Part 2 (1/2)

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

Psalm 19:7 In Hebrew, this word rendered ”converting” here means to turn back. Many people have experienced tragedy in their life. Their soul has been bruised, battered, and damaged. The average person just continues to carry this pain. They don't seem able to break free. Therefore, most people have just embraced their pain as just the way that life is supposed to be.

One of the reasons they accept this is because that's the way the world-apart from access to G.o.d's supernatural power-looks at life. In the natural realm, without G.o.d, that's true. You are a product of your environment. If you were verbally, physically, or s.e.xually abused, that's going to scar you. If you were beat down, condemned, and told you could do nothing and would amount to nothing; that could very well influence you for the rest of your life.

However, G.o.d doesn't intend to just give you the ability to cope. He can totally change you so that it's just like those things never even happened. Through His Word, He wants to convert your soul-turn you back to the condition you were in before the cares of life pushed in on you. (Psalm 19:7.) If you were damaged by something or someone, you don't have to bear that for five, ten, twenty, or thirty years. You can get over it. The Word of G.o.d will convert your soul and turn it back to what G.o.d meant it to be.

WISDOM.

Since Adam and Eve's fall, our existence and surroundings have been so negative and different than what G.o.d originally intended them to be. By the time an average child graduates from high school, they've seen tens of thousands of brutal murders on television. They've been exposed to s.e.xual immorality and unG.o.dliness that the Lord never intended for mankind to be burdened with. How do you overcome all that? The law of the Lord is perfect-it's not just good. It's not just better than anything else that's out there. It's perfect; and it will convert-restore-your soul to its original condition. By the time an average child graduates from high school, they've seen tens of thousands of brutal murders on television. They've been exposed to s.e.xual immorality and unG.o.dliness that the Lord never intended for mankind to be burdened with. How do you overcome all that? The law of the Lord is perfect-it's not just good. It's not just better than anything else that's out there. It's perfect; and it will convert-restore-your soul to its original condition.

So many people carry around baggage-hurts and pains from years before-from all kinds of things like previous marriages, losses, disappointments, and broken relations.h.i.+ps. They just never seem to recover. That's because they aren't taking the Word of G.o.d and properly using it in their life. Psalm 19:7 tells us that G.o.d's Word is perfect. It will convert your soul. It will restore you to your original G.o.d-intended condition.

Psalm 19:7 continues, saying: The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

G.o.d's Word makes wise the stupid-people who don't think properly and make mistakes.

I've heard all kinds of stories from people who made stupid decisions and suffered from it. They committed adultery and then wound up with shame and disgrace. They lost their job, their church, and their friends. They ended up with physical problems, like AIDS. On and on the list of repercussions go from the stupid things that we have done. Every once in a while I just want to ask folks, ”How dumb can you get and still breathe?” It's amazing what some people do.

You may be thinking, I've done some of those same things. I just don't seem to be able to help it. Right here in Psalm 19:7, G.o.d's Word promises to give wisdom to the simple. G.o.d's Word will make you wise even if you have been stupid in the past. You don't have to submit to the lie that says, ”Well, my mind just isn't as bright as somebody else's.”The Word of G.o.d will quicken your thinking and give you understanding.

GET HAPPY.

So many people are just depressed and defeated. They can't seem to find any reason to rejoice. They're struggling, and they give this reason and that excuse saying, ”This and that happened to me.” Do you know what G.o.d's Word says about those who are depressed and defeated?

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. Psalm 19:8 If you aren't full of joy, peace, and rejoicing, the problem isn't your circ.u.mstances (1 Peter 1:8.) If you have ashes, mourning, and a spirit of heaviness instead of the oil of joy and the garment of praise, it's due to the fact that there's a vacuum on the inside seeking to be filled. (Isaiah 61:3.) You don't know the truth of G.o.d's Word. The statutes of the Lord are right, and they will rejoice your heart. If you're discouraged, take the Word of G.o.d. Start speaking the promises of G.o.d to yourself. You can get happy in a hurry!

Psalm 19:8 continues, saying: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Is it worth the effort of meditating on G.o.d's Word to be able to see clearly instead of having a negative perception that always makes every cup look half empty? What a benefit it is to be able to see the positive side and to see a way through everything. That's what the Word of G.o.d does.

GREAT REWARD.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:9-10 G.o.d's Word is worth far more to me than gold, even much fine gold. To me, the Word of G.o.d is better than honey. How would you treat G.o.d's Word if you truly desired it more than money-even large amounts of it-and more than your favorite food? You'd be able to say along with Job: I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23:12 If you were to seek G.o.d through His Word like that, your life would be transformed.

Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 19:11 How much benefit would it be to your life if you could be warned before you get into a problem, pursue an unG.o.dly relations.h.i.+p, take the wrong job, buy the wrong car, do something that damages your health, or take a wrong turn? How much would it be worth to you if you could see problems before they came so that you could take evasive action? That's exactly what the Word of G.o.d will do. In keeping G.o.d's Word there is great reward!

KEEP ON PLANTING.

I encourage you to take the Word of G.o.d and center your life around it. Meditate on the Word day and night. As you do, the Word will cause change to come in your life effortlessly. It will be automatic. As you renew your mind to G.o.d's Word, you too will begin to prove-make manifest to your physical senses-G.o.d's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

If you aren't experiencing the abundance and victory that the Lord has promised, it's not G.o.d who has failed. Praying longer and pet.i.tioning harder won't change anything. You must take the incorruptible seed of G.o.d's Word and keep on planting it in the garden of your heart.

Chapter 6.

Subject To Doubt.

You will become as you think. (Proverbs 23:7.) The reason most people have the problems they do is because they aren't controlling their thinking. Unless you do something specifically to keep your mind on the Lord, it will naturally go somewhere else. There just aren't very many things outside of G.o.d's Word that reflect G.o.d-pointing us toward and drawing us closer to Him. However, the Word of G.o.d is pure light. (Psalm 19:8.) When you study and meditate on G.o.d's Word, it changes the way you think. As our thinking changes, so does our life. That's why we must get to where we're dominated by the Word of G.o.d.

When John the Baptist had doubts, Jesus pointed him to the Word of G.o.d to overcome them. (See Luke 7:18-23.) This is simple, but so profound. And yet, not many people believe this truth.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I'm not one of those ministers who sneaks in and walks up to the stage after the praise and wors.h.i.+p is nearly over. I talk to lots of people before and after the meetings. At our meetings, I'll spend two or three hours in personal ministry to people on a one-to-one basis, outside of my preaching in the service. I know by dealing firsthand with hundreds of people on a regular basis that many folks are struggling. They have doubt and fear. The doctor told them they're going to die, and they want me to help them overcome. They want me to wave my hand over them to take away their fears. They're looking to me to impart healing to them. I'm not saying that I can't help people. However, it's wrong for us to look to another human being for our help.

When John the Baptist had doubts, Jesus didn't just say, ”Oh, John. I know how you feel. I'm going to take care of this for you. I'll handle it from here.” The Lord didn't just wave His hand and then John was free of doubt and guilt. That's not at all what happened. Jesus referred John back to the Word of G.o.d.

If you would just take G.o.d's Word and use it yourself, you wouldn't have to follow people around from meeting to meeting begging others to pray for you. Don't take what I'm saying out of context. I'm not against you having someone else pray for you. It takes time to get into the Word of G.o.d and start seeing the life that's in the Word released into your life. During that period of time, when you're sowing the seed and waiting for it to increase and grow to the point that it will bring liberty in your life, don't be so stubborn or proud that you won't go to someone for help and ask them to pray for you.

But don't be one of those people who just refuse to take personal responsibility. These people don't get into the Word of G.o.d for themselves and let it transform them, nor do they have any plans for doing so in the future. Their life is just occupied with work, pleasures, or other distractions. They have no intention of making the Word of G.o.d a central part of their life. Like many others, they try, instead, to allow someone like me or another pastor to do their seeking of the Lord for them. That's just not going to work.

Now, while you're in the process of seeking the Lord, growing to maturity, and getting the Word of G.o.d working in you, don't be too proud to ask for help if you come into a problem. But don't be someone who isn't even trying, who doesn't even have a desire to try to get into the Word for themselves. If your life is too busy to be in the Word of G.o.d, and you're just trying to bootleg the Gospel off of me or someone else, it's not going to work.

If you like to watch my television program or listen to my radio show, I'm glad. I'm not against anybody else's program, or Christian programming in general. It has been a real blessing from the Lord in many people's lives. However, if all you're doing is receiving your nourishment from G.o.d after it's already been digested by someone else, you aren't going to grow much. If you aren't going to take the Word firsthand, then you aren't going to mature.

ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED.

The Lord dealt with John the Baptist when he had doubt by referring him back to the Word of G.o.d. He didn't just take care of it for him. He didn't wave His hand and solve the problem. Jesus told John to go back to the Word of G.o.d.

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Matthew 11:2-3 John the Baptist was a man who was mightily used of G.o.d. He is the only person in the Bible-Old or New Testament -who was baptized in the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother's womb. (Luke 1:15.) Before he was physically born, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. John was a unique character, mightily anointed and blessed by G.o.d.

John spent thirty years in the desert preparing for his ministry. He never experienced the normal things that people go through. He was totally focused on his calling. Then he burst upon the scene, and in six months' time he turned not only the Jewish nation, but also all of the nations surrounding Israel to an expectancy of the Messiah's coming. John saw the greatest revival that had ever happened in history up until that time, possibly the greatest revival that's ever taken place anywhere. This was the man who began it.

At one time, John was absolutely certain that Jesus was the Messiah. He sent his own disciples off after Christ saying, ”He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The Pharisees came out to John and tried to make him envious of Jesus by saying, ”Don't you realize that Jesus now has more disciples than you? He's baptized more people than you.”Instead of becoming envious, John responded by saying, ”I'm not even worthy to stoop over and undo His sandals.” (See John 1:24-27.) John knew his place. John knew who Jesus was, and he was absolutely committed to Him.

FIREBALL ON ICE.

But John's confidence began to waiver after being in prison for an unspecified amount of time. He had been in prison a minimum of six months-possibly as long as two years-this fireball for G.o.d had been put on ice. John had been forbidden to communicate with his followers or influence people. After such a long period of time, this hards.h.i.+p began to wear on him.

So when John the Baptist sent two of his remaining disciples to inquire if Jesus was the Messiah or if he should look for another, keep in mind this wasn't some newcomer to the Lord who was asking this question. This was someone who had this question answered before.

This was the man who knew beyond a shadow of a doubt at one time that Jesus was the Christ. Yet in the midst of these struggles, here he was doubting that Jesus was the Messiah.

Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another'?

Matthew 11:3 This is nothing but pure doubt! This was a major problem on John the Baptist's part because at one time he had been absolutely certain of who Jesus was. He had even been given a sign from G.o.d confirming that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.