INITIAL POINT

INITIAL POINT

READ:
Psalm 119:97-104

It is written, "Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God."  -Matthew 4:4

If you drive south of our home in Boise, Idaho, you'll see a volcanic butte that rises out of the sagebrush on the east side of the road.  This is the initial point from which the state of Idaho was surveyed.

In 1867, four years after Idaho was organized as a territory, Lafayette Cartee, the Surveyor General of the United States, commissioned Peter Bell to survey the new territory.  Bell took a sledge and drove a brass post into a little know on the summit of that butte, declaring it to be the initial point from which he began his survey.

The survey established the language of land description in Idaho:  Townships are designated north and south of the initial point; ranges are designated east and west.  With such descriptions, you always know exactly where you are.

We may read many books, but the Word of God is our "initial point," the fixed reference point.  John Wesley read widely, but he always referred to himself as "a man of one book."  Nothing can compare to the Book of books, the Word of God.  When we allow the Bible to be our guide in all of life, we can say with the psalmist, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). - David Roper

Dear Lord, we are grateful for Your Book.  In it
we learn of You and find guidance and direction
for our lives.  Help us to learn to love Your Word
and to eagerly dig into its pages.  Amen.
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The Bible is like a compass;
if followed, you're going in the right direction.

INSIGHT
The author of this psalm is not named.  Many scholars say that David penned it because it speaks of suffering caused by persecution (vv. 157, 161) and of finding comfort and strength in God's Word.  It is also similar in tone and expression to other Davidic psalms and is consistent with David's experience.  In verses 97-120, the psalmist affirmed his deep love for God's Word and spoke of how it  made him wiser and more understanding than his enemies (v.98), his teachers (v.99), and the older (wiser) men of his day (v.100).  God's Word provides wisdom and perspective for life.

Have a blessed day and week ahead.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace