It Is Written

Despite the seniority of the spoken word (God, after all, used it to create the world), and its universality (as opposed to the limited reach of literacy), the written word has greater authority on its side. Once you put something in writing, especially above your signature, it's no longer easy to pretend you never said it. Which is why, long before e-mail, people were advised not to send an emotionally charged letter without first cooling down enough to reread it objectively. And why movie producer Samuel Goldwyn is said to have quipped, "A verbal contract is not worth the paper it's written on."

In the Bible (NIV 2011), the phrase "it is written" occurs 72 times, 63 in the New Testament and most often to explain how the work of Christ fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. The best-known use of the phrase, however, is when Jesus uses it to refute Satan's temptations: "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Mt. 4:4, 7, 10.) Christ's followers are well-advised to follow His example when tempted; the devil is a match for any human argument, but recoils from the Word of God.

It's worth noting, though, that not every Biblical reference to "writing" means literal writing with pen and ink. In Jer. 31:33, God declares that when His people's sin in ignoring the original Law is fully punished, when it comes time for the New Covenant under which His people will truly know Him, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts." Hebrews 8:10 later quotes the verse, noting shortly after (v. 13) that the materially written covenant was made "obsolete" by the death of Christ. Not that the written Scriptures are any less valuable, just that by themselves they no more benefit the reader spiritually than reading a carpentry manual will drive one nail into a house's framework. And in truth, many "Bible-believing Christians" have the Bible in their heads but not in their hearts, using it as a club to batter "godlessness" without feeling a drop of God's compassion for those trapped in sin. Some even look down on fellow believers who, for whatever reason, read and memorize Scripture less often.

Thank God that we don't have to know the whole Bible by heart before He accepts us. He can write His real law on any heart regardless of literacy, intelligence, or memory skills.

It is written in the heavens,
In each star that decks the night;
It is written in the flowers,
Hued in endless colors bright;
It is written through Creation,
In each wonder we behold:
"God Almighty is eternal,
And His works are manifold."

It is written in the Scriptures,
Penned by saints who knew God's voice;
It is written by the Prophets,
Those who see Him and rejoice;
It is written in the Gospels,
Words from those who saw God's power:
"God Almighty is our Father,
And He keeps us every hour."

It is written on the spirits
Of the ones who know the Lord;
It is written in the actions
Of the ones who hear His Word;
It is written in our worship--
Let us now our voices raise--
"God Eternal rules among us:
All Creation, sing His praise!"

Like the poetry on this blog? Inquire at katherine@spreadthewordcommercialwriting.com about purchasing the book ($10/copy) Where Light Dawns: Christian Poems of Hope for Hurting Hearts.

Open the Book

The adage "familiarity breeds contempt" is perfectly illustrated through the privileges we take for granted. One generation suffers decades of struggle and abuse to win its people the right to vote; its great-grandchildren can't be bothered to go to the polls on election day. A young man from a poor rural country puts years of determination and sweat into getting a decent education; his wealthy North American counterpart lets Dad foot the bill for the best schools and then grumbles about being expected to study.

And in the United States, where freedom of religion is standard and Bibles are sold in every town, fewer than half of Christians read Scripture with any regularity, and over ninety percent admit there are passages they never have read at all.

It makes no sense to have a medical prescription filled and then leave the bottle on the shelf unopened. The wisdom in the Scriptures is God's prescription for defeating worry, healing emotional pain, and finding meaning. A daily dose will vastly improve the life of anyone who approaches it prayerfully and humbly.

May all of us learn to say with the Psalmist, "I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.... Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.... The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold"  (Ps. 119:16, 18, 72).

God’s Word holds the greatest of treasures

For those who take time just to look;

It breathes reassurance and wisdom—

But first we must open the Book!

The Bible holds purest refreshment

To fill up each soul’s inner cup,

A fountain of nourishing knowledge—

But first we must open it up!

If you leave the Scriptures unopened,

Its riches no more can abound

Than if you could read not a letter,

Or never a Bible had found.

So many of us, though called Christians,

Are keeping one foot in the night,

Too lazy to look into Scripture—

Our Bibles and hearts closed up tight!

You Have Heard It Said

In Mt. 5:21-48 (NIV), Jesus said six times, "You have heard that it was said [or, 'It has been said']... But I tell you..."

J. B. Phillips wrote a "Most People Think" list presenting the world's version of the Beatitudes: "Happy are the pushers: for they get on in the world... Happy are they who complain: for they get their own way in the end... Happy are the trouble-makers: for people have to take notice of them." (See Phillips's book Your God Is Too Small, p. 92 in the 2004 Touchstone Edition, for the full list.)

So often do our natural, pride-infested human instincts run dead opposite to God's way. In our own society, there's an epidemic of the idea that thinking primarily of oneself is a virtue. While most people do know better than to advocate actually ignoring and abusing others, anyone who states outright that "the convenience/needs/lives of others is/are far more important than mine" (cf. Phil. 2:3) is likely to be pounced upon and chided: "Sounds like you have an inferiority complex." "You'll never get anywhere until you convince yourself you deserve the best." "Don't you know you can't really help others unless you first take care of your own needs?" Admittedly, many have burnt themselves out because they were such people-pleasers or so "driven" that they never said no to anybody. This is really just one more manifestation of "the world says selfishness is good for you": we think that we have to make everyone happy, or our lives will be ruined for lack of popularity and success; and meanwhile God is trying to tell us that our souls are overdue for rest and prayer.

Small wonder we listen more to the world's voice than to God's, since the receivers of our sin-infested souls are better tuned to the world's frequency. No amount of experience seems to teach us that the world's "how to be happy" program just doesn't work.

The only remedy is to "adjust the dial" by studying and following God's guidelines in the Bible.

You have heard it said, "Have faith in yourself,
And believe you deserve the best;
Make sure you get all the praise you're due,
And that medals adorn your chest."
But Christ says to us, "Think not of yourself,
But, in love for the human race,
Live your life to serve, in humility,
And to others reach out in grace."

You have heard it said, "Stand up for yourself,
Or you'll find that nobody will;
Make sure that no one walks over you;
Take no insult just standing still."
But Christ says to us, "Think not of yourself,
But of everyone else's good:
Never take revenge; never grouse or gripe,
But show love as your Father would."

You have heard it said, "You must plan your life,
And set goals for yourself each year;
Always know what you'll achieve each day,
And let nobody interfere."
But Christ says to us, "Only God can know
What the week or year may bring;
Do not clutch your plans as if they were life;
Trust the will of your Heavenly King."

You have heard it said, "You just can't trust God:
He will take away all your fun.
If you live your life for 'Heaven's rewards,'
Here on earth you'll be left with none."
But Christ says to us, "When God lives in you,
All your joy will be complete."--
Yes, the world's own "joy" is a hollow thing,
But God's Heavenly gift is so sweet.

Direction

How often do you pray for guidance? When in a tight spot? When facing a big decision? During your quiet time every morning? The best advice I've come across is in Joanna Weaver's Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: "As you go through your day, keep asking the Lord, 'What is the one thing I need to do next?'" (p. 58)--the principle being rooted in Jesus' words to Martha: "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41-42, NIV). Besides emphasizing the need to keep listening to God, the passage implies that He has one best thing--contemplative or active--for any given Christian to be doing in any given moment.

Now my first reaction to that idea was, "But what if He tells me to go back on a commitment I've already made [even if only to myself]?" And immediately following on that was the thought, "But He never speaks to me so unmistakably that I can definitely distinguish His voice from my own constantly chattering mind. What if I respond to the wrong leading? Or what if I wind up waiting hours or days for definite guidance, and never get around to doing anything?"

Unfortunately, none of us with our fallen natures are so in tune with God's will that we can be absolutely certain of never making a mistake. But even when we have difficulty with the specifics, we can be grateful that God has given us His universal principles. One thing that is never God's will is that those of us with free access to the Scriptures neglect to study them thoroughly. Many believers get into trouble because, too lazy to make a conscientious search for what God has already said definitely, they rely on secondhand interpretations of the Bible, or on unwarranted universal application of God's actions in certain situations, or on such ideas as "God wants us to be happy [so He won't mind if we seek out happiness in our own selfish ways]" or "the spiritually mature never sin."

No, the mark of the spiritually mature is living with a constant, conscious ear to God's leading. But the only way to reach maturity is through the stages of infancy and childhood--and that means nourishing ourselves well on the "milk" of the Scriptures before we expect to feed regularly on the "solid food" of direct guidance. (See 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Hebrews 5:11-14.)

Or to use another metaphor: when lost in the wilderness at night, the smart navigator doesn't rely entirely on a compass to get back on track, for compasses are things of earth and are subject both to erroneous settings and to being led astray by earthly forces. But the navigator who knows the stars will not be fooled by an erratic compass needle; he will look to the heavens for consistent, reliable guidance.

So it is with the Christian who learns the Word of God.

We each have a misaligned compass
Anchored firm in the heart within:
Like a needle deflected by iron,
Are our thoughts drawn aside to sin.

God's law is the North we are set for
And the goal our deep selves can see,
But desire swings to chase many magnets
And no one is completely free.

As the earth's magnet field ever wanders
And will end at the wrong North Pole,
To rely solely on your own compass
Means you end at your own false goal.

There is only one way to hold steady
And walk straight though your path lead far:
Fix your eyes on the Lord in the heavens
And keep following His North Star!