BY JORDAN MAYER

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
(Psalm 119:18)

This past Sunday, several members of our church community got up to speak the words of Jesus in Scripture. It was truly a profound experience. As I listened, I had two thoughts come into my mind.

First, I was reminded of Scripture’s power, especially the power of it spoken aloud.

I think of Jesus during His temptation in the desert. As Satan attacks Him with his lies, Jesus responds with God’s Word. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 3:4). “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 3:7). “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew 3:10).

In Ephesians 6, Paul outlines the various elements of a Christian’s armor. We are clad in the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. But notice, only one offensive weapon is given. It is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). 

The Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It trains us in righteousness and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). It does not return void, but accomplishes its purpose (Isaiah 55:11).

This was the same Word spoken on Sunday. Think about that. The very words of God Almighty were heard aloud in that room. And they are there before us each time we open our Bible.

As I sat there, still and quiet, hearing God’s Word spoken, I also felt convicted. How often do I just bask in the light of God’s truth? How often do I simply sit under the weight of Scripture?

I find I am sometimes too quick to pick up a devotional or page through a commentary. Do not misunderstand me, devotionals, commentaries, and various Christian books are all wonderful resources. We are truly blessed by the abundance of Christ-exalting, biblically based literature available to us. But I have found, in my own life, a hidden danger of making these supplementary resources the default and primary focus of my quiet time.

If I am being completely honest with myself, the root is often one of laziness. As I hit a roadblock with a particular passage, how tempting it is to just reach for the commentary to ease my frustrations or to abandon the effort altogether with a straightforward, perfectly packaged daily devotional.

Simply put, Scripture can be downright hard to read. But Paul actually goes a step further. In our own strength and apart from the Holy Spirit, Scripture is actually impossible to read, in the sense of being able to truly understand and apply it. Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians:

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

No one can know the thoughts of God other than the Spirit of God. And it is the Spirit of God that has been given to us when we believe upon Christ as our Lord and Savior.

We can carve out the time in our schedule, find a quiet place to read, and open the pages of our Bible, but what happens next does not rest in our own abilities. It is solely a work of the Spirit to know the thoughts of God. Praise God for the Spirit’s help!

As John Piper puts it, “One of the greatest privileges of having two good eyes is that we can read God’s word. But there is another set of eyes that have to be opened if the glory of God’s word is to shine in our hearts — namely, the eyes of our hearts” (John Piper, The Shepherd, the Host, and the Highway Patrol).

So, we have set aside a time to read. We have found a solitary place. We grip the sword of the Spirit tightly in our hands. Here lies a critical moment, a crossroads of sorts. In many ways, reading God’s Word is an act of faith. Will we pursue God’s Word in our own strength, by the power of our own reasoning and mental faculties? Or, will we submit our minds and surrender our will to the power of the Spirit?

Often, my defeats in my quiet time are linked to my failure to properly prepare, namely to pray for the Spirit’s guidance in helping me understand God’s truth. So now I pray.

Lord, open my eyes to behold wondrous things from your law (Psalm 119:18). Teach me wisdom in the secret heart (Psalm 51:6). Do not let me go from this place without being changed and transformed by your truth, renewed in my mind and thinking. Not my will, but your will be done in this time. Lord, I trust you, by your Spirit inside me, to reveal what it is you want me to see in your Word. For it is you who gives wisdom, and it is from your mouth that  true knowledge and understanding come (Proverbs 2:6).

BY JORDAN MAYER

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
(2 Peter 1:16)

When I travel for work, I like to find new places to eat. Scratch that. I like to find good new places to eat. This can be a challenge as there is never a shortage of mediocre restaurants. But I have found that one of the best strategies for finding good food is to ask a local. Usually, the places they offer up are small, hole-in-the-wall joints. Most do not look like much from the outside. There is no flashy website or giant billboard advertisement. But inside, you find friendly staff and an authentic menu that tastes like a good, home-cooked meal.

You see, these kinds of restaurants do not need to rely on elaborate marketing campaigns or expensive advertising. They simply build a loyal customer base that freely, and often passionately, shares their experience with friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers on the street. Any marketing guru will tell you that word-of-mouth remains a lucrative and powerful strategy for business. It is free advertising built on the personal and positive experiences of loyal customers.

In a similar vain, the message of the Gospel has been entrusted to the followers of God. It is to those who believe that God commands to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

In Peter’s second letter to the churches, he recalls the manner in which this Gospel was preached. It was not a carefully crafted tale, a polished script, or a fanciful myth. It was simply the honest testimony of men, led by the Holy Spirit, who spoke of what they saw.

To craft a convincing story, one will usually employ the most convincing witnesses. But rather than reveal himself to an impressive circle of religious or political elites, Jesus surrounded himself with fishermen, tax collectors, and sinners. It was women who were the first heralds of His resurrection, even though a woman’s word was given little weight in their society. If the truth and message of the Gospel was merely a cleverly devised myth, it did not employ, by worldly standards, very convincing messengers or witnesses. But so the Bible teaches that God uses what is foolish and weak according to the world to reveal the powerful work of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:26).

The apostle Paul makes similar remarks in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul was no great orator. In fact, he was not very impressive at all. He did not speak with fanciful words or illustrations, but simply preached the crucified Christ. For the Gospel rests not in the power of its messengers, but in the message itself. Paul writes the following:

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

This should encourage us in our own efforts to share the Gospel. We need not worry ourselves with sounding impressive or using the right words. We can't save anyone; we merely point them to the One who can. But we are promised that God will supply us the right words at the right time (Luke 12:12). We also don't know where people are in their faith journey. Perhaps you are preparing the soil, or planting the seed, or watering the ground. But it is God that provides the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). For the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Peter also reminds us that Scripture is our greatest authority, the ultimate source of truth, and the primary witness to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The testimony of men is important, but the testimony of God is greater.

There were many false teachers in Peter’s time that sprouted up within the church. They secretly and sneakily planted destructive seeds of heresy, motivated by greed. They denied the return of Christ and promoted a false freedom in practicing sin. They too testified, but they were testifying of that which is false.

In the midst of lies, Scripture stands as truth, the absolute Truth . For it is like a lamp shining in a dark place. Wherever it shines, the light makes clear what is true and what is false. On its own, the testimony of men is a fickle source for truth ,as it can be so easily swayed and twisted. And yet, grounded in the truth of Scripture, our testimony can point others to the glory and majesty of Christ.

Think of Peter and the wondrous things he beheld on that mountain. Think of your own life and the wondrous things you have seen God do. We are all a living testimony to the truth of the Gospel and the power of Christ.

And we can join in with the Psalmist in saying, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:16

BY JORDAN MAYER

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
(Romans 12:2)

Have you ever picked up stones along the beach or riverbed? As you turn one over in your hands, you'll find the surface remarkably smooth and rounded. Though a small child might think it a special kind of rock, it is merely a product of the environment it has been exposed to. Over the course of days, months, and years; the water and tiny sediment slowly wear away the rough surfaces and sharp edges. By a nearly imperceptible process, the stone is shaped and molded until it looks and feels like all the others.

Though we might not realize it, our minds face similar pressures. Like the winding channels that are formed by flowing water, ideas can take root in our minds to form thought patterns, behaviors, and habits. This is what Paul alludes to in his letter to the believers in Rome. There is a danger for followers of Christ to be inwardly changed, yet outwardly indistinguishable from the world around them.

The danger is not so much overt, but convert. We may be wise to a sudden bold attack, but less likely to notice a slow and methodical advance.

Jesus warns of false prophets who would appear as wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), even quoting Scripture in his efforts to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:6). And Paul warns the Colossians of false teaching that has the appearance of wisdom (Colossians 2:20-23).

Though the root of the issue was as relevant in Paul's day as it is today, the results of modern technology ensure constant and immediate access to myriads of voices vying for our attention. From the TV screen in our living room, the computer in our lap, or the phone in our pocket, there is a near endless supply of messages eager to broadcast into our lives.

But we need not resign ourselves to a life of conformance and compromise. And yet, our minds cannot operate in a void. To remove one thing requires another to fill its place. In emptying ourselves of worldly wisdom, we must fill up on the wisdom from above, namely God's Word. If we want any hope of combating the corrupting influence of counterfeit truths, we must look to the genuine article.

So what are we filling our minds with on the daily? Do we suppose that a brief exposure to the Word on Sunday’s is enough for the spiritual warfare of the week? Are we sometimes naive in thinking that a small dose of God's Truth is all it takes to withstand the onslaught of lies and mistruths to which we are exposed? Does only a little Scripture a day keep sin and the devil away?

But the issue lies in the framing of the question. It is not a question of how little of God's Word we need, but rather how much. We are to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). We must meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). We must store it up in our heart (Psalm 119:11). Like food for our body, Scripture is the sustenance of our soul. We need it daily, consistently, and constantly.

And we must remember that His Word is living and active. It discerns the thought and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12) in order that we may discern His. As we take it in and meditate upon it, through the power of the Holy Spirit, it will begin to work in our hearts and in our minds, transforming and renewing them in the knowledge of truth. The more we read, the more we take on the mind of Christ.

Today, this week, this month, and this year; let us all endeavor to plumb the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33).