Tag Archives: God’s word

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . .”  (Psalm 1:1a, KJV)

There is a lot of bad advice out there.  Some of it is “conventional wisdom.”  Some of it is based on superstition.  Some of it is based on half-truths.  All of it is beneath the disciple of Jesus.

The children of God have a higher, truer, more enduring counsel: The word of God.

Obtaining the counsel (advice) that blesses us, and those around us, is not hard to obtain; but it challenges our resolve to spend time in the presence of God’s Holy Word.

Like an attentive father to his child, the Lord God will guide our steps toward everlasting life, peace, and joy; the things that ungodly counsel promises, but never delivers.  – Luther

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“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”  (James 1:21, NIV)

We each have a finite capacity for things.  If we fill our lives with good things (and by “thing,” I mean intangibles, rather than tangibles), it will displace the bad, evil, and destructive attitudes, thoughts, and motives that take root within us.

Embrace God’s word as you would a life ring in deep water far from land: It can save you.  Cultivate the word of God, planted within you, through humble acceptance (obedience):  It can save you.

Humble acceptance (obedience) of God’s word leads to salvation, security, and peace.  – Luther

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

The reading, study, memorization, and recitation of scripture gives the disciple of Jesus the equipment to do good works.

If we blunder into situations with good intentions, but bad information and no tools, is it because we have not enrolled in the academy of the Holy Spirit to be schooled in both the word of God, and in the wisdom of God?

A report published in 2009 by the University of California, San Diego* says that nearly half of the average American’s day is devoted to consuming information, whether through television, telephone, radio, texting, on line searches, etc. . .

Assuming that we spend 12 hours of each day receiving information, how many hours of the 12 are spent being equipped for good works? Minute for minute, scripture is the best information available because, while it may not teach us how to make a living, it will certainly teach us how to make a life.  – Luther

* http://hmi.ucsd.edu/howmuchinfo.php
REMINDER: Daily Encouragement is on break tomorrow. See you again on Monday, Lord willing. Have a great day in Sunday services!

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