Police Devotion 3-2-2016
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
If you need proof that there is a God, look up into the night sky. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” At the right time of year, you can see the constellations, Orion and Pleiades. If you see the Big Dipper, follow its handle from the bowl outward. A little distance away you’ll see a bright star. That star is Arcturus. All three of these are mentioned in Job 9:9: “[God] Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.”
God gave us far more than just proof that He exists. He gave us a book to tell us what we need to know about Him and how to have fellowship with Him. That book is the Holy Bible. God inspired the writers of the Bible over hundreds of years: from Moses, who wrote the book of Genesis to the Apostle John, who wrote the book of Revelation. Moreover, God inspired them to write words that would never become outdated or obsolete. That’s why the verse says, “…the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
As a cop, you should know about Graham v. Connor, the Supreme Court decision that set the standard for police use of force. In short, the Graham decision states that any force that an officer uses must be objectively reasonable based on circumstances. Before this ruling, states had individual use-of-force standards, but once Graham v. Connor became the standard, all other standards became outdated and obsolete. However, nothing new will ever come along to make the Bible outdated or obsolete.
God is omniscient which means He knows all that there is to know. Even things that we don’t know yet, God knows already: “…his understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5). New inventions and technological advances are wonderful. Daniel 12:4 even says that in later times, the pace of life will be fast, and people will become more knowledgeable: “…many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” This prophecy has come to pass with the advent of cars, planes, computers, cell phones, and the internet.
No new discovery will ever be made, however, to make the Bible obsolete. God’s words are very old but still true: “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalm 119:160). People have tried—and still try—to discredit God’s Word, though. God knew that this would happen, so He had certain verses put into His Word for spiritual “firewalls” from false beliefs.
People may believe in evolution, but it’s never been proven. The truth of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” still stands and always will. People also may believe in and fear man-made climate change and governments may spend untold taxpayer money supposedly to fight it, but Genesis 8:22 assures us that it won’t destroy the earth. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and COLD AND HEAT [capitals mine], and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
God’s Word also won’t change with culture. With God, there is no such thing as same-sex marriage or gender identity: “…he which made them at the beginning [they didn’t evolve, God made them] made them male and female,” (Matthew 19:4). Same-gender people may be physically intimate and enter into what they call marriage, but it’s not marriage to God. People are also the gender that God made them, no matter how they feel, dress or act. Inclinations to these behaviors are just temptations from the devil.
Most importantly, Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The good news of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for our sins will always be a message from God that touches hearts, saves souls, and changes lives. If you’ve not seen in the Bible how to know for sure that heaven will be your eternal home, please go to “Helpful Links” on the top menu and then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 3/2/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822