The Scriptures Teach Us a Better Way

The Word of God is a lifeline for every Christian. Paul instructed his readers that the Word of God will teach us as well as provide encouragement and hope. The psalmist wrote,

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word. — Psalm 119:28 NIV

The Bible is the primary way God communicates with His people. As we read the Scriptures, we are taking in the message God intends to communicate (2 Timothy 3:16). He uses the Scriptures to increase our understanding, give us strength, correct us, and encourage us. As we approach the Scriptures, we will be wise to ask God to increase our understanding of His Word. Like the psalmist, we can pray,

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. — Psalm 119:18 NIV

Reading God’s Word is a privilege, and being a student of the Scriptures is something every believer in Christ can benefit from.

Father, please give me a deep love for Your Word. Reveal truth to me from Your Scriptures, and allow Your Word to be the guiding authority of my life.

*

The Psalms provide plenty of evidence to suggest that King David cultivated the excellent habit of speaking to himself rather than listening to whatever thought came to his mind. When we are feeling depressed or anxious, we are often overcome with negative thinking. Foolishly, we replay negative thoughts and what-ifs over and over in our minds.

The Scriptures teach us a better way.

In Psalm 42, we see that David was experiencing a season of depression. Instead of entertaining the negative thoughts that inevitably came to his mind, David interrupted those thoughts with his own dialogue. David coached himself to put his hope in God, and he resolved to be a man who praised God. We have the ability to accept or reject every thought that comes to mind. We can refuse to entertain negative thoughts and replace them with the truths of God’s Word.

Father, teach me to encourage myself with truths about Your character. Please empower me to cultivate an excellent thought life that is based on truth.

Excerpted with permission from The God of Comfort, copyright Zondervan.

* * *

Your Turn

What do you think? Do you think about what you think about? The Scriptures teach us that we can turn our thoughts based upon the Word of God. Confused? Read the Bible. Frightened? Turn to the Word. Depressed? Dig into the Scriptures. Let God guide your thoughts with His Love Letter to us. Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily