Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
—Psalm 119:105
The Bible is written as a personal letter to you. God speaks to you, ministers to your needs, and directs you in the way you should go in His written Word. He tells you what you should do and how you should live.
It is a mistake to think we can hear clearly from God without spending time in the Word. Knowing the written Word protects you from deception. Listening for God's voice without being dedicated to spending time in the Word on a regular basis opens you up to hearing voices that are not from God. There may be times when God speaks something to you that is outside a specific chapter and verse of the Bible, but it will always be in agreement with His Word.
Tonight, spend time reading a portion of God's personal letter to you and allow Him to speak to your heart. God’s Word is one of the most precious gifts we have. Treasure it.
How to Make Things Right with God
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”
Luke 10:29
The man whose question sparked perhaps the most famous of all of Jesus’ parables—the story of the Good Samaritan—was not asking out of a sincere desire to know the truth. Instead, the Bible reveals that his motive was to make himself look better. So often we yield to the temptation to think that we can handle things without God just fine on our own, unlike some others. I read a story about a children’s Sunday school teacher who taught her pupils from the parable of the Pharisee and the publican praying in the Temple. When she finished her lesson she called on one of her students to pray. The little boy said, “God, thank You that I’m not like that Pharisee!”
If we set out to justify ourselves, we can always find some reason that will show why what we have done is not as bad as others, or some excuse that will rationalize away or explain our behavior. But God doesn’t grade on a curve. He does not compare us to what others are doing, but rather to the perfect standard of His Son. And He is not deceived by our attempts to make ourselves look better. He sees us as we really are, and He will not accept any attempt to avoid responsibility on our part.
The only hope we have is to abandon our efforts to justify ourselves and instead rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient for everything that we lack, and because of grace we have already received God’s stamp of approval: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). When in our pride and self confidence we attempt to make things right with God, we always fail.
Luke 10:29
The man whose question sparked perhaps the most famous of all of Jesus’ parables—the story of the Good Samaritan—was not asking out of a sincere desire to know the truth. Instead, the Bible reveals that his motive was to make himself look better. So often we yield to the temptation to think that we can handle things without God just fine on our own, unlike some others. I read a story about a children’s Sunday school teacher who taught her pupils from the parable of the Pharisee and the publican praying in the Temple. When she finished her lesson she called on one of her students to pray. The little boy said, “God, thank You that I’m not like that Pharisee!”
If we set out to justify ourselves, we can always find some reason that will show why what we have done is not as bad as others, or some excuse that will rationalize away or explain our behavior. But God doesn’t grade on a curve. He does not compare us to what others are doing, but rather to the perfect standard of His Son. And He is not deceived by our attempts to make ourselves look better. He sees us as we really are, and He will not accept any attempt to avoid responsibility on our part.
The only hope we have is to abandon our efforts to justify ourselves and instead rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient for everything that we lack, and because of grace we have already received God’s stamp of approval: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). When in our pride and self confidence we attempt to make things right with God, we always fail.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Since God sees through all our excuses, we should humbly confess our sins rather than justifying ourselves.
The Written Word
by Joyce Meyer - posted April 24, 2016Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
—Psalm 119:105
The Bible is written as a personal letter to you. God speaks to you, ministers to your needs, and directs you in the way you should go in His written Word. He tells you what you should do and how you should live.
It is a mistake to think we can hear clearly from God without spending time in the Word. Knowing the written Word protects you from deception. Listening for God's voice without being dedicated to spending time in the Word on a regular basis opens you up to hearing voices that are not from God. There may be times when God speaks something to you that is outside a specific chapter and verse of the Bible, but it will always be in agreement with His Word.
Tonight, spend time reading a portion of God's personal letter to you and allow Him to speak to your heart. God’s Word is one of the most precious gifts we have. Treasure it.
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