“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

In a recent theological discussion with a friend, names like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Calvin and Luther came up, and led to discussing their different views.

Later, thinking about this,  Psalm 19 came to mind. As the verse above says, God’s Word is PERFECTand it is TRUSTWORTHY. That is where we should go to find answers, rather than focusing on the ideas and writings of faulty men.

Look again at what the Word of God does.

         “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

         The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

           The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.  

           The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.”

RIGHT. RADIANT. PURE, FIRM.

That’s where we find truth.

That’s how we measure the ideas and writings of men.

Psalm 19 goes on to tell us how valuable God’s words are.

         “They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; 

         they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

         By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

In contrast, we are faulty:

         “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

         Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.

         Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”

So what should be our response?

         Seeking  to align with the Word of God, not the thoughts of men:

         “May these words of my mouth 

         and this meditation of my heart 

         be pleasing in your sight,

         LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Picture: The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

I love this verse,
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.

This is a marvelous and monumental statement of the inscrutability of our God. He has revealed a great deal about Himself in His Word and works–and yet there is much not yet revealed.

Here is a child being given the titles that belong to God the Father, to the Holy Spirit, and to the Son of God. How can that be? It is beyond human conception: one God, three Persons. Each one Wonderful, Mighty, Everlasting, Ruler of Peace.

This mystery shows us what an amazing God we have. The fact that He is beyond understanding is a proof that He is the true God: Magnificent, Marvelous, Majestic, full of grace and truth! Too great to understand, but revealed enough to trust!
Truly Jesus is our great timeless Christmas present.

“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” Psalm 119:143

I praise you this morning, Heavenly Father, for you are the Sovereign One, controlling all that goes on, all that comes to me.

You hold back the tide of evil, allowing Satan only so much rope, and you use the fury of his attacks to advance your Kingdom.

The words of Psalm 119:141 come to mind, “Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.”

The negative reactions and hurtful words of people and their rejection of us can easily block Truth from our thoughts.

But our response must be to go immediately to your Word, Lord, to find our comfort, perspective, help and direction in you.

People may not understand us, but you do. We may not understand what’s happening and why, but you do and will help us through it.

So I choose to always make your commands my delight, Lord, not being comfortable.

“Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws.” Psalm 119:149. And you will!

Picture (from the internet): Paul’s time in prison in Philippi where God protected and delivered him in  the midst of real difficulties!

More on the magnificence of God’s multifaceted character.

Another example of God’s breadth of character and ability is His sovereignty.  And certainly God is sovereign. Some think this means that He controls everything, right down to the smallest details, like what you have for supper. Others think that they can do anything they want. However, it is obvious from Scripture that God does have control, and in His sovereignty He gives us the ability to choose, or as one writer said, He gives us “the power of causality.”

One thing that points to this ability to make actual choices God has given us, is that the Bible is full of commands; if God made every decision for us, there would be no need for commands.  And it is obvious that we can  choose good or evil, as King Saul did, as well as David, and Peter. God would not, could not make us choose evil for He, as the Holy God, cannot be the author of sin.

Also, with God’s permission and encouragement, we can make things happen that otherwise would not come to pass. In James 4 it says, “You have not because you ask not.” And many times in Scripture we are told to pray and as we pray, God gives us the opportunity to cause things to happen.

So, God is both sovereign, and in His sovereignty gives us the ability to choose for or against Him.And, also to join Him in prayer to bring change. It’s not just sovereignty or just the privilege of choosing,  but it is “both/and.”

Our marvelous God is so far beyond human understanding, so different from us. He is wonderful in His beautiful character revealed in His Word. Therefore we can  trust Him to carry us through the ebb and flow of this evil world and bring us safely into Heaven.

Picture: we can choose to obey Jesus or doubt and sink!

God’s character is so deep and wide that He encompasses concepts that are far beyond human comprehension–and yet are true.

The most obvious example is His triune nature: One God, Three Persons.  No one has ever thought up such a thing, for it is beyond human grasp. Each Person is distinct, each with separate functions, and each being fully God. Take salvation as an example: God the Father plans, God the Son carries them out, God the Holy Spirit finishes up.

A second demonstration of God’s encompassing multiple concepts is in Ephesians 2:20, which says God’s household is “built… with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

The cornerstone was used as the guideline for constructing a building, giving exact measurements in making it square and plumb; it was the measure of the building, as Christ is for the church.

In Col. 1:17 it says that “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”  In this He is like the keystone which is the central one in an arch or wall that holds all the others in place and Christ is the One who holds the structure of the church firmly and securely in place.

And then, in Col. 1:18 it says, Christ “is the head of the body, the church.” In this He plays the role of a capstone,  which is the final culmination of a building, the stone that protects the wall.

All three of these concepts show the richness of Christ’s character, being able to play all roles simultaneously: he is the measure, the cornerstone; he is what holds all together, the keystone; he is the culmination of the church, the capstone.

Such a complex, expansive, multifaceted God is so far beyond us, so great. And yet He has stooped down and made Himself known to us, He chose us to be His children and works everyday for good in our lives.  In Him we can trust!