Rejoicing in the Clarity of the Word

    Have you ever listened to someone talk in their sleep?  It’s hardly ever very clear, right?  Usually, it’s a lot of mumbling with one or two clear words.  Very rarely, it can be clear sentences.  I’m told by my parents that once when I was really little, I walked over to my sister’s bed in the middle of the night and repeatedly yelled “WAKE UP!” into her ear.  That was very clear, but let’s be honest and say that doesn’t happen all the time.

     I for one am so thankful that God’s Word to us is clear 100% of the time.  We never have to doubt what it says.  It is completely inspired, absolutely true, and reliable over history.  Now granted, we may not always understand everything the Bible says—because we are flawed humans.  But the validity of the Scriptures can always be trusted.  The words do not morph over time, they stay the same.  We never have to question if what we read is true.

     Of course, where we get into trouble is when we rely on man’s interpretation of the Bible rather than the Bible itself.  Even though we know God’s Word has the same verses inside each time we open it, people interpret the Scriptures in different ways.  Just look at all the different doctrines in the church!  It’s important that we make sure the preachers we listen to and the books we read hold God’s Word higher than their interpretation, not trying to explain the Bible into what they want it to say to fit their viewpoint.  This is also true for us as we come to our own conclusions about what the Bible means.  If we try to cut, paste, stick and squeeze the Scriptures into what we want them to say to justify our own extra-biblical beliefs, we tread on dangerous ground and must return to the straightforward Word of God.

     You know what I am also thankful for?  God didn’t just given us His written Word, He gave us the Living Word—the Lord Jesus Christ.  

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things,

through whom also He made the world.”

Hebrews 1:1-2

     Not only can the historical books and epistles of the Bible be trusted, we can believe the words of Jesus with the same confidence!  Jesus is not just a “good teacher” whose teachings we can believe or disregard without consequence, He is the Son of God, one with the Father, and what He says is blessed and true!  We can trust Jesus, friends!  It is a great comfort to me that my life and salvation are held in His hands, and that I can trust what He commands in the Scriptures.

     So today, I want to encourage all of you to go.  Read your Bible.  It is not just another book.  It is the Word of God that will point you to salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!  For those of us who already trust in God for our salvation, it is encouragement to us on our journey toward heaven!  Let us rejoice in His promises through the Old Testament!  Let us sing His praises through the Psalms!  Let us extol Him for Christ’s living example!

     If you ever want to hear God speak to you, it is as simple as this.  Study His Word!  Some people say “I’ve never really heard God’s voice clearly before.”  Well to that I say “I have!”  I have experienced the joy and wonder of studying the Bible.  When I read it, God’s voice is clear to me.  As clear as Jesus saying to a paralytic “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven”, I’ve heard Him say to me “Take courage, daughter; your sins are forgiven.”  And those are some of the sweetest sounding words I know.