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The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. Psalm 12:6 (NASB)
I heard it again just this last week. Every once in awhile I hear it. Someone speaking authoritatively about the Word of God. The saying goes something like this, “The Bible is irrelevant. Nothing but a bunch of made up stories written over a period of time. Meaningless for today.”
Every time I hear some rendition of that claim I think back to guy I knew years ago I’ll call Harvey.Harveywas the plant know-it-all at the factory I worked at. If you needed an opinion on something you could go toHarveyand he’d tell you EXACTLY how things are, were and should be.
There were two basic problems withHarvey’s words. First of all his opinions were rarely based on fact and quite often his statements were proven wrong by conflicting evidence before they left his mouth!
Secondly, when the facts were presented toHarvey, he would simply deny their validity and go on his merry way. Content in his own ignorance.
One day I joined our group a little late.Harveywas already in full fire on the topic of the day, the topic of his choosing. “The Bible is just a book. Too full of contradictions for me. That’s why I don’t go to church and why I don’t read it.”
Normally I kept my mouth shut. I enjoyed watching and listening toHarvey. This day was different. Not wanting to get into an argument, I simply askedHarveya question, “So, have you ever read the Bible?”
Harveystopped, stuttered and said, “Well, no. I just heard that it has contradictions.” With that, a very red facedHarveywent on to a new topic of discussion!
There are lots ofHarvey’s in the world. People who don’t pay attention to facts and are so set on their own opinions they miss the truth completely. They are content in their own ignorance. When they can’t prove it wrong they simply choose what parts to believe!
There has never been a book so maligned, so studied and so scrutinized. Yet science continues to prove that the Bible is completely true in all it says. No one else can make that claim. No other book has that kind of security.
The word of the Lord passes the three tests of time in flying colors. It’ is a word of purity. Some may say that it’s old fashioned in its approach to life in the area of relationships, sex, and ethics, but how do you argue a philosophy built on unconditional love, forgiveness, grace and eternal life.
The Bible has passed the tests of science. Time and again the dates and times of the Bible have been proven to be true, as have the principles for daily life. Outdated? When did ‘doing unto others as you’d have them do to you’ become outdated?
Lastly, the word of God passes the test of permanency. People have been trying to disprove the word of God for thousands of years. Yet it remains the standard for healthy living physically, emotionally and spiritually.
The words of people can’t be trusted. They may speak in ignorance; they may speak to cover their own mistakes or build their own egos; they may speak to deceive you. God’s words are always meant to build you up, even if they are words that seem harsh. You can trust God. He’s never been proven wrong yet!
PRAYER: Lord, there are so many voices out there trying to sway me to this belief or that belief. Thank you that I can trust your word. Help me to fashion my thoughts, actions and attitudes by the words you have given me. Amen.