Tuesday June 1st
1 Peter 1:25
NIV – ‘”. . . but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.’
ESV – ‘”. . . but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.’
‘How firm a foundation.’
George Keith – RH 264
Yesterday we looked at a hymn that speaks of God’s everlasting love, today the hymn is all about his eternal Word. The hymn reminds us that the Word of God is a sure and solid foundation on which we can build our faith upon, it is also a sure and solid guide on which we can base our lives upon. The Word of God is as we are reminded in Psalm 119:105 a reliable and trustworthy ‘lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’
I love books, too much Elaine would say! even this week I have finally manged to purchase through an on-line site a full collection of the ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’ a set of books that I have always longed to own, but never been willing to pay the price they cost, I saw a set advertised on-line and for sale in Darlington, made an offer I didn’t expect them to accept, but they did and so I am waiting to collect them, but even though this will be another compilation of books to add to my collection, with all the information they contain, they will never offer to me the daily bread that I need to sustain my daily walk with God, there is only one source and it is his eternal Word. Above every book on my bookshelves, the Word of God is the most appreciated and the most valuable.
This hymn before us today reminds us that the Word of God tells us that God is with us as we navigate through life, whether our experience takes us down into the valley or up onto the mountain top, he is there to uphold us even as we go through the tough trying times, God is faithful, God is very present and all powerful. I wonder how often we can testify to the fact that in our experience the Word of God has become the source through which we have been inspired to continue, been given hope when we were feeling hopeless, and been given direction when we were feeling lost. We can also testify to its power to convict us, to encourage us, to develop us and to draw us closer to God and toward his will for our lives. This is because it is a living and a powerful Word as we are reminded in Hebrews 4:12 ‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ When we read it and meditate upon it prayerfully, we are allowing God himself to speak into our hearts, into the very depths of our being, we are allowing God’s Word to shape us, to form us, to develop us, and to direct us.
May we appreciate this firm foundation we have that is to be found in his excellent Word, may we give it the place that it deserves in our lives, may it not be a book like many others sat on a shelve gathering dust, but may it be our daily companion, making sure that we use it to dust out our lives, to be made clean and pure, as vessels that are holy and acceptable before God. I have often quoted a verse from Psalm 119:9 with these devotions, which I will quote again today, ‘How can a young man (or young woman) keep his way pure? By guarding it (I say respectfully, by dusting it off) according to your word.’
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed!
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid:
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow:
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless:
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes!
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!