word wednesdays: the book as a witness

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

(Deut 31:23-26, KJV)

With all different versions of the Bible around my house (the KJV, the NASB, the NIV, the Message, the NLT), I can never plead ignorance with God. He’s given me His Word and, as a disciple of Jesus (I like to call disciples “disciplined ones”!!), it’s my responsibility to search out His Words for how I’m to live my life.

Someone recently told me: “I wish I had read the Bible earlier in my life. If I did, I wouldn’t have made the choices that I had made.” I’m often led to feel the same way but I know condemnation and guilt over the past is from satan. We cannot change our past choices. We have a fresh start every day. His mercies are new every morning.

So this morning, I’m opening His Book. This morning, I’m going to find a principle from His Word. And this morning, I’m praying for the Holy Spirit’s strength to live it out.

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

(Deut 31:23-26, KJV)