May 17 – The Perfect Word (Colossians 3:16)

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”(Proverbs 30:5)

IN WORD:
In a world of shifting loyalties, devious cons, and ever-evolving ideas, we need to know where to anchor our souls. We aren’t diligent enough to analyze every counterfeit that comes our way, nor are we perceptive enough to expose every false philosophy. Human rationalism is not equipped to establish eternal truth. That’s why we need help. Only God can point us in the right direction.
It’s a comfort when we are searching for absolutes to actually find them. According to this proverb, such absolute truth will shield us. What from? Every subtle deceit, every malicious word, every doctrinal error, and every false messiah. Much to our dismay, the world is full of empty promises. If we are left to ourselves to figure them all out, we will spend our lives tossed around on tumultuous waves of competing “truths.” By the time we obtain understanding by our own efforts, it’s too late to settle on the foundation of God’s wisdom. In short, we need to be anchored in revelation.

IN DEED:
How do we do that? A daily. Time in God’s Word is a good first step. It works truth into our minds on a regular basis. But is that really enough? Is a daily quiet time, often on the run, enough to protect us against error?
Here’s a good pattern to follow: First, ask God every day to convince your heart of His truth and to give you discernment of lies. Second, find at least one verse a week to memorize. Chew on it, let it sink in, look at it from every angle, and come up with specific ways to apply it. Third, don’t just study God’s Word. Fall in love with it. Consume it as voraciously as your favorite meal. God has a way of working into our hearts the things that we love. If we love the flawless Word, the flawless Word will dwell within us.
The New Testament affirms the proverb. We are to let the Word of Christ richly dwell within us (Colossians 3:16). Perhaps that would be a good memory’s verse to start with. Let it richly dwell in you this week. In a world of lies, isn’t it good to know you can embrace something flawless?

“We must both affirm the inerrancy of Scripture and then live under it.” -Francis Schaeffer-