Devotionals by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. (Psalm 119:92) 

If I could have only one wish for God’s people, it would be that all of us would return to the Word of God, that we would realize once for all that His Book has the answers. The Bible is the authority, the final resting place of our cares, our worries, our griefs, our tragedies, our sorrows, and our surprises. It is the final answer to our questions and to every search. Turning back to the Scriptures will provide something that nothing else on the entire earth will provide.

Psalm 119 speaks of a man who knows what it means to be hurt. He needs help outside himself. The specifics may be different from what I’ve described, but he is no stranger to suffering. He’s going through hard times. He says,

My soul languishes for Your salvation;
I wait for Your word. (Psalm 119:81 NASB)

In other words, “I wait for the truth of Your Word to come to pass, Lord. I wait for help to return. I wait for the promises to become a reality. I wait for the wisdom to take shape and to make sense in my life.” That’s what the psalmist means when he writes, “I wait for Your Word.” Notice he waits for God’s Word, not human reasoning, not his own feelings, and not for a chance to get even.

Let’s read on:

My eyes fail with longing for Your word,
While I say, “When will You comfort Me?” (Psalm 119:82 NASB)

God’s assistance is not always immediate. He doesn’t come swiftly every time we cry out for help. Most Christians I know are currently “longing for Your Word” to bring needed relief in at least one major area of life.

In a world of relativism, the Bible talks in terms of right and wrong, good and bad, yes and no, true and false. In a world where we’re encouraged to do it “if it feels good,” the Bible addresses that which is sinful and that which is holy. Scripture doesn’t leave us with a bewildered look on our faces, wondering about the issues of life. It says, “This is the way it is. That is the way it is not to be. This is the way to walk; do not walk there.” It tells us straight. It provides the kind of solid foundation you and I need.

Taken from Growing Deep in the Christian Life by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1986, 1995 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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