In that long, one hundred nineteenth Psalm, verse 105, the Psalmist writes: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Any country that bans that Word or subverts it does so at that country’s peril. Take away the Word of God, and the light and lamp of life goes out, and all is darkness.
As the book of Hebrews puts it: “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” (Hebrews 4:12–13a).
You might attempt to block out the windows . . . even the windows of the soul. But you cannot hide from God—“to whom [as the book of Hebrews puts it] we must give account” to avoid the tax. God’s light penetrates.
Enlightened Eyes
January 29
Have you ever looked at the world through tinted glasses? What do we see when we look out on the world of today? We often, as someone has put it, “let others do our seeing for us.” Television is a prime example of this. Certainly we often see a much–distorted picture of the world in which we live.
In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, the Apostle Paul included this prayer: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he [God] has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . .” (Ephesians 1:18). The eyes of faith, the eyes of the heart and understanding, give us “second sight,” as it were, to look beyond to the eternal world of Almighty God.
The prophet Elisha was a very godly and powerful man, so powerful that Israel’s enemies of the time, the Arameans, sent a strong force to capture him. The force arrived during the night, surrounding the city where Elisha was living. Looking out in the early morning, Elisha’s servant saw an army with horses and chariots. The servant rushed back to the prophet, crying, “What shall we do?” Calmly, Elisha replied: “Don’t be afraid: Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:15b–16). Then further in verse 17a, Elisha prayed: “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” The servant’s eyes were opened, and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire—the force of the Almighty. Then, as the enemy army closed in on him, Elisha prayed: “Strike these people with blindness” (2 Kings 6:18b). The unseeing enemy army was led the by the prophet to the capital, Samaria, where their sight was restored. The King of Israel, following advice from Elisha, set a banquet table before them instead of killing them and then sent them home—no longer to trouble Israel or Elisha.
Elisha was looking through the eyes of the heart . . . the soul . . . the understanding. Thus we are best served with double vision—to see with our natural eyes the beauties of God’s nature and then to see the rich wonders of the inner life of faith and eternal glory. And we don’t need any colored glasses.
Is Your Life Flat?
January 30
A choir competing in a music festival was singing flat. The accompanist soon became aware of it and, at a suitable point, transposed to a key or semitone lower. Unfortunately, the tendency continued, and the accompanist changed the key no less than three times. As the piece came to a close, the choir hoped for the best in the judgment of their piece. Saying nothing, the adjudicator simply went to the piano and played the chord that the choir ought to have been singing, a tone and a half higher.
Where are we singing? Flat? Perhaps too sharp? These are questions to be asked not only by musicians, but also by each one of us from time to time—for it’s not always easy to stay on key. And on the score of life, close doesn’t count.
There’s a notion abroad in our day that when God, as the Great Adjudicator, judges our lives, He counts all the good things and then all the bad things. If the good outnumber the bad, we’re in; if the bad are more than the good, we don’t make it.
I’m afraid that philosophy is off–key. Why? Because that way of looking on life and eternity indicates our belief that everything depends on us and that there is no need of God. We make the choice as to whether we go flat, sharp, or stay on key. That very temptation caused our first parents to fall and to fail in the Garden of Eden. Said the Tempter to Eve concerning the forbidden fruit: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). The two ate; they sinned and were cast from the Garden because they thought they didn’t need God to tell them how to live—how to keep their lives on key.
The Apostle Paul looks at this situation in Romans 3:23 when he writes: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Then he adds this wonderful promise in verse 24. “And [all] are justified [or made just] freely by his [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We cannot “earn” our way to Heaven by the “brownie points” that we accumulate. Our salvation is by the forgiveness of God . . . the free grace of God through the redemption of His Son on the cross. Then our good works are of vital importance because they glorify God and not ourselves.
The importance of being on the right key in life cannot really be overemphasized.
Houses and Homes
January 31
You may be surprised to hear that prefabricated houses have been with us for a long time. In 1908 the Sears Roebuck catalogue started to sell ready–to–assemble materials for erecting houses. Very few materials had to be bought locally. Apparently the prefab houses were sent by train and came with an instruction book.
Most of us have rich memories of the houses in which we lived earlier in our lives. It does not really matter who built them, how they were erected, or if somebody else lived in them before us; they were simply home. The words of the book of Proverbs are particularly meaningful when it comes to our childhood homes.
When I was a boy [or girl] in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” (Proverbs 4:3–6).
That home–spun, down–to–earth advice came to many of us and has been the means of our living meaningful, fruitful lives, ones which leave us now with many rich memories and anticipation of a splendid welcome to the Father’s house. Jesus Himself puts it this way: “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
What a wonderful comfort to know that our heavenly Father is waiting for us with the door open.
Knowing Everybody but God
February 01
Samuel Clemens, the American author and humorist, had been a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi for many years. He chose his pen name from the phrase “mark twain,” which is a river man’s phrase for water found to be at a depth of two fathoms. A short while after he had become famous, he was traveling in Europe with his young daughter. Everywhere they went, royalty, as well as well–known artists and scientists, honored Mark Twain. Near the end of their travels, the writer’s daughter said to him, “Papa, you know everybody but God, don’t you?” History doesn’t seem to record Mark Twain’s response, but I am sure he was caused “furiously to think,” as it is sometimes put.
It is possible to know a whole host of the rich and famous, leaders of the country, even leaders of the world, and yet to be unacquainted with God.
Jesus asked a very pointed question: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36–37). Fame can be very barren in that context.
Paul