DEVOTIONAL
“Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.”
Proverbs 8:6 NASBS
Beloved Christian, the Bible is a true gift from heaven given to us, that by it, we may know the living God. In the pages of the sacred writings, there are precious jewels of the Lord’s grace, love, and kindness. The Psalmist tells us in light of his own life, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.”
Take also a king who rules a country. He, too, is not above the eternal truth of heaven. When God chose the king of Israel, He commanded him to follow and make copies of all the laws and statutes with his hand. They were to be written on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He was to read them all his life so that he would not be elevated above the people, but rather recognize that he was under the sovereign rule of the Lord himself. The reading of the Bible is the best way to usher in the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Solomon, the King of Israel, said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. “For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or per- verted in them. “They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.”
Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, the One who was crucified on a tree for the sins of the world, wrote concerning the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven, saying, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” He further adds, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Christian, the word of God is given to nourish your soul and to bring you into conformity with Christ. It is the universal balm that brings contrition to the soul, and a bulwark against temptations.
A note to the unbeliever. There’s only one man born of a woman who can say that He never sinned, and He, Jesus Christ, has the empty tomb to prove it. The truth is, every man apart from Jesus continues to sin every day. There’s not one who has not lied, or had immoral thoughts, or cheated, or stolen, or had unrighteous anger, or hated his brother, or has hidden shameful secrets in his heart. So my friend, the list could go on and yet man thinks he can come up with an absolute truth concerning life, marriage, existence, morality, sexuality, etc. That is why the world is raging today because of sinful humanity. That is, man, attempting to define truth through his own reasoning, which becomes the focal point of his own fallen passions, that cannot be validated due to his corrupt heart. My friend, if Jesus Christ is not God, we’re all doomed, for no other man has ever made claims like He. There has never been a name that has been more talked about than Jesus, Who claimed to be God, for the past 2000 years. But my friend, He is God and He has sacrificially laid down His life for the sins of humanity, so that anyone who calls on His name, with their entire heart, will receive salvation. “For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”