Take Him at His Word

Standing on this promise. Do you want it too?

Joshua 1:5-9 

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.


“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Reason vs Truth

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea what the Lord had on His agenda for me to do. An idea came to me, so I went up to Kayla's room and asked her what she was doing today. I thought maybe we could go to lunch after church since the boys were planning on going snowmobiling.

Kayla started a full-time job sometime before Christmas. Between that and her full-time boyfriend, we don't have much one-on-one anymore. She informed me that they were planning on setting up for said boyfriend's grandpa's 80th birthday party. So I thought, " I can have a quiet afternoon @ home w/ the Lord..."

God had other plans. I have had the privilege of mentoring three young women @ different times in the past. One of them (who I see rarely since her marriage, full-time job and online college courses) was at church without her husband today. It turns out she needed some counsel, and we ended up having lunch, coming back to my house and doing some research on the computer.

Her struggle was with strange doctrine brought out at a Bible study. We did some online research, and learned that the founder of this "theology" has many false doctrines and is thought to be a cult. It seemed like it to me after listening to some of the beliefs that were discussed in their study. We measured these things against Scripture and the Holy Spirit gave us passage after passage that confirmed that the ideas were just that: man-made ideas.

How careful we must be to measure everything by scripture and take into account the "whole counsel of God".

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jer 17:9

We can easily agree with things that make sense to our logic even though there is no truth in it. Consider Eve: she saw (meaning understood, believed or reasoned) that the fruit was pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. (Gen 3:6) She was easily deceived by her own reasoning being advanced over obedience to God's command. The result was separation from Life. It is very dangerous to lean on our own understanding. We need to bring everything to the light of scripture to see if it holds true. Otherwise throw it out.

Heavenly Father, How valuable is your Word to us! Please keep us in your truth, and as deception mounts all around us with people believing lies, help us to shine like lights in the universe by holding out your word of truth. To be the salt of the earth, unashamed. Give us discernment and may we be steeped in your Word. The lamp to our feet and light to our path. In the precious name of our Savior Jesus. Amen.

Matthew Henry says that those who advance reason above faith, are in danger of leaving faith. (comment on 1 Tim 6: 20, 21)