Why You Need God’s Word (Psalm 12:6)

The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
Psalm 12:6

Why is it so important for you to read your Bible on a daily basis? Like a silver bar smelted and refined seven times, I will give you seven reasons today.

First, the words of the LORD are pure words. There is nothing like the Bible. It contains truth of truth, right of right, the only way to know the one true God. When water is pure you can see both your reflection and the bottom of the pond. So it is with God’s Word; when you read it, you see yourself more accurately, yet you also see to the depths of who God is in His beauty.

Second, the words of the LORD are saving words. The Bible is one grand story about these themes: creation, fall, redemption and new creation. It answers the question: “how can sinful humanity be made right with a perfect God?” The answer of course is in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ—the entire focal point of the Scriptures—the One who came to die for your sins and rise again for your justification. Do you want to know how to be saved? Read your Bible, and it will tell you to “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved” (Rm 10:9).

Third, the words of the LORD are piercing words. Hebrews 4:12-13 says the Word of God “is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…no creature is hidden from his sight.” Do you want to know why so many people hate the Bible? Because it points out their sin. Do not read the Bible if you believe you are a good person before a holy God, for you will sorely be disappointed. But do read the Bible if you humbly can admit your need for grace, for surely you will find it.

Fourth, the words of the LORD are guiding words. The psalmist asks the question, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” Then he goes right on to answer it: “By guarding it according to your word” (Ps 119:9). In the Word we read of our inability to be perfect, yes, but in the Word we also see the transforming power of the gospel which gives us the grace we need to be a “new creation” in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). The Bible is not about cheap behavioral fixes to get what you want; no, the target of the Bible is your heart—and God alone knows how to change it.

Fifth, the words of the LORD are inspired words. Not inspired in the sense where someone has a “lightbulb moment,” but inspired in the sense that these are God’s very words to us. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is breathed out by God…” Do you want to hear God speak to you today? I assure you, you don’t need a voice from heaven or pie in the sky; you need the Bible. God speaks to you in His Word, and His Word speaks to you about the Son.

Sixth, the words of the LORD are sufficient words. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 continues by saying “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable…that the man of God may be complete.” Every day you are tempted to replace God’s Word with the newest way to have the “good life.” The world around you will advertise relentlessly to tell you what you need. Comfort. Material goods. Success. Wealth. The list goes on. Friends, there is only one source where you can have your deepest needs fulfilled: the fountain of God’s Word, and more specifically, in the living waters of Jesus Christ, who gives you the intimacy and fellowship you so desperately need with God. Do you lack anything today? The Scriptures can make you complete.

Finally, the words of the LORD are everlasting words. Isaiah 40:8 says “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Oh believer, do not give yourself to the fleeting world and all its pursuits, for it will all come crashing down like sand. Instead, build your life upon the solid Rock, the Word of God, the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. When your life comes to a close, what will you carry with you into the next? If you have gained Christ, you have gained eternity; if you have gained the world, you have lost everything.

There are innumerable reasons why you need the Word of God, but I pray these seven alone are enough to convince you to mine the treasures yourself.

So what are you waiting for?

Don’t Flee & Don’t Hide Your Faith (Psalm 11:1)

In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain…?”
Psalm 11:1

Anyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). Therefore in this verse, it is no surprise why there are those who taunt David, someone who takes refuge in the LORD.

Your enemies today may not be of the flesh like David’s were. Rather, Paul testifies that we “do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). In other words—Christian—your enemies are more likely the spiritual forces which wage war against your faith in Christ. The goal of these attacks and taunts is to make you doubt, waver, and eventually fold on your faith—to forsake your first love.

The world we live in today is full of such defections from a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). The plot is insidious. Satan thinks: if I can simply keep them distracted from what really matters—yes, if I can make them “gain the world yet lose their soul”—then I have won. Is it any wonder then how the pursuit of the American Dream promises us what only God can give: comfort, peace, purpose, and satisfaction? Or consider this plot from the enemy: if I can convince them that God’s Word is not really the truth, but instead that their human opinions or the current cultural current dictate what is right and wrong—then I have won. Is it any wonder then why tolerance, acceptance, and allowing everyone to have “their own truth” are the reigning dogmas of the day?

Like David, the Christian today faces the same taunt: “Flee like a bird to your mountain!” In other words, “Cower back, you fool! You and your God have no place here; run away!” If we listen to these taunts, the temptation will be to hunker down, build our own walled-up fortresses, and separate ourselves completely from those who oppose yet need the gospel.

But this is not how we should capitulate to an ever-changing culture.

Consider these truths today: “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rm 8:37). Therefore “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31). And “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect…Who is to condemn?” (Rm 8:33-34). If nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” then we should fear no man, no idea, no word, no persecution, no abuse, nor taunt which tells us to doubt who Jesus is and who we are in Christ.

Instead, there are two actions which every Christian must take in today’s climate. First, take refuge in the LORD. Love His Word. Devote yourself to the One who gave Himself for you. Do not forsake your first love. He promises to never leave you or forsake you, so no one can snatch you out of His hand (Jn 10:28). When you are tempted—whether from without or within—to abandon your first love, ask, like Peter did, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

Second, O Soldier for Christ, stand in the face of the taunts. If you truly seek the Lord, these will inevitably come. The goal of the Christian life is not to avoid all persecution, suffering, or discomfort for bearing the name of Jesus, but instead to never “be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Tm 1:8). If the One who stretched out His arms to be pierced for you has claimed you as His own, don’t be ashamed of Him. There will always be those who mock. There will always be those who stumble over the gospel. But there is One who remains true, and He is the precious Savior, the light of the world.

You have every reason to stand in confidence today in the face of those mocking doubts. Say to those who taunt and jeer: Because I take refuge in the LORD and stand in the confidence of His promises for me, how can you say to me: “flee like a bird to your mountain?”

The Big Nose Called Pride (Psalm 10:4)

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
Psalm 10:4

The greatest killer of love for God is love for self. Pride is the deadly expression of believing in your own strength, wisdom, or abilities above God’s. In this verse, there are three “A’s” that pride produces in our lives: arrogance, avoidance, and abandonment. We will look at each briefly.

First, pride produces arrogance. The Hebrew of the first part of this verse literally reads that the one who does not seek God is as “wicked as the height of his nose.” Can you picture that? Pride is like someone with an abnormally large nose. He is so full of himself that he can’t see past his own two nostrils!

Like the big nose, this is what pride does: it focuses all your thoughts inwardly and selfishly. Someone did you wrong? You must take revenge. You don’t get what you want? You’re entitled to it. Do you see the danger in this? When your head gets so full of your own desires and self-declared “needs,” your vision becomes so narrow that you miss the point of your life: to live for God, and not for yourself.

And this will inevitably lead to the second production of pride: avoidance. The psalmist says that “in the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him.” This is actually very logical. How can someone who is so focused on themselves ever make time for God? There is great application here for us, a caution against seeing our time as primarily ours. Think about the measure of your day. Is there time for seeking God in it? Do you have a regular, daily time of prayer and reading the Word? If you honestly assess your life, what do you spend time on? What is the first thought and desire when you get out of bed? Be careful to not allow self-absorption to turn into a drastic lack of seeking God. Our tendency to rely on ourselves for purpose, strength, success, and control in our lives ironically keeps us from depending on the One who knows exactly what we need. Do not allow your nose of self-interests and self-desires to become so big you can’t bow your face to the ground in worship of God!

If not stopped, ongoing pride may lead to this last devastating effect in our lives: abandonment. Notice the thought life of the person described in this psalm: “all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” This is no longer a casual “I forgot about God” due to becoming so focused on ourselves; this is an outright rebellion against Him because we believe in our own power and self-direction. In reality, this is like the very first sin of the Garden: throwing off God’s authority and Word in exchange for becoming wise in our own eyes. This is subtle; it doesn’t happen in one day. Rather, continued avoidance of seeking God due to focusing on our own dreams and desires will slowly produce in us an apathy towards the things of God, and, in turn, will cause us to no longer sense our need for Him. Why trust God for my needs when I can do it myself? Why pray when I have so much to do? Most of us will not readily admit to having such blatant thoughts, but isn’t this the underlying current of our lives when we don’t seek Him?

In application, let us be careful to avoid the pitfalls of pride today. Instead, let’s heed the words of our humble Savior who strongly reminds us: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).

Or, as the psalmist would put it, don’t have such a big nose.

Knowing His Name Helps You Trust Him (Psalm 9:10)

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10

Over time, discovering someone’s true character will either create trust or distrust in a relationship. For instance, a healthy marriage is built on years of trust demonstrated by loyalty, fidelity, and kindness to one another. As soon as one of these is broken by an act of selfishness or lust, trust is decimated.

This principle holds true in our relationship with God—except we are the only ones whose character needs improvement. Have you ever thought of this? God’s character is perfect. He is perfectly good, trustworthy, loving, kind, just, patient, and faithful. David phrases it this way: those who know your name put their trust in you. In other words, the more you know who God is for you in Jesus Christ, the more you should trust Him.

There is an old song that says “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word” Now how could the hymnist write this line? Because she knows the character of her God. How can you ever take someone at his word if you do not first trust where he will lead you? Oh! The good news is that our God will always lead us into His goodness and mercy; in fact, they follow after us! (Ps 23:6) There is nothing sweeter than to trust in the One who pursued us “while we were enemies” (Rm 5:10). ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus today!

I love the other reason David gives for why he has put his trust in God: for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. Note how the LORD is in all-caps: this stands for Yahweh, God’s covenant name with Israel. Anytime God’s name is mentioned in this way, it should remind us of His never-ceasing, faithful, irrevocable, covenant love for His people. David understands this when he declares Yahweh has not forsaken His people.

Hear this today beloved: if you are in Jesus Christ, if you have trusted in His sweet, precious name, then your God will never forsake you. Like a good Shepherd keeps the sheep within his pen at all times, there will never be a moment your God lets you slip out of His sight. Though at times you may feel lost at sea, the Anchor of God’s grace keeps you steady-bound. And though often your own mind tempts you to despair and doubt these very promises, the Holy Spirit is your everlasting Comforter, always drawing you back toward the true light of Jesus Christ.

Finally, note our responsibility in this verse: Yahweh does not forsake those who seek him. Not that your salvation and assurance is kept by how well you seek God; rather, seeking Yahweh is the posture of someone who truly has experienced God’s grace. Do you have a desire to be with the Lord? Does the thought of simply seeing His face conjure emotions of awe and longing? Oh beloved, how I pray for you to love seeking Jesus. Like searching for a priceless treasure, our souls will not be content until we find Him. We could travel the whole world and see all its beauties but never be satisfied until we have beheld the Son of God. But here is the good news: He is not hidden. Indeed, the light of the world has come; we only need to look into the Word and “behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29).

To end, make these lines of hymnody your prayer to God today, for you know His sweet name, and you have put your trust forever in Him:

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!

How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust him more!

You are Small yet Seen (Psalm 8:3-4)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3-4

There is a two-fold wonder in these verses which should bring us to our knees in worship of our great God.

First, there is God’s transcendence—His complete otherness. This is noted in how wondrous and voluminous God’s creation is. Take this verse practically today. Join the psalmist in beholding the grandiosity of God’s creation. Go outside on a clear night and behold the moon and the stars; realize how small you are in comparison to the expanse of space. Or rise early and marvel at the explosion of a sunset; see the Master Artist strike the sky with scarlet and crimson. God placed us here in this big world that we, with the very eyes He gave us, might see the works of His fingers and worship. This one observation is true: when we behold creation, we are awe-struck; we know we stand in the work of our great Creator. There is One who is higher, mightier, wiser, more powerful than we. Like David, we bow in worship.

But there is something greater in this verse than God’s sheer power as Creator. The second of this two-fold wonder is God’s immanence—His nearness. David strikes the chord with a question: God, with all you have created, from the spinning galaxies to the beaming moon—with the seemingly infinite expanse that makes me a speck of dust in the universe—why do you still care for me?

Oh what a glorious truth! The question is not meant to be answered. For the answer is in our response: we are meant to worship. This powerful, completely-other-than God who created everything in our eye’s sight (and everything outside it) has drawn near to you and me. David says God is “mindful” of us. This means He is aware of us and knows our every need. Jesus teaches us the same: “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mt 6:8). If God created the stars, moon and planets, holding them together with the gravity of His glory—how will he not also care for you, O child of God? There is nothing you need which He is not capable of providing, yet in His wisdom He knows how to provide in His timing. Rest in the perfect power and provision of our great God today. He is mindful of you.

But more than this: know He is near. David says God cares for you. But how is this true? How can the transcendent God draw near to such lowly creatures as ourselves? The answer is in Jesus. There is no greater proof that God cares for you than the coming of the God-man, Jesus Christ. “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9). Do you need comfort today? Jesus became like you in every way and sympathizes with your sorrow. Do you need rest today? Jesus says “come to me, all you who labor…and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Do you need peace today? The God-man says “my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). If you ever doubt the nearness and care of God, you need look no further than Jesus Christ. The Creator entered the world as a man to seek and save the lost. The same hands which spun galaxies like a spider are the same hands which bore a splintered cross to save us from our sins. Oh God, who am I that you care for me? His love is proven in those nail-scarred hands.

So we have these two truths hanging together just as gravity holds together the galaxies: God is way too high for us to understand, but He has also drawn so near so we know He cares. The same God who knows all things—to the very depths of our being, the hidden things we dare not uncover—loves us to the highest heavens.

So look at the moon and the stars tonight: see how little you are in comparison to creation. Yet also look at Jesus Christ: in the eyes of God you are most precious—precious enough to be bought with the spotless blood of the lamb.

Oh God, who am I that you are mindful of me?

Let God Test Your Heart (Psalm 7:9)

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
Psalm 7:9

The elements in this verse should serve as frequent prayers for those who love the Lord. We will explore three ways to pray like David:

First, we should pray: let the evil of the wicked come to an end. In the Hebrew the request is more emphatic: “please let it cease!” David’s enemies were close around his neck; at any point those who disregarded God might have their way with his life. While we may never cross such direct evil or threats against our lives, there has always existed in man’s hearts a rebellion against those who seek after the Lord. Christ himself was no stranger to this evil. But what did he do in the face of his persecutors, the ones who sent him to the cross? He “did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten” (1 Pt 2:23). Are you tempted to enact revenge for yourself today? Like David you must entrust the evil in the world to the justice of God: Oh Lord, only You can make it cease once for all! But please, we pray, Your kingdom come!

Second, we should pray: God, may you establish the righteous! For David, righteousness meant a heart which sought the Lord and kept its way blameless—not necessarily perfect, but nonetheless sincere. Such an attitude of God-seekers can be found in Psalm 27:4: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life…” Oh, how this prayer should be ours! God, establish in me a heart purely devoted to pursuing you. Keep me blameless in my love; rid my heart of any blemish which threatens a sincere and pure devotion to Christ! And when we fail in this regard, as those who stand on the other side of the cross and empty tomb, we trust that Christ’s perfect life has been accounted to us as righteousness. Oh God, establish more of your people who will seek and honor you in righteousness!

Lastly, we should pray for God to test our minds and hearts. This dual phrase “mind and heart” means the deepest parts of our being, the places where no one else can go but God. Therefore praying this last prayer will truly discern whether we are in the first category (the wicked), or the second (the righteous). To ask God to search your heart is indeed a frightful prayer—who knows what will be exposed? But it is necessary, for those who truly love Christ cannot stand their own sin; they need it exposed and eradicated by the cleansing power of the blood. Praise God the fountain is open and flowing full of grace!

Sadly, the wicked alway seek to hide their sin as one who obscures his deeds in the late hours of the night. As Paul says, “it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Eph 5:11). Oh reader, please hear! God cannot be fooled. Either we run to the cross, bringing our darkness to light, knowing our sin separates us from a loving God yet Christ reconciles us; or we attempt to conceal it, standing under the judgment of a righteous God, avoiding the piercing eye of our Creator who calls all to account for everything said and done. Please do not be the latter. If there is sin in your heart today, let it be exposed.

I assure you, if you confess your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9).

God Comforts the Downcast (2 Corinthians 7:5-7) | TSW Ep.35

Make Room in Your Hearts (2 Corinthians 7:2-4) | TSW Podcast Ep.34

Paul makes a pastoral appeal to the church in Corinth to make room in their hearts for him. Sometimes the deceitfulness of sin can harden us away from a brother or sister who truly loves us in the Lord and desires to hold us accountable. Let us not be like the Corinthians! Make room in your heart for the work of grace God wants to do in you! If you are enjoying my content, please subscribe, share, like or leave a comment! It really goes a long way for supporting a small content creator!

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What to do when God feels hidden (Psalm 27:9)

Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 27:9

Oh how there are times in our lives when we feel as if God is hidden from us! We try to pray, only to find a concrete wall as thick as our doubts. We go to church, only to question why others seem able to muster praise when we cannot. We try to read the Scriptures, only to be pierced by our endless shortcomings. Whatever the cause may be, take heart, struggling Christian! You are not alone in this agony. David felt this way too, and you can make his prayer your own today.

First, reach out to God: O Lord, please do not hide your face from me! Don’t cast me away! Don’t forsake me! This prayer is based in faith. You long for God; you are weary of life without His joy, presence, and peace. Take heart! If you find yourself praying this, you are a true believer—those who know Christ desire to be with Him, experience His presence, and seek His face (Ps 27:4). Though our fallen bodies and minds often make us feel otherwise, we are secure in Christ.

Second, remember His character: O you who have been my help! Notice this: you can only pray the first prayer above because this second phrase is true. God has been your help. Look back on your life. What has He delivered you from? What prayers of desperation has He answered? What gracious provision have you seen from His hand? Take heart! “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Mt. 6:8). Surely He sees you now—and He knows why He is allowing you to experience these feelings of forsakenness.

Finally, rest in His salvation: O God of my salvation! Whenever you feel forsaken by God, look to Christ. On the cross Christ was forsaken so you would never have to be. If the Father sent His Son as the most precious, costly gift to secure your salvation, then He will not turn His face from you now. Though there are times when your circumstances are grim, or your emotions speak lies, the bloody cross and the empty grave are the two greatest proofs of God’s love for you. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rm 8:1). If God gave His best to save you at your worst, there’ll never be a day He goes back on His word.

God will never forsake those whom He has chosen in Christ. Though you may feel forsaken, He is indeed very near. Take the gospel by faith today; grip these truths with all your spiritual might. And when the tempest of our emotions or the shipwreck of our circumstances attempt to pry our weary hands away from Christ—Oh believer!—Christ’s hands hold you tighter still.

Dark Nights of the Soul (Psalm 6:6)

I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.
Psalm 6:6

There is such a thing as a “dark night of the soul” as described in this psalm. Likely each of us will experience at least one of these periods in our lives. The onset of a dark night may come from tragedy in your life. Perhaps you have lost one precious to you—a child, parent, or spouse. Certainly the grief towers down on you; every thought seems to circle like a vulture upon your loss, hunting you, preying you down. Memories are shadowy ghosts reminding you of a face, a laugh, a touch, a voice, you will never experience again. The question in these dark nights will often be: “why were they taken from me?”

Or perhaps your dark night is the result of the loss of position, material possession, or general purpose in life. You were let go from your job. You do not know when or if the money will come in. What is the measure of your life? Heaping our identity and worth in these things can crumple us when, due to the uncertainties of life, our buildings come crashing down. The question in these dark nights will attack our reason for living: “what is my life worth anymore?”

Perhaps for some of you, relational distress and dysfunction have caused you to flood your bed with tears. Your spouse has left you for another, or simply traded in years of marriage for a “pursuit of happiness.” Or your parents have forsaken you, leaving you bitter and confused. Or a child has rebelled and wandered away, piercing you with pangs of paternal grief. The seepage of open wounds make you flinch in pain whenever that person is mentioned. Though the fault may be on the other person, the lingering question will always be, “did I do something wrong?”

Finally, for some of us, a dark night will seem to have no source at all, coming only from a deep depression of our minds and souls. The mental anguish blasts us down on our face. The weight of despair chokes us, leaving us wheezing for breath. The sinister thoughts sneak in like unwelcome house guests. And the worst part: we do not know why we are feeling this way. The expression of our sorrow is a bed full of tears. The haunting question will echo David’s cry: “But you, O Lord—how long?” (v.3)

Why do we mention all of these fountains of sorrow? Because no one’s experience in a dark night is completely the same. Though we all will travail through them, our divots and valleys are contoured differently. But the one similarity that should comfort us all is that we have all been through them, and even greater, there is One who is able to walk with each of us particularly through our “valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23:4).

Secondly, we mention all of these because we each need a particular word of sustaining grace through them. You need to have your dark night named and addressed before you can receive the consoling touch of Jesus in your life. Jesus was no stranger to loss of life (Jn 11). He was no stranger to inner anguish and sorrow (Mt 26:38). He was not immune to betrayal and desertion. The very hands that made the world are willing to lift your head and wipe away your tears.

Lastly, sometimes you just need to hear that it is okay to grieve and weep. Jesus does not expect you to bind it all up and “get it together” before you come to Him. If all you have are tears for the moment, for the day, for the month, or for the year—then bring them. Gospel grace reassures you today that “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). The Light of the world is no stranger to your darkness. In truth, He has drawn very near.