Police Devotional
“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” (Isaiah 34:16)
One reason police work is so interesting is because it deals with real people in real situations. Some of them are tragic, some dramatic, some funny, some dangerous, and some bizarre, but they’re all real. The Bible is about real life, too. God inspired His Word through real people who lived real lives and had real problems. One reason God gave us His Word is to give us practical wisdom to deal with real life.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God gave us the Bible—“the book of the Lord”—to be the light for our life. When you’re on duty, you should always have a flashlight, even if you work the day shift. You may be called to a break-in and have to check the basement. If you don’t have a flashlight and the power doesn’t work, you could miss a suspect hiding there. In the same way, we need spiritual light for guidance in our lives, which is why God inspired the Bible. Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
The Bible doesn’t tell us everything there is to know about God. There is no way that all the information about God could be compiled into one volume! In fact, John 21:25 says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
The Bible does tell us, however, everything we need to know about God. In fact, everything that we need to know about God can be found between Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” and Revelation 22:21, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Is that statement hard to believe? You may be skeptical, which isn’t necessarily bad. Cops often need to be skeptical, because they often deal with people who can’t be trusted. When it comes to the Bible, it isn’t wrong to be a skeptic, as long as you’re honest. An honest skeptic says, “I don’t believe it. I need to check it out for myself.” A dishonest skeptic, on the other hand, says, “I don’t believe it, and I don’t want to hear about it.” An honest skeptic is willing to look at the evidence—a dishonest skeptic isn’t.
Some people are dishonest skeptics when it comes to the Bible. They may not believe that God exists or that He inspired people to write the Bible. They can’t prove otherwise, but they simply reject the idea that the Bible is God’s Word without even giving it an honest look. That’s no way to handle evidence. As a cop, you know not to ignore a possible piece of evidence. It could be the very piece that makes a case.
So, how do you look at the evidence about God’s Word? Do what our verse says: “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” If you’re seeking truth, you’ll find it. Jesus said, “seek, and ye shall find.” (Matthew 7:7). God speaks to people’s hearts through “the voice of his word.” (Psalm 103:20).
You may already know Christ as Saviour. Still, when you read the Bible, don’t just read because “that’s what Christians are supposed to do.” Read it like you’re seeking something from God. If you need help with a problem, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” If you need encouragement, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” If you need direction, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” Whatever your area of need, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.”
Whether you’re skeptical and want to find the truth, or you’ve already come to faith in Christ, it will amaze you how God speaks to the hearts of honest seekers. The most important information that God gives us from His Word is how to have our sins forgiven and go to heaven. To see that, please click “How do I go to Heaven?” on the sidebar to the right.
Brian Miller 7/9/2015
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822