[Nate]

Isaac Watts penned these words many years ago:

"Laden with guilt and full of fears, I fly to Thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears but in Thy written Word;
The volumes of my Father's grace doth all my griefs assuage,
Here I behold my Savior's face on every page.

This is the Field where hidden lies the pearl of price unknown,
That merchant is divinely wise who makes the pearl his own;
Here consecrated water flows to quench my thirst of sin,
Here the fair Tree of Knowledge grows, no danger dwells within.

This is the Judge that ends the strife where wit and reason fail,
My Guide to everlasting life throughout this gloomy vale;
Oh, may Thy counsels, mighty God, my roving feet command,
Nor I forsake the happy road that leads to Thy right hand."

The "Field" and the "Judge" that Watts spoke of is nothing less than the written Word of our awesome God. Believing that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17), Watts wrote eloquently of the absolute sufficiency of Scripture. I am not as eloquent as Watts, nor will I ever be, but as I continue with this devotional, I desire to encourage you to seek hope, wisdom, and guidance from the Scripture before, and in preference to, any other faculty or resource that is available to you. Men of God, without the aid of their own will, wrote the Scripture as the Spirit moved them (2 Peter 1:21), and I urge you, children of God, to let that same Spirit guide you into all truth (John 16:13) as you read the Scripture, because His Word is truth (John 17:17).

This is the Word of God:

Psalm 119:1-16
How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.
They also do no unrighteousness; they walk in His ways.
You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.
Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!
Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments.
I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.
I shall keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly!

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.
I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.

This is clearly the capstone of the book of Psalms, and easily one of the longest, if not the single longest, chapters in the entire Bible. It also has the merit of being one of the most complex pieces of literature and most beautiful works of poetry in the entire Bible. The content of such a huge and complex work could very well be expected to shift from theme to theme, from topic to topic, but it doesn't, and that is noteworthy. This 176-verse-long chapter is about nothing but the Word of God. It is a meditation, a psalm of praise, a prayer of petition, and many other things rolled into one giant writing, but it remains focused on the Word of God. It is no coincidence that this magnum opus of the book of Psalms is about an even greater opus, the entirety of Scripture. There was no topic more appropriate or proper to this masterpiece of literature than the flawless Masterpiece that is the Word of God. Near the end of Psalm 119, the psalmist records this:

This is the Word of God:

Psalm 119:160
The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

The entirety, the sum, the total, the scope and breadth of the Word of God is truth, and every promise and ordinance contained therein will endure forever. We have no firmer ground on which to base the beliefs associated with our Christian faith. Just as Christ is the anchor of our souls, the written Word of God should be the anchor of our minds. Listen to what another great hymnist wrote concerning the Word of God:

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?"

The Word of God is not merely an abstract encapsulation of truth, nor is it a mere "starting place" for our faith. It is the source of all knowledge that is necessary for us as Christians to be able to walk in a manner worthy of the calling we have received and the Lord we serve (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13) and the final say when it comes to the application of that knowledge (Hebrews 4:12).

This is the Word of God:

2 Timothy 3:14-17
You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

If you desire to be the man of God that Christ has called you to be, look no further than the Word of God, my friend! It is "able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation," as well as profit you in the manner of "teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness!" Indeed, the Word of God exists in order to make you an "adequate" (not in the sense of a mediocre aptitude, but in the sense of a true competency; other versions use the word "complete") servant of God, thoroughly "equipped for every good work." If you desire to live a life that is pleasing to God, live it according to His Word! That's why He gave it to us.

Not only does the Scripture instruct us and guide us, but it shows us when we are wrong and where we have strayed. It judges us because it sits above us, because its Author is above us.

This is the Word of God:

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The image of a sword is used many times in Scripture to refer to the power of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 19:15, 21; et al). It divides, it tears assunder, it lays bare, and it literally cuts to the quick. In so doing, it brings conviction and judgement. If you want to know whether something you are doing or planning to do is the will of God or is the "right thing to do," look to the Scriptures. Do not be surprised, however, if you find that your plans are foiled by the double-edged sword that is the Word of God. That is the nature and purpose of a sword, after all.

Understanding all that has been said, how now shall we live?

This is the Word of God:

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

"Oh, may Thy counsels, mighty God, my roving feet command,
Nor I forsake the happy road that leads to Thy right hand!"

In His love,
Nate

p.s. Sola Scriptura!

[Jeffrey]

Very well-done. I wish this was the norm of devotions posted here.

[Nate]

Thanks, Jeffrey.