Blessed be the Name of the Lord

In a time of sadness and grief, God gave comfort and encouragement through His Word the other day. God is good.

“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”  Job 1:21

God has taken away our precious little ones.
Blessed be His name.
God has allowed pain, but He is the God of all comfort.
Blessed be His Name.
He is the One Who gave us our little ones in the first place.
Blessed be His name.
He has made us to be as Mt Zion, unmovable and surrounded by the Lord.^{(Ps. 125:1-2)}
Blessed be His name.
The Lord has done great things for us. ^{(Ps. 126:3)}
Blessed be His name. 
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. ^{(Ps. 130:5)}
Blessed be the name of the Lord.                  
He is good and His mercy endureth forever. ^{(Ps. 136:1)}
Blessed be His name.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. ^{(Ps. 138:3)}
Blessed be Your name.
I cannot flee from Your presence—You are ever with me. ^{(Ps. 139)}
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
We groan, yet await the glorious redemption of our bodies. ^{(Rom. 8:23)}
Blessed be the Lord.
Nothing can separate us from His love for us in Christ Jesus. ^{(Rom. 8:38-39)}
Blessed be His name.
The sufferings of Christ abound in us; our comfort also abounds through Christ. ^{(2 Cor. 1:5)}
May the Lord be blessed. 
Christ is risen; thus we have hope beyond this present life. ^{(1 Cor. 15)}
Blessed be the Lord.
God’s grace is sufficient for me. ^{(2 Cor. 12:9)}
Blessed be the Lord. 
Christ is our Great High Priest who can identify with our infirmities. ^{(Heb. 4:14-16)}
Blessed be His name.
By faith we walk with Him and worship Him, knowing He is God.
Blessed be the Lord forever!

More precious than gold, sweeter than honey...

In one of my posts a while back, I mentioned how each semester seems to have a specific theme. Already this semester--even though we’re only a few weeks into it--one specific subject seems to be coming up over and over again: be it in class, in various conversations throughout the day, in personal devotions, or in church, the subject of the importance of God’s Word in one’s life seems to come up every time I turn around. I've been doing a lot of thinking about it.

Having been raised in a Christian home, I’ve been aware of the significance of the Bible and the fact that it is God’s Message to man since a very young age. Only recently, however, has it really begun to sink in how truly important God’s Word is! I mean, when I think about what God’s Word actually is--the inspired Word of God--and the fact that written in it is everything that man needs to know God and live a godly life, is absolutely amazing. There are no "supplemental reading" lists at the back of the Bible. God's Word is complete and all-inclusive--it is all there. To think that I have in my possession everything that I need to know JEHOVAH, the One who is the Self-Existent One, the All-powerful Ruler, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, is an incredible thing indeed.

Today I read the familiar verses in Psalm 19 that talk about God’s Word and was amazed at the description of God's Word and the results that it has on those who read and apply it:

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:

the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart:

the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever:

the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned:

and in keeping of them there is great reward.

It is convicting to honestly consider the amount time I actually devote to carefully examining this Book that is far superior, in every way, to any other book that I could ever own throughout my lifetime. I say that I want to get to know God and grow closer to Him. However, I cannot help asking myself “How much has that desire really affected the time that I spend studying His Word?” The desires of the heart are ultimately reflected in one's actions.