More and more junk gets through the spam filter into my email box these days. Some brilliant minds are programming the filters while others are designing ways to bypass them. It’s frustrating for my train of thought to be interrupted by a seemingly legitimate bill or notice only to find a string of unknown addresses imbedded in the to line. With so much artificial intelligence in place to keep our real life matrix operating at maximum efficiency, where could we be allowing ourselves to accept answers returned to us electronically as fact? In this information-saturated age, how do you know what to believe?
“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.”
Psalms 119:160 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.119.160.NLT
“Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.”
2 Timothy 1:14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.1.14.NLT
Like the childrens’ game called Telephone where a message is passed from person to person in a whisper until the last to receive the message must repeat it aloud, God’s beautiful Word has become diluted in the telling. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed, but how much of what we hear or read each day, when passed through the lens of Scripture, can be counted as Truth? (II Timothy 3:16)
“Guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”
2 Timothy 1:14 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/2ti.1.14.AMP
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn from eternity’s perspective that King David in fact composed Psalm 119. Verse eleven is the thesis statement, or the short and sweet, of what God’s Law required of Israel’s kings.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalms 119:11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.119.11.NLT
““When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives.
That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.
This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens.
It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way.
And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.”
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.17.18-20.NLT
Tradition has it that David might have composed this acrostic poem to teach the alphabet to his son, the future king, Solomon. Whether or not this is true matters little. The one hundred seventy six verses extol the law of God. Through meditation and obedience, the psalmist comes to love the law of the Lord and the Lord of the law. To love Jesus is to love His Word.
“I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much.”
Psalms 119:167 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.119.167.NLT
““If you love me, obey my commandments.
Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.
And because they love me, my Father will love them.
And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.””
John 14:15, 21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.21.NLT
“So the Word became human and made his home among us.”
John 1:14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.14.NLT
“For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
“For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours].”
Revelation 19:10 AMPC
https://bible.com/bible/8/rev.19.10.AMPC
In His final prayer for His followers during His life on earth, Jesus prayed, ““Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” (John 17:17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.17.NLT) and He concluded with one of my favorite petitions. ““O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”” (John 17:25-26 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.25-26.NLT)
So let us take seriously the great commission and “guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”
2 Timothy 1:14 AMP
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