"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU HIS WORD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU HIS WORD"
(Taken from reading the One Year Bible on Sept 5th, 2014)

Proverbs 22:20 Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

Proverbs 22:21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?

As we know, the Book of Proverbs is God's Book for us, to give us His wisdom for daily living. In it the Lord addresses the various circumstances that we might face, and gives us His wisdom on how to respond to them. Or He may be pulling back the curtain that keeps us from seeing what lies behind it, that is, warning us of dangers that are near, and how to avoid them. Sometimes a verse or two is a summary type verse, and that's what these two verses are like. They summarize what God has done for us, and why He has done it for us, and how it might help us and others in the days ahead in our lives.

1. God has actually given us His Word in written form.

Proverbs 22:20 Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

These words were of course written by Solomon, as he summarized what he had done for his child and children. He had written and recorded well over a 1000 proverbs and insured that his children had them.
We can also apply this as our Father in heaven making sure we have His wisdom in written form.
The Bible is God's Book.
He has made sure that we have one. It's the all time best seller down through the ages.

2. God's purpose in giving us His Word is to tell us of "excellent things, of counsels of knowledge”.

Proverbs 22:20 Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

Here we have a description of what is in the Bible as a whole:
"Excellent things of counsels and knowledge”.
That's 3 things in particular given to us in His Word.

God has given us His sayings.
God has given us His advice.
God has given us His knowledge.

3. God wants us to know the certainty of the words of truth.

Proverbs 22:21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?

We know what God has given us based on the earlier verse, but here we have some of God's purposes in giving us His Word.
He wants us to know the certainty of the words of truth.
Or to put it another way, "He simply wants us to know the truth”.

How kind and loving of God that in a world filled with lies He has given us His Word and wants us to know the truth. The truth, of course, is Jesus Christ.

And the truth will not only set us free from all that binds us, but it will give us life, conform our new lives into the image of Christ, and is the method by which God sets our lives apart to Him.

He makes us holy through His Word. He satisfies our hungry soul, giving us light to know where we are standing, and where we are walking, etc. He also shows us the riches we have in Christ and the wonderful hope we have for the future in glory with Him.

4. God also wants to equip us so that we may give out His truth to those who are asking questions about life and God.

Proverbs 22:21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?

Lastly here's one more reason God has given us His Word, so that when someone asks us a question about God and about life, we are equipped to answer them with the truth. Not our opinions, or our ideas, or the ideas of other people, but God's truth.

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Some Questions:

1. Can we take a moment to say thank You to God for what He has given us by way of the Written Word the Bible?

2. Who else has given us what we find in the pages of Scripture?

3. Isn't it wonderful and glorious that our Father in heaven wants us here on earth to know "excellent things of counsels and knowledge”?

4. Do you know that by having a real and regular devotional life, that is being a man or women that reads and studies the Bible that you will become equipped to help those who are seeking answers about life?

5. Do you know that God has given you a pastor teacher to help you learn the truths of Scripture and to show you by example and by precept how to apply God's Word in your life?

6. If you need help in being more committed to daily reading and regular attendance at worship services, will you pause now and confess Your need to God and ask Him to change your heart and fill you with a unending desire for Him and for His precious Word.

A Prayer:

Lord, we are constantly finding something to be grateful to You for. And here today, it's Your Word. Thank You for providing for us a Bible.
The Bible is Your Word. And You have not only given it to us, but You have given it to us very purposefully. You want to equip us for the work of the ministry through it. Lord, for many of us, it may be that we neglect Your precious gift, and are not attentive to Your Words, much less putting them into application as we ought. For these things we repent and confess these things to You, and ask Your forgiveness. May we become men and women of the Word, equipped as Your ambassadors to minister the truth to those in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia