I’m excited to get back to a regular Monday post! My hope is to do a book review every Tuesday, either of a review book or something I’ve read just because. But, occasionally, as with the past two weeks, I get to be involved with blog tours that request specific post dates for reviews. So, I have to diverge from “the plan” for that purpose. There aren’t any of those on the horizon, though, so we should be back to the normal blog schedule.
But, even if I’m not posting a review today, I just can’t seem to get away from thoughts that trace back to the books I’ve read. A recent review book actually initiated the thought process behind today’s post. A few weeks ago when I was reading Andy Andrews’ book The Final Summit, I ran across an interesting quote. It was an interchange between the main character David Ponder and the archangel Gabriel.
“Hello, Gabriel,” he responded. “I see you haven’t gained any tact since we last met.”
Gabriel cocked his head. “Tact is a human trait,” he stated, “needed only by those who hesitate to tell the truth.”
First of all, ouch. I complain about people who lack tact and try to make sure I speak tactfully. But, is it because I don’t want to honest?
But, putting that aside, the interchange reminded me of Psalm 12. In this Psalm of David, we find a contrast between worldly men and our holy God. The first few verses deal with men. It discusses how they seek to control and prevail with their tongues. How they flatter and speak falsehoods, never expecting to be undone because they know just how to manipulate with their words. Their words, however, seem to result in the disappearance of faithful men (vs 1), and the affliction of the needy (vs 5).
But, in the middle of verse five we find a pivot of sorts. A shift from the words of man to the words of Almighty God. His words are:
Security.
Pure.
Like refined silver.
Preserving.
The Psalm ends with verse eight returning to the cockiness of unfaithful men, but somehow those two and a half verses regarding the incredible words of God are enough to stir the heart in ways I cannot even begin to explain.
My words, even as a child of God, falter. They hesitate to tell the full truth. They are never quite right. But, the words of God are a totally different matter. There is nothing but good and purity in them. They are perfect. They are powerful. In fact, there is no power that can stand against them. None.
Scripture shows us that David was frequently hounded by the words of men. I have a feeling not one person reading this hasn’t experienced that same feeling. But, just as David did, we can take heart because we have God’s words. And in His words we find perfect truth and power. In them we find beauty that exists nowhere else on this earth. May we trust them over any words of man. And may we find encouragement in them that far exceeds any discouragement found in the words of man.
Not Quite Ordinary 