FEB 29

Psalm 119:89-96
Memorise John 1:1-3
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The focus of Psalm 119, the longest in the book of Psalms, is the law of God. It is believed to be penned by David towards the end of his life. David’s relationship with God had seen him through a great deal, from his humble beginnings as a shepherd, glorious military victories, great persecution, the depths of sin to painful betrayals. Through all this, the author describes God’s word as unchangeable, eternal. He had experienced how the Word of God was real in his life, and the promises therein were always trustworthy, and never failed. Thus he declared “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven”. His faith allowed him to have the simple conviction that God’s Word will always be firm, fixed and unchanging. It is settled – a done deal! It will forever be settled, for God the perfect author is the one who is infallibly guarding and protecting it, from His throne on high, in heaven.

In contrast, the most scholarly and intelligent of men is a man at best, a creature of the creator. His mind is changeable, will fade over time, and come to its inevitable end. Man is finite. God is infinite. God has declared that His Word is settled, and therefore by faith we believe. The scholars may write voluminous, complicated and highly technical dissertations in a bid to try to find fault with the Bible. They may sound very convincing and academic. However the one thing that they lack is faith in God at His Word. They have ignored the promises of the faithfulness of God (Psalm 119:90), and instead have regarded the fallibility of man. Sadly, they have committed so much time and effort in a vain and wicked attempt to cast doubt upon the Word of God!

In publishing, even with great authors, good editors and time, there is no perfect book. Over time, revisions are made, and even what was once ‘truth’ becomes debatable or no longer holds. This verse, and all of the Bible were written by holy men whose words were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Can we say the same about the words of men, however rational and gifted, whose motive is to find fault with Holy Scripture? They seek to qualify and limit God and His Word, elevating theirs. Upon whose word will you trust and obey?

Thought: What is the motive of such ‘scholarly’ criticism? What good spiritual fruit is produced?
Prayer: LORD, may Your Word be paramount in my life, and no other, including my own.