Cornerstone

John 16:7-12 (8)

⁷But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt^[a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ¹⁰in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

¹²“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”

After moving to Los Angeles my 92-year-old father wanted to learn how to get to the store, the bank, and other points of his interest.  I printed a map and marked where the locations he desired including the home address.  We took several trips to these places and I had him tell me which way to turn as he consulted the map.

Several weeks later I had to return to Kansas City on business.  During my absence he decided to go to the grocery store.  He made the trip safely and bought his groceries.  While in the store, however, he unknowingly became disoriented.  When he left the store he turned South instead of North.  He traveled through the city for quite a distance before he accepted the fact that he was in unfamiliar territory.  Stopping, he asked a FedEx employee directions.  The man showed him on the map how to return home.

Although we study God’s road map for our lives there may be times when circumstances in life cause us to lose our sense of direction.  When our spirit begins to warn us that we are getting farther away from home it is important that we consult our map and ask the Holy Spirit to once again help us to get on the right path.

Later we purchased a compass to put in our truck.  It constantly informs us what direction we are going.  In like manner, the ever present Spirit is an assurance that the believer need never stray from God’s presence.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Psalm 119:161-168 (163)

¹⁶¹ Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.

¹⁶² I rejoice in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood
but I love your law.

¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.

¹⁶⁵ Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.

¹⁶⁶ I wait for your salvation, O LORD,
and I follow your commands.

¹⁶⁷ I obey your statutes,
for I love them greatly.

¹⁶⁸ I obey your precepts and your statutes,
for all my ways are known to you.

Some people don’t like going by the rule book.  The Psalmist tried to express his exasperation regarding this when he said, “Princes have persecuted me without a cause.”  Today we may shake our head in exasperation when we see someone making a left turn from the right lane of a four lane road.   We are disgusted when we see someone throwing trash from their car onto the side of the road as they drive by.  We may be angered during a board game when an opponent keeps coming up with their own “rules”.

A cubit may have meant one thing for Noah and another for his son.  If a cubit was the distance from the tip of the finger to the elbow then the length would vary depending on who you talk to last.  This is the reason that various countries developed a standard for weight and measurement which over time became accepted globally.  People realized that only when everybody followed the same set of rules could a sense of equity be determined.

This fact is one of the main reasons there is so much conflict in the world today.  Even though many have agreed to an international standard of weight and measurement for trade, they cannot seem to agree on a standard for moral conduct.  God has given us the rule book that must be followed if we hope to be delivered from sin, know the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and have a hope of eternal life.

Dr. Gayle Woods