Healing Words for Hurting Hearts

THE HOLY BIBLE, STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

Literally, billions of books have been written over the ages, but none has stood the test of time like the Holy Bible. All attempts to extinguish, suppress, discredit, destroy, dilute, deny, and ignore by empires, religion, philosophy, science, academia, and judiciary have failed. -The Truth Project, Del Tackett, Tour four

In 1776, Voltaire said, "One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." In other words, the only Bible he said would exist would be under glass in a museum. He also said, "It took 12 men to start Christianity; one will destroy it." A year after he made these statements, he died. His home was used to store Bibles to distribute.

Robert Ingersoll said, "In 15 years I will have this book (the Bible) in the morgue." Fifteen years later, Ingersoll was in the morgue. A pastor purchased Ingersoll's desk and spent his life writing sermons on it. -The Truth Project, Del Tackett, Tour four

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever (1 Peter 1:24-25).

WORDS OF LIFE

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

It is the Word of God that breathes life into our very soul. So vital is the Word of God to our well-being that David, King of Israel, devoted the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, to meditations and prayers about God's Word. Not only is Psalm 119 the longest chapter but it also falls in the center of the Bible. David's passion almost oozes off the page. "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law" (v.18). "Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You" (v.11). "Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors" (v.24). "Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven" (v.89). "If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction" (v.92). "Establish my footsteps in Your Word, and do not let any sin have dominion over me" (v.133). "Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting" (v.159-160). Wow! David had a passion for the Word of God. It was his very life and survival.

In Jesus' final prayer to the Father on behalf of His followers, he said, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth" (v.17)

THE WORD OF GOD POINTS US TO JESUS, THE GIVER OF ETERNAL LIFE

In that final earthly prayer, Jesus also said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). In John 14:6, when questioned by one of his disciples, he responded, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

Amazing! God wants to give us eternal life and this life comes through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how do we receive this eternal life?

THE BAD NEWS AND THE GOOD NEWS

The bad news is, our sin separates us from a holy and righteous God (Romans 3:23). None of us is good enough to make it to God on our own. Left to ourselves, we are each on the road to hell (Romans 6:23). The good news is, the Father moved heaven and earth to bring us home to Himself. He sent His perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay for our sin debt by shedding His blood on a cross (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Then, Christ arose from the grave to show His victory over sin and death! (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Unlike any other religion in the world, Christianity is about a relationship with a living Savior!

OUR PART. HIS PART.

When we acknowledge our sinfulness and turn to Him as our Savior, He cleanses us, places us in His forever family, and promises us a home in heaven (Romans 10:9, 10, 13; Ephesians 1). He wraps us in robes of righteousness and clothes us with garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10). And he gives us eternal life! 1 John 5:13 says, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life." Then in 1 John 5:20, the Apostle John writes, "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

WOULD YOU CONSIDER BEGINNING A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST TODAY?

I encourage you to read the book of John in the Bible. There, Jesus will show you who He is and who you are in light of that knowledge. Tell the Lord what's on your heart. Confess your sin to Him, then take Him as your Savior. My prayer for you is that you will be courageous enough to take the journey inside and open up to the One who is knocking on your heart's door.