July 31 I Tuesday

Psalms 54-56

Romans 3

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” —Psalm 34:8

The religious climate of our world was very different half a century ago. The majority of people lived under the assumption that God existed. However, our world today has become detached from the objective world of history and facts. We live in an era of “post-modernism,” which is subjective in its orientation with a myriad of religious choices.

We can open our Bibles and read countless verses, but without knowing the Bible as one continuous story, people will fail to understand it in its fullness. We could tell people of the evidence that Jesus Christ is divine. He is God and many would believe it, but brush it off. We could tell people of the evidence that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and they may think that is wonderful but what has that got to do with me? This is the real question—the relevancy of God in our lives.

Psalm 19:12-14 speaks about God in experience, particularly in the area of conscience, which says, “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins…”  The Psalmist then speaks about God’s empowering to live lives that are pleasing to Him. The final knowledge of God does not come from observing the universe or reading the revelation God has given in Scripture, but by experiencing God personally in a living, growing relationship with Him. This is what enables us to truly know God.

Psalm 19 is progressive in that it begins with the creation of the world, moving to the revelation of God’s Word, and then to how we may actually know and experience God. Verse seven says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.” This ministers to our spiritual condition. “The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple,” ministers to us intellectually. “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart,” ministers to our emotional needs. “The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes,” ministers to us psychologically and we begin to see things from God’s perspective. “The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous,” ministers to our moral condition.

We can know God through creation, but that will not save us. We can know God intellectually through Scripture, but that will not save us. It is only Christ who can save as our consciences respond to Him with the awareness of our separation from God and our need of forgiveness, so that we may be brought into relationship with Him. As He nourishes us intellectually, emotionally, psychologically and morally, we come to know Him in a way that is personal, real and relevant.

Prayer: God in Heaven, I am grateful that You have not left me in the dark as to who You are. Thank You for revealing Yourself and ministering to all my needs.