Pure Words
“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” Proverbs 30:5
INSIGHT
I’m not a jewelry guy. Now, I was more than willing to go a little on the pricey side for my wife’s Denise’s ring, but I made sure I showed her some wedding bands for me on Amazon that were $30. I did not want something pricey on my hand, knowing that as soon as someone gives me a basketball, I am going to take the ring off and go play.
But I was shocked to learn that things other than size factored in the cost of a specific piece of jewelry. What I learned is that the ultimate say is in a gem’s value. In fact, purity is the costliest factor for jewelry. The purer a gem is the more transparent it will be. And the purer and more transparent a gem is, the more light that can be reflected and the more sparkle it will have. The question becomes then, would you rather have a massive gem full of impurities and it looks cloudy? Or would you rather take a smaller size, but it be completely pure, and in the words of the philosopher Rihanna, “Shine bright like a diamond?”
Unfortunately, we can reduce the Scriptures to what we perceive to be the size of it, rather than its purity. We can gravitate towards the verses and promises that have big implications for our lives, but the reality of Scripture is much more than that. The purity of Scriptures points us toward an immeasurable love of a Father who would send his son to die for you and me. But we will surely miss and forget that incredible truth if we are spending time in the Scriptures and we are the sole focus. The Bible is not about you, and the Bible is not about me.
Everything in the Scriptures points to Jesus. I cannot insert myself in the Old Testament, nor the New Testament and pluck out whatever I want to defend my behavior, or to prove a point. What I can do is chew and wrestle with the Bible and see God revealed in all things.
Think about the story that takes place from Genesis to Revelation. Historically, the words on pages should have never made it. Realistically, the accounts within the Bible weave a seemingly chaotic and random series of events. Yet, the reason Christ followers still spend time highlighting, journaling, and studying the Bible is because we have gotten a glimpse of Love himself, and we want more.
No one believes the purity of a gem until they take a close look at it. For a genuine glimpse of purity in a gem, you must break out a magnifying glass and get close. If you have only heard about the Scriptures, or you have tried to start your reading journey in the Old Testament, I cannot blame you for questioning a few things. But if you want to test the purity of Scripture, I encourage you to grab a magnifying glass and start in Matthew, or Mark, or Luke, or John.
The statement to wrestle with after reading one of those eye-witness accounts is: if just one thing they say about this resurrected carpenter is true, then you need to lean in. For me, it took one true and pure glimpse of Jesus to abandon everything I thought I knew to follow him, and I pray the same for you.
So, start the journey, write questions, wrestle with the observations, and ask for the purity to shine through. Because once you get a glimpse, you will discover a Savior who calls you his child and invites you to take refuge in him.
REFLECTION
What are you looking for when you read the Scriptures?
Make it a habit to look for Jesus in the Scriptures. Consider what each verse, chapter, and encounter has to say about who he is, and what he has done for you.
PRAYER
Father, help me to see the pureness of the words you have said. It is no easy task to simply read the Scriptures and understand with full clarity, but maybe, that was never the point? Help me to see that getting to know you and walking with you is the point. May I lean into your words and see their purity and see the truth of what you have to say. Let me read and hear your words like I have never read or heard them before. I pray in your marvelous name, amen.
Port City writer Davy Nance wrote today’s devotional.