A God of Comfort
In ancient Israel, the rod and staff of a shepherd protected and guided the sheep, and even reminded the sheep that the shepherd was there. Familiar with this, King David, a shepherd at one time, used the metaphor in Psalm 23:4 to convey this truth: God was his protector and guide.
King David faced death many times and had enemies bent on killing him. He also dealt with his own sin issues and personal mistakes. But in the midst of all this, he repeatedly turned his attention to the faithfulness of God and to the assurances of God.
Where did he find these assurances?
King David would have been a student of the Hebrew Scripture, the Torah—the first five books in our Bibles.
To a Hebrew, the Torah wasn’t just a story about God, it was the very Word of God. It was authority, promise, and guide. It was this Word that David based his life—and his psalms—upon. David could write about God’s character because:
1. He knew the Word of God.
2. He experienced the faithfulness and goodness of God based on that word.
We, too, have this—and more. We have the revealed Word of God from the ancient prophets in the Old Testament, the words of Jesus while on earth, and the revealed words of Jesus through the apostles and authors of the New Testament. In other words, we have what David had:
1. We have the Word of God.
2. We can experience the faithfulness and goodness of God based on that word.
Read what Jesus said to His disciples:
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 ESV
Like David, we don’t have anything to fear, because God is near—and He is our comfort. Knowing Scripture helps us confidently believe that God is and will be a faithful protector, guide, and presence to those who love Him. So today, determine to discover more of God's Word. It is in this source of truth that you will better know He who is the Good Shepherd.
“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Habakkuk 2:14 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/hab.2.14.KJV
Knowledge of God
Everywhere you look you can learn something about God. The earth is filled with information about Him. Psalm 19:1 says that the skies proclaim the wonders of God’s handiwork. Romans 1:20 says that since the beginning of creation, God’s attributes have been visible in the world.
Learning about God’s character through nature is called General Revelation. These are the things that anyone can learn about God by observing creation. Special Revelation is knowledge about God and salvation that only comes through His Word.
One example of Special Revelation is Habakkuk 2:14, which talks about a future day when the earth will be filled with true knowledge of God. When this was first proclaimed, the nation of Israel was in the midst of exile. They were experiencing injustice at the hands of their enemies. But God gave them a promise in the middle of their hopeless situation…
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk ...