“Every Word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His Words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5,6
Devotional Thought For The Day
Last week we considered verse five, the truthfulness of “every Word of God,” and how He is our shield and refuge as we put our faith, trust, and confidence in Him. In no matter is this more important to us than in the free gift of redemption, salvation, and eternal life that He has provided for us in His Son, our dear Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. His Word is quite clear that we are saved totally by His grace, through faith, and that even this critical renewal of our hearts that brings us to faith is given to us and worked within us by God Himself through His Word [Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 6:29; Eph. 2:8,9] God, through His Word, informs us of His gracious and merciful love for us, and assures us that everything we need for salvation and eternal life has already been provided for us in Christ Jesus. He encourages us to continue in such faith and confidence, to rely upon the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all our sin, and to know that He is reconciled to us in Christ and that we are “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” but “holy and without blemish” in the sight of God. [1 Jn. 1:7; 2 Cor. 5:19; Eph. 5:27] This, in spite of our continuing weakness and our ongoing lapses into sin [1 Jn. 1:8,10; James 2:10] – but because of His cleansing and “washing of water with the Word,” His gift of baptism. [Eph. 5:26,27]
Additionally, God’s Word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” [Ps. 119:105] Through His Word, by “abiding” in His Word, we are blessed to know the truth, the truth that makes us free. [John 8:31,32] So we are freed to know right from wrong, good from evil, truth from falsehood and deception, and this gives us infallible and inerrant direction for how to live our lives, and for what we are to encourage and teach others to believe and do. His Word comes to us in Holy Scripture, the Bible, which is His own very Word, “breathed” out by Him. [2 Tim. 3:16]. His Word, the Bible, is able to make us “wise to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” and to “equip us for every good work.” [2 Tim. 3:15-17] There is no additional “word” or instruction or writing that we need for any spiritual matter; His scriptural Word is sufficient for everything that pertains to true spiritual life and godliness. Along with salvation and eternal life He has given us a sure foundation on which to build our lives, both our inner life of understanding and wisdom and also our behavior. [Luke 6:47,48; Eph. 2:19-22] Thus the importance, the essential nature, of reading the Bible, studying the Bible, hearing the preaching of His Word, and participating in Bible study classes. Everything that we are to receive by “teaching” and “instruction” must be based clearly and soundly in God’s Word, the Bible.
Further, “every Word of God proves true.” We need never fear being led astray by His Word. The logical consequence of all of this – as well as spiritual wisdom – is that we not “add to His Words.” Whereas trusting in and abiding in His Word enables us to know the truth, to know His gift of new life and salvation through faith in Jesus and to have infallible instruction for our faith, understanding, and behavior, adding to His Words will bring His rebuke and the one who does so will demonstrate that he is a liar. The warning is stern and absolute – God knows the wretched and evil ways of the devil who constantly seeks to pervert God’s Word and to destroy the blessings God seeks to bestow upon us through His Word. God also knows that this same perverse desire and compulsion resides in our sinful flesh. So the devil parades as “an angel of light” [2 Cor. 11:14], and evil men pose as “servants of righteousness” [2 Cor. 11:15], but all such men are “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” [2 Cor. 11:13]. Whether the “additions” to God’s Words come from our own experiential or intuitive “wisdom,” or whether they come from some “antichristian spirit” and false prophet [1 John 4:1-6], they will all be exposed as false, evil, and liars – and all of this is an “abomination” to the Lord, utterly evil and detestable to Him [Deut. 18:10-12]. Beware, and tremble with fear to ever fall prey to this or participate in it in any way!
Wisdom and truth shield and protect us. So God has given these blessings to us through His Word, the Holy Scripture, the Bible. They protect us from lies, evil, distortions, foolishness, futility, ignorance of God, and ultimately damnation. God’s Word does this – not only bringing us to faith and life, but also preserving us from all that destroys these blessings, including that which the devil and evil men would “add” to His Words. This comes to us from God, Who is love, and is part of His perfect love for us. As He embraces us with His great love and shields us through His Word, may we also embrace His Word, His goodness, and His love in faith!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, thanks and praise be to You for the protection You have provided for us through Your Word. Help us to take seriously and to heed the warnings You have given to us in regard to “adding” to Your Word, and also in regard to “taking away” from Your Word. Protect us that Your Word and Your Spirit never be taken away from us, for then we would be bereft also of all Your precious blessings. Give us wisdom to keep You as our shield and refuge, and to utilize the Words You have given us to keep us safe and in the narrow way. Amen.