Word of Truth Ministries
Teaching, Mentoring, Encouraging Through God's Word
God’s Word and It’s Meaning to the Heart
What does God’s Word, the Bible, mean to you? Is it something you hold dear to your heart?
Yes, please, share your answer with me to those two questions! I truly would like to know. Click on the “Leave a Comment” section or the “Contact Us” button and let’s start a conversation about God’s Word and how it impacts your own heart.
Whenever I think of God’s Word, my mind instantly goes to Psalm 119. Within its one hundred and seventy-six verses are truths of what the Bible means to the psalmist, and how God’s Word impacted his life. Even though it is a long chapter, it is well worth the read.
I invite you to read through these statements of reaction to God’s Word from the psalmist:
- “I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws” (verse 7).
- “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (verse 11).
- “I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches” (verse 14).
- “I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws” (verse 30).
- “I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart” (verse 34).
- “I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love and I meditate on Your decree” (verse 48).
- “This has been my practice: I obey Your precepts” (verse 56).
- “If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (verse 92).
- “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life” (verse 93).
- “Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long” (verse 97).
- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (verse 105).
- “I have put my hope in Your word” (verse 114).
- “I stand in awe of Your laws” (verse 120).
- “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and Your servant loves them” (verse 140).
- “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word” (verse 147).
- “My heart trembles at Your word” (verse 161).
- “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for Your salvation, O Lord, and I follow Your commands. I obey Your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey Your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You” (verses 166-168).
I wonder— is your heart in agreement with the psalmist over the Word of God?
Oh, my heart sure is! The Word of God means everything to me! The God of the Word is my everything in life! In fact, I could not do this journey of life without God and His Word. I rise early in the morning to get my heart and mind into the Bible. I love to read from my Bible all throughout the day. I read it, meditate upon it, try to memorize it, and strive to obey the teachings, the commands, the precepts, the statutes, the law of the Lord my God. His Word is the greatest guidebook for life. It is the road map for whenever I am lost or have taken a wrong turn in life— God’s Word sets me back on the right path. His Word is full of His instructions and commands that show me how to live my life to its fullest. Help, wisdom, sound counsel, and great advice comes to me from the Word of God; it helps me to know what to do. In fact, for every situation that I encounter in life. God has shared the most precious and exceedingly great promises within the written pages of the Bible. They are there for my discovery and my claiming. There is always something in God’s Word that will encourage, offer peace and bring inspiration to my heart and soul. Like the psalmist, I stand in awe of God’s Word!
Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting an elderly man, sitting in the park, reading. Would you mind if I shared with you the story of our encounter? It was inspiring to me, and I trust it will be to you as well.
“Oh, it’s just a bunch of rules and laws that are old fashioned, outdated, and extremely antiqued,” said an old man, sitting on a park bench, reading the Bible. As I approached him, I saw that he might be reading the Bible. Sure enough as I walked closer to him, I realized he held a Bible in his hands. I said to him, “I see that you are reading the Bible. It is one of my all-time favorite books to read. Do you mind if I ask— what does the Bible mean to you?” And then he gave me the reply at the beginning of this paragraph. My mind had a hard time calculating what I saw versus what I heard the older man say. But then….
Then… the old man went on to say: “That’s what some people now-a-days would say.” He looked at me and burst out laughing. “You weren’t expecting that answer from me, were you?” NOPE!
“I love the Word of God!” the old man went on to say. “Within these pages I have a map, a guidebook, an instruction manual, a counselor’s advice, a chef’s cookbook, a lawyer’s debates, a disciple’s footprints to follow, and the best read an old man like me could ask for. If you were to take this book away from me, you might think I would be lost for sure, confused at best, and hopelessly forsaken. But as I meditate on the words upon these pages, as I seek to memorize portions and hide them away in my heart, I know I would easily survive without this book, for I know its author well. His words have blessed my heart for many a year.”
Wow! I love the old man’s answer! I sat down on that park bench with him and proceeded to have the best conversation about God’s Word that I have had in a while. He was very knowledgeable in the Word. He inspired me. He certainly encouraged me with his strong testimony of what kind of impact God’s Word was having in his life.
Oh, dear reader, how we need God’s Word! We need to be in it daily, meditating upon the written words, memorizing portions and tucking them away in our hearts, for as I was reminded in talking with this old man, our Bible(s) could very easily be taken away from us. What would we do then?
As I left the old man’s company, at the park that afternoon, he gave me a question to ponder. I would like to leave you with the same question.
“If your Bible(s) were taken away from you today— would there still be enough evidence of it within your heart to let people know what God’s Word means to you?”
Singing God’s Name
“I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving” Psalm 69:30 (NKJV).
A few weeks ago, I was sitting and reminiscing with a former student of mine. I loved that special time with her and the gift that God gave to both of us in our memories of precious days together. I learned about the joy of singing from this girl. And when I say joy, I mean JOY! Her singing exemplified the joy that was bursting from her heart for her Lord!
She was eight years old when she first came walking into our classroom at the church. She was singing. Truth is, she was always singing! I would often say to her, “What’s ya singing? I don’t recognize that song.”
She would answer with a smile, “It’s one I wrote for my God!” She sang with all her heart for she loved the Lord her God!
Whenever she sang a song that others knew, they would join in with her. Sometimes that was good—sometimes not. She was well-known for bursting into the middle of the pastor’s sermon with a song. She said, “It’s because I’m usually bored with the sermon!” Ouch, Pastor! She did this one time, when I was present, the pastor paused, listened for a few moments, then joined in the song with a very cool harmony part. Soon others in the congregation joined in too. It was pretty cool. The best part—her song selection that day, fit his sermon perfectly. Her song became the sermon that everyone went home talking about.
Even to this day, she still loves to sing. “I inherited my talent from the psalmist David. Did you know that he was always singing God’s name?” Yes, I did know that about David.
Singing God’s Name—I like that!
This is what she told me about singing God’s name: “We all, every Christian that is, should have a song on the tip of our vocal cords to sing in praise to our God. It could be a song that we comprised ourselves, a favorite hymn from church, a song we just heard on the Christian radio station, or a beloved song that always touches our heart. We should sing more often. Christians could confound the world with our songs of praise to God. Wouldn’t that be awesome! And besides, it would get us into practice for our eternity days in heaven.”
You know what?
She’s not wrong!
So, let me ask you this: Are you singing God’s name today? What’s ya singing?
If you’ve read this blog post and it left you smiling, leave me a “like”. But, if this post left you with a song that came to your mind—and you started to sing—please leave me a comment and tell me “what’s ya singing?” I would love to hear from you!
God’s Love Letter
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Be Still and Know
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10 (NKJV).
A tourist and his wife, visiting a quaint little village, in a remote place of his home state, decided they would attend the local church on Sunday. This was their vacation time, a time to rest and relax; yet, they both agreed it would be a good thing to go to church together.
“Who knows, we might just meet someone there that we know,” the wife said to her husband as they were getting themselves dressed for the day.
“Don’t be silly, we know no one here in this community. Hey, do you think after church we could go and do a little shopping. I saw a quaint little tool shop that I would like to check out.” said the husband as he put on his shoes. “Sure!” the wife replied, however, she was thinking of a few other shops that she would like to visit.
Soon they were ready, looking much like the typical church goers, of their own church, in their own community. “Let’s go check out the local church, shall we?” The husband took his wife’s hand and out the door they went. It felt good to walk to church for a change. After all, this quaint little house of worship was just down the street from where they were staying.
Upon arrival at the church, they duly noted the sign upon the door. “Be still and know that I am God!”—in big, bold letters. No one could miss the message. An usher greeted them, just as the man turned to his wife, ready to say something. But the usher hushed them, raising his finger to his mouth, and whispering, “Sh…Be still…!” They walked inside quietly and cautiously.
They instantly noticed something was very different from their own church. There were no conversations taking place. There were no across the room greetings between friends. No laughter or play among the children. The place was packed with people of all ages. Yet not one word was being spoken. The husband and wife quickly found a place to sit, slipping quietly into the pew. As they sat, they just looked at one another, not really sure what to think of this new encounter.
Just then the preacher of the day greeted the congregation. “Please take this moment and be still in the presence of your God. Let Him show you who He is.” The husband, feeling a little unsettled in this quaint little church, almost got up and walked out of the building. But then he looked over a saw an old man, rising from his pew, bending the knee in front of the pew and he began to pray. The husband watched the old man with great interest. He was able to hear the words that the old man spoke out loud. “God, I am so very grateful to once again “be still” in Your presence. I love to meet You here. Would You show me something about Yourself today that I have never known before? I’d be mighty thankful Father; I’ll be quiet and listen.” The old man raised his bended knee, turned and sat down on the pew once more. The husband couldn’t draw his eyes away from the old man as he wondered what the old man expected God to reveal to him that day in church.
The music began, the congregation stood to sing. Thankfully the songs were hymns that the couple knew from their own church, so they joyfully sang along. But the husband still could not take his eyes off the old man. He sang with joy. He sang loudly with all the breath that he could get out of his lungs. He praised God in a way the husband had never seen before. He simply stared at the old man, wondering just what kind of relationship he had with God.
The preacher came to the pulpit, opened his Bible, and he began to preach his sermon. “How to know your God in the stillness!” was the title of his message. The husband only heard bits and pieces of the sermon, a few words and even fewer phrases. But the repetition of “Be still and know that I am God” kept his attention upon the old man. The husband just couldn’t believe the joy that this man had. He was intrigued by his worship of his God.
Soon the service ended. The congregation left the building the same way they had entered it. In silence. In meditation. In stillness before their God. The husband and his wife stayed seated, until the old man rose from the pew again. Thinking that he was ready to leave, the husband stood up and his wife followed his lead. But the old man… he didn’t leave the presence of his God.
The old man bent the knee once more in prayer. “God, what a delightful blessing it has been to be in Your house once more. Thank you for meeting me in the stillness. I know now just what You want me to do. Give me courage to do it well.”— is the prayer the husband overheard from the old man’s lips to the listening ears of his God.
Finally, the old man left the church and went outside into the bright sunshine of a wonderful day. The husband and wife followed. “Whew! Now we can talk!” said the husband to the wife. They both chuckled between themselves. “Come on,” said his wife, “I want to go shopping!”
The old man stopped them. “Please, may I have just a moment of your time? I know you are new here today. I felt you watching me throughout the service. And that’s okay.” he said with a little chuckle of his own. “Makes my job a little easier. God has a message for me to give to you. Will you hear it?”
The husband looks at his wife, shrugs his shoulders and says to the old man, “I guess so!” The old man smiles.
“God wants you to know that He knows just how busy you are. So many things to do in any given day. God thanks you for coming to church today but He also knows that you really didn’t learn anything about Him today. Your mind was everywhere except on Him. “Be still” means that we are to be still, quiet, calm even, in the very presence of God. “And know that I am God” means that God has many things to tell you, to show you, to help you learn about who He is. But sir, with all of God’s love, He wants you to know that you will never truly know your God until you decide that you want to be still in His presence.” And with that the old man turned and walked away.
The husband and wife just stood there, for what seemed like a really long time. Not sure what to think. No words to share with one another. Just stunned by the message and the messenger. After a few moments of silence, the husband turned and quickly went back into the church building. He quietly sat down on a pew. He looked up at the cross on the wall in the front of the building. He said nothing to his bewildered wife who now sat beside him. Tears began to flow down his cheeks.
Following the example of the old man, he rose from his seat, bent the knee in front of the pew and prayed to God who was right next to him listening. “God, if You know who I am then You will know I do not like to be still. It’s hard for me to do. But God, this old man, in this quaint little church, showed me something that I want in my own life. Stillness. If I really want to know my God, then I have to learn to be still long enough for You to talk to me. I want to be still and know that You, God, are my God!”
After a very long period of silence, and prayerful conversation with his God, the husband rose from his pew. Taking the hand of his wife, they walked toward the door, and stepped out into the sunlight.
“Do you remember Mrs. this morning when we were talking about visiting this quaint little church? You said, ‘Who knows, we might just meet someone there that we know.’ Do you remember saying that?
“Yes, but I didn’t see anyone I knew, ” his wife replied.
Her husband stopped and turned to face his wife. “I did!” he said as the biggest smile spread across his face. “I met God in the stillness! And He showed me who He was in the old man I was watching during church today!”
Dear readers, we don’t have to go to a quaint little village church in another town to meet our God. We simply have to choose to be still right where we are. We can choose to calm our heart and soul in His very presence—for where we are, our God is there too. We can choose to be quiet long enough to hear His voice as He speaks to our heart. “Be still and know that I am God!” He will meet us in the stillness, and we will know our God!
You, O Lord, Are My Rock
“For by You, O Lord, I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God” Psalm 18:29-31 (NKJV)
The following is an excerpt from my book, Praises, Promises, and Provisions— Lessons Learned from the Pen of the Psalmist.
The battle of life is violently raging around me. It is relentless in its intentional pursuit. Day and night, the frightful and haunting sounds from the battlefield creep in to overwhelm my heart, mind, and soul. They give me no rest. Various enemies, clad with their weapons of warfare, seem to be coming at me from every imaginable angle. From without and within, and often with little warning, they seek to disable, discourage, and even destroy.
Who are these enemies that are coming after me?
- The enemy of sin and evil — my own sin and the sins of others around me
- The enemy of temptation — the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all
- The enemy of persecution — bullying people that go straight for the spirit within
- The enemy of harsh criticism — words that cut like a sharp knife, leaving wounds that are slow to heal
- The enemy of defeat and discouragement — seeking its best to disarm me
- The enemy of broken relationships — the hardship of saying good-bye
- The enemy of death — walking through the valley of the shadow of death with a beloved friend
- The enemy of failing health — so many doctor visits and tests to do
- The enemy of financial struggle — too little money and too many bills
- The enemy of time — so much to do and so little time to do it all
- The enemy of to-do-lists — lists that keep on growing while seemingly little gets done
- The enemy of perfectionism — What? Am I the only one?
- The enemy of _____________________ — you add your own enemy that you battle.
All too often, in the midst of this raging battle, it seems as though I am just waiting to hit that proverbial wall with an almighty, hard-hitting thud.
But God!
I love what the psalmist David says about his enemy pursuing him and the proverbial wall that he encountered. “For by you, O Lord, I can run against the troop (the enemy), by my God I can leap over the wall” (Psalm 18:29). I love the picture that comes to my mind when I read those words.
This psalm was written on the day that David was delivered from his number-one enemy, King Saul. The king relentlessly pursued David, with just one intention— to kill him. Saul’s jealousy was the driving force behind his evil intent to destroy David. And with an unrelenting jealous rage, Saul put everything else in his kingdom life on hold just so he could go after David. That is what the enemy does!
David describes his enemy. “My strong enemy … those who hated me. For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity” (Psalm 18:17-18).
David’s enemy was very real. David had come face-to-face with his enemy, and the battle between them ensued. David had to run for his very life. And he kept on running. He had to do everything possible to escape from the evil king who sought after him. David spent time hiding out in caves, hoping not to be found by the king and his men. So many times, David faced that proverbial wall, hoping he would not go splat against it. David did what he knew he had to do in order to keep himself safe.
What David found in the midst of his battle with King Saul, greatly encourages me in the midst of my own battles of life. “But the Lord was my support” (Psalm 18:18b).
I love those words of David. I so often have echoed them from my own lips to the listening ears of God. “In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from the temple and my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (Psalm 18:6).
Ah, how good it is to know that we are never alone in the midst of our battles. We all can cry out to God from the battlefield. He will hear us. David cried out to God in the midst of his distress. And David found that God was right there with him. God was not sitting on the sidelines, cheering him on. God was present on the battlefield, right there with David, making known to him the way that he should go. God gave David all the resources he needed to face the enemy troops. God never once allowed David to go splat against the wall that was put up in front of, behind, and all around him. God enabled David to leap over that wall. God strengthened David for the battle of his life.
Here is what God did for David:
- He delivered me from my strong enemy (Psalm 18:17).
- He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me (Psalm 18:19).
- The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (Psalm 18:20).
- It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect (Psalm 18:32).
- You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great (Psalm 18:35).
- You enlarged my path under me, so my feet do not slip (Psalm 18:36).
- You armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me (Psalm 18:39).
- You have also given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed those who hated me (Psalm 18:40).
Wow! God did all that for David! Imagine what God can do for you and for me on the battlefield in the midst of our own battles of life.
God promises to be with us. He will be present in the midst of our battles. He will be our support. He will give us strength. He will bring us to the place of victory. He will be our solid rock!
How do we get that kind of help from God?
It starts with us acknowledging that God is present with us, and knowing who He is (Psalm 18:1-3). It starts with seeing our enemies and naming them (Psalm 18:4-5). It starts with a cry (Psalm 18:6). It starts with us acknowledging our need for God.
We need His help. Cry out to Him. Call on His name. Invite Him to the battlefield. Let Him gird you with His strength. Take on His helmet of salvation, adorn the garments of praise in the midst of battle. Watch God fight for you, as He holds you tight with His mighty right hand. He will strike down each and every enemy. He will be the one who destroys them all. He will bring victory over all evil within and without. He will not cause your feet to slip or to stumble; rather, He will lift you up to high places, where you will stand strong. You will stand undefeated. The Lord, your God, will support you!
It is no wonder that in that moment after the battle was won, David wanted nothing more than to stand in the presence of his God and sing his victory song aloud.
“I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies … The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted” (Psalm 18:1-4 and 46).
Whenever the Lord God has proven to you that He is your Rock upon which you can stand, you need to stand!
Whenever the Lord God has rescued and delivered you from the hands of any enemy that you face, you need to stand upon that Rock!
Whenever you stand upon your Rock, you need to look to the heavens and begin your own praise song the Lord God who delivered you!
Unexpected Grace
I am guilty!
Oh, yes, I am! Big-time guilty!
I am a confirmed bibliophile!
Do you know what that is?
My guess is that there are a few more of us lurking around out there in the world.
A bibliophile is a person who collects or has a great love for books!
Yep, that’s me! It all started when my parents introduced me to the world of books. They would read out loud to me and I would look at all the pictures as they read the words upon the page. Mom and dad read some of the greatest stories to their little girl. We would spend hours discovering the joy of reading a book. I was fascinated by them. My bedroom was full of storybooks. I couldn’t wait for the day that I learned to read complete sentences, by myself, from the pages of a good book.
But the real problem started when I discovered the school library! That’s another word for book heaven! The “hang-out” spot of every genuine bibliophile. Well, for me it was. So many books. So little time to read. Yet, my determination was to read them all before I left Hudlow Elementary School.
And then, it got worse when mom introduced me to the Pima County Public Library. Oh, that was glorified book heaven! Rows upon rows of books of every possible subject to delight the heart of a bibliophile. There I was introduced to the greats— great books, great authors, great biographies, great animal stories, great adventures to go on through pages and pages of books, great mystery stories to try and solve before I got to the end of the book, and great librarians who would point me into the direction of the “bestest” books an avid reader could get her hands upon. I hungered for more. Loved that I could take five books out of the library at one time— but for a week? Really? Man, I had those books read within just a couple of days, never mind a week. My mom gave her three daughters a very clear message, on our trips to the library: “When you have overdue books, the cost of your fine comes out of your weekly allowance.” Ugh! We knew mom was serious. I did my best, but there were a few times when my books were late, and I learned to pay my fine with a smile on my face.
Now, as an adult, I still love libraries, bookstores, and gifts of books, books, and more books. With every move I made in life (stateside or across the world), I carried only my favorite books with me, giving the rest away to new homes and hopefully to another avid reader. And then, when I got settled in my new place, I started the book collection all over again. Quite often, you will find me on the prowl of a good book to read. Got any suggestions? Oh, so many times, you will find me curled up with a good book in my hands and my nose buried into the printed page. In one corner of my multiple bookcases, you will find it contains the “soon to be read!” books, although I am noticing of late how that corner is taking over the whole shelf. So, yes! I am a bibliophile! And I am proud of it!
But I have to tell you about my unexpected moment in the library, just down the street from my house. Totally unexpected!
I went into the library with really good intentions. I was going to donate a few copies of my newly published book to the library. Which I did in hopes that someone might see it and want to read it. In the process I had to check out the “new” books that the library was offering. And of course, I found one that just had to come home with me.
So, I went to the librarian’s desk to check out. “Do you have your library card with you?”
Yes, but I first had to find it. After a few moments, I handed her my card and smiled. She did her thing on the computer. “I’m sorry, but you will not be able to take this book out the door until you pay your fine!” she says with a not so nice smirk upon her face. “What do you mean I have a fine? I haven’t checked out any library books for well over three years now,” was my reply.
“Yes, I know,” said the librarian. “You have fines that have mounted for three years!”
I was stunned. What? is all my brain could think of in that unexpected moment. Nor could my brain even begin to handle the calculation of that whopper of a fine! “Don’t even tell me how much it is, I really don’t want to know. I would rather go and check and make sure that book isn’t over there sitting happily upon your shelf” and I pointed in the direction of all the books. She thought that was a good idea. We both went on an unexpected mission. I asked God to join us in that unexpected moment! He did and He presented both the librarian and me with an unexpected surprise.
“See! Right there!” There upon the bookshelf. In its proper place. Sat the very book. The book that I had a three-year fine for. The librarian reached up and pulled the book off the shelf and she walked away. I followed her, hoping for a great outcome to my unexpected moment. She disappeared behind her desk, did a few things at the computer, got up and walked to the back room and was gone for what seemed forever.
Then, she finally emerged with that long-awaited-for smile. “You should be thankful for your GRACE period. It’s still in effect, my dear. And you won’t be paying any fines today!” I wanted to give her a big hug! But instead, I picked up my library card, ready for the next time I’m brave enough to walk through those doors again! I glanced in the direction of her computer and yes, my donated books were still there. I left the one book that I had wanted to check out behind me. Someone else could have the pleasure of reading that new book. I turned tail and left the library in a hurry, just in case the librarian changed her mind. Whew! What an unexpected moment!
But, with that unexpected moment came an unexpected gift. Did you catch what that was?
Unexpected grace! From the librarian! Thank you, God!
On my way home, I got to thinking about all the different times that God gives me His gift of unexpected grace. Wow! Now, there’s a thought that could easily fill a book. Maybe I’ll write a new one.
Unexpected grace! Yes, our God blesses us with unexpected grace every single day! Just think about it. Even today, God will, if He hasn’t already, surprise us with His gift of grace. And that grace just might come in an unexpected moment. Grace is mercy, lovingkindness that Jesus paid for with His very life. Not one of us deserves grace; but God will lovingly lavish His grace upon us today. Just watch and see for yourself.
Have a read of this biblical encouragement:
“The Lord will give GRACE and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84:11 (NKJV).
As you go through your day today, whether you have unexpected moments or not, be on the lookout for displays of God’s gift of grace towards you. It will be there. You just have to look and receive His great gift of grace!
Oh, and one more thing.
If you have any overdue library books, get them back to the library! Now! Before your GRACE period runs out! And tell the librarian that Kathy sent you!
My Heart’s Desire
Word of Truth Ministries 
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