Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 119:105    "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Proverbs 3:5-6    "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." John 14:6    "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." I hope to be able to connect all three passages to make sense. If I ask ten people what is the purpose of the Bible, I would probably receive several different answers. And most, if not all, of those answers would contain some truth. Paul gave the answer in his 2nd letter to Timothy, chapter 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Notice in all of our Scripture for today that there is one source t...

1 Corinthians 11:33-34    “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” In the verses prior to the closing of this chapter, Paul had rebuked the church at Corinth soundly for their poor behavior toward one another. He further instructed them that behaving poorly toward one another in connection with the Lord’s Supper brought judgment upon them. Nevertheless, this judgment was from the chastening hand of the Lord and therefore a matter of some encouragement because this was a sign of His love for them. Paul evidenced a great concern over their self-centered behavior. He rebuked them in verse twenty-one for each one seeking his own satisfaction. The outcome of this behavior was some were given to excess (even becoming drunk) while others were left hungry. Their lack of concern for one another and the proper recogn...

Psalm 119:103-104    "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  (104)  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." It is no coincidence that this Psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible. The entirety of the Psalm is given to the subject of the Word of God. I say it is no coincidence because of the importance of constant prayer, reading, studying, and meditating upon the Word of God. We have seen that we gain understanding and our hope gains strength as we give ourselves to the Word of God. It has been my experience on many occasions that I would read something and not get the immediate thought of the passage. It is at that time that I begin to ask the Lord to open my understanding. It isn't always an immediate thought that comes to me. It just might be at that time that the Lord is saying, "Let's just talk a while." Reading and enquiring about the words written in the Bible is a great aven...

1 Corinthians 11:30-32    “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” In order to understand the “cause” that Paul speaks of, we must look back to verse twenty-nine, which says “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” Any attempt to partake of the communion of our Lord Jesus without truly understanding His sacrifice for us as the church, the body of Christ, condemns us. The consequence of our action is that we are spiritually weakened with infirmity to the extent that we become dead to the joy of His kingdom. The condition described in these verses in no way indicates that we can lose our eternal salvation. Scripture plainly teaches us that we cannot be plucked out of God’s hand (Joh 10:28-29). The fact that Paul wa...

Psalm 119:89-91    "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.  (90)  Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.  (91)  They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants." History books have to constantly be rewritten. That's a simple but true statement. The things that happened yesterday are now history. They are part of "his story" and can be written in a book in the past tense. The Bible never has to be rewritten. That's also a simple but true statement. The Word of God "is settled (established) in heaven." And we know "there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) To say that any part of the Bible is not true would be the same as calling God a liar. I'm not that bold. Are you? I may not understand every part of it, but I do believe it is the true Word of God. Jesus said ...

1 Corinthians 11:27-29    “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” Those who are enabled by God’s grace to recognize their sinful nature need to read this passage carefully and prayerfully. Even as a child, I understood that I was a sinner and therefore unworthy in myself of the Lord’s blessing. I heard the warning many times that to eat and drink unworthily was to condemn myself before the Lord. There was always a struggle within me because I had a deep desire to take of the bread and the cup, even though I saw my unworthiness. The key to understanding the unworthiness that brings condemnation in the taking of the bread and the cup comes in the last five words of verse tw...