise and hope that can be found within that Word. The Bible is God's voice speaking to us--His Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.