Readings for today: Psalms 31-33, Acts 21:17-36
“For God’s Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God’s affectionate satisfaction.” (Psalm 33:4-5)
“Because the LORD’s word is right, his every act is done in good faith. He loves righteousness and justice; the LORD’s faithful love fills the whole earth.” (Psalms 33:4-5)
“For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:4-5)
One of the things I love doing is reading the same verses in different versions. It helps me grasp the depth and breadth of what God is trying to reveal to me. In today’s reading, we ran across these words speaking to the sufficiency of God’s Word. They highlight the truth of God’s Word. The trustworthiness of God’s Word. And what happens when human beings commit to following God’s Word. If we truly aligned our will with God’s will, the earth would be filled with righteousness and justice or as Eugene Peterson translated it, “Earth is drenched in God’s affectionate satisfaction.” I don’t know about you but I would love to live in such a world! I would love to live in a place flooded with God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. I would love to live a culture that reflects biblical values and the heart of the gospel. I would love to see all injustice end and all evil stopped and all sin cease. I would love to see everything “fit” according to God’s perfect plan.
Sadly, we don’t live in such a world. Even more tragically, we don’t live in such a church. The church is supposed to be the one place where God’s Word reigns supreme. It is the one community where God’s Word should hold ultimate authority. After all, we spend hours preaching God’s Word and teaching God’s Word and challenging people to follow God’s Word. But the influence of the world is powerful. Almost too hard to resist. Social media. Cable news. Talk radio. There is a cacophony of voices clamoring for our attention on a daily basis. It is chaotic. Noisy. Confusing. It’s easy to be drawn this way and that or tossed about like a ship on the waves of the sea. Across the country, churches are being torn apart by political divisions, ethnic divisions, social divisions, cultural divisions, and so much more. Add a dangerous pandemic to that mix and you have an incredibly toxic brew.
That’s why it’s so important to stay grounded in God’s Word. God’s people must remain tethered to God’s Truth. His Word is our lifeline in a world rapidly spinning out of control. His Word is our lifesaver in a sea of chaos. His Word is the bedrock which keeps us stable in the midst of all the storms.
Bonus: If you want a great example of what I’m talking about, check out these two sermons by Dr. Tony Evans. He is addressing the issue of Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a biblical perspective or what he calls Kingdom Race Theology (KRT). It’s a great illustration on how to bring biblical truth to bear on one of the most pressing cultural issues of our day.
Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 34-38, Acts 21:37-23:11