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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Are You Stressed?


Can you truly say that you are happy with the way your life is today? We certainly don't need to look very far to see that the stress levels have skyrocketed within ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our co-workers and even in the strangers we meet throughout our daily routine.
The American Psychological Association claims there has been a sharp rise of stress over the last several decades and that today's millennial generation is clearly the most stressed out generation ever, why is this happening?
Maybe it is because this millennial generation seems to struggle more with profound differences in values and definitions of who they are and how they perceive the truth of the news they hear from day to day, sadly, that even hold true for all generations to some degree?

How many times have we all heard it said, "Your truth is not my truth," or "There is no such thing as an absolute truth." Our perspective or understanding of what we think is the truth can make all the differences in the world pertaining to our attitude and relationships with others...
If we wish to combat this significant increase in stress in our lives we must be vigilance in not seeking 'our truth' but to seeking 'the truth.'

Common sense tells us that if we refuse to listen to the truth, than our perspective for the truth is greatly tainted and we end up creating our own truth, do we not?
Common sense also reveals there cannot be a contradiction to the absolute truth when given compared to the whole council of what is being said... Thus, there is and must be a basis for all truth and that basis is clearly found within God's WORD.
A well educated person may very well manipulate the truth which is presented but at that point his truth is invalid and corrupted.

The choice is entirely up to you, if you truly wish for a guaranteed less stressful and a blessed life than what you are living today, then start seeking the absolute truth by reading God's WORD.

I added the Bible Pathway Ministries Daily Devotional study for today in hope that one might see the wisdom in what I am trying to convey to you.

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Dec. 19, Read 2 Peter

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost
(2Peter 1:19-21).

From the moment that mankind first began to translate, print and publish the WORD of God, scholar have spent considerable time and effort on the task of accurately identifying the authors of each book. At times this task has proven relatively simple (such as in books where the writer identifies himself by name), but at other times it has proven to be impossible to state with any certainty (Such as in the case of the Books of Job and Esther).
Here, God, through Peter, offers us the assurance that what we don't know isn't a problem. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. In other words, the Bible may have been physically written by man, but it was authored by God. It is His WORD, given to us so that we may come to know Him through the wondrous Person of His Son, the living WORD. Yet even among believers there are skeptics, those that believe the Bible tells of the WORD of God, but that it is still subject to the fallibility of mankind. As children of God, we must be careful not to allow this doubt to creep into our thinking. If we begin to doubt God's WORD, then in essence we doubt God Himself.

Even critics must admit that the Bible is unique, a Book without equal. It was written over a period of more than 2000 years by at least forty different men that wrote in three different languages. Yet despite the time span and the variety of writer, its message remains consistent. Not once in the sixty-six Books does the Bible contradict itself. Another astounding fact of the Bible is the accuracy of the Old Testament prophecy. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture (Psalm 22:16-18).

King David described Christ's death in excruciating detail 1000 years before He was even born! No prophecy recorded in the Bible has ever been disproven. They have either already come to pass, or are still applicable for a future time. Although other sources have claimed to be able to foretell the future none have even approached this level of accuracy.

As with all spiritual things, ultimately it is a personal, faith-driven choice to trust in the infallibility of the WORD of God. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that God faithful provides - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5), we have at our disposal all the tools necessary to discern the truth. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Thought for today: If the Bible were merely the words of men, then there would be nothing in it to hold faith and it would have been long since forgotten. God's WORD is enduring.

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Using the Bible Pathway Ministries Daily Devotional one can read through the Bible in one year’s time with an average of fifteen minutes of reading per-day. Click on Bible Pathway Ministries to order the monthly pamphlet and visit Christianity dot com for fun Bible games.