Morning Thoughts - by Elder Philip Conley

Morning Thoughts

II Timothy 3:16-17, "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, throughly furnished unto all good works."

This morning, society, government, and man's natural condition do not like absolute statements. God is absolute, and all the works that He declares are absolutes as well. While He does not absolutely declare and predestinate everything that we see, everything that He predestinates and declares is absolute. These verses bring forth something else about God that is absolute. His written Word is absolute just the way that He inspired men to pen it down. If there were any errors in the Bible, then we could have no confidence in it at all. But, thanks be to Him that all of it is pure as silver tried in a furnace of earth seven times. He preserves it, and He keeps it from this generation and forever. (Psalm 12:6-7)

The portion of these verses that is currently on my mind is a portion of what the scriptures are profitable for. One of the things that the Bible is profitable for is correction. The thing directly before correction is reproof. The Lord's word reproves us by pointing out the ways in which we fail. It points out that all have come short of the glory of God. It points out that the best we can bring before our Lord is just a filthy rag. (Isaiah 64:6) It points out that even after being quickened and changed, we still backslide and stumble. It points out that men after God's own heart can still fall into condemnation with the man of God saying, "Thou art the man." (II Samuel 12:7)

However, the Bible does not stop there. Today, many men are going about telling everyone else what their problems are, what needs to be fixed, and stir up the pot of trouble and distress. However, they never pose one solution or remedy. Politicians are great at telling the country what everyone else is doing wrong, but the solutions are completely absent and void from their multitude of words. The Lord would have been just in never giving us His word written down. He could have just as righteously given to us His written word pointing out our errors without the solution. For, if the Lord purposes it, it will most certainly be righteous.

However, our Lord has not left us destitute of the solution. It corrects us. Correction means to bring back to goodness. When parents correct their children, it is not for pleasure, but rather, it is for their betterment. They correct their children to keep them from falling into condemnation again. The Lord deals with His children the same way. His reproof is followed by correction. He says that we should pray without ceasing. He tells us to walk about Zion. He tells us to seek His face, turn from our wicked ways, and He will hear and heal. Many times, people tell me that they just do not know what it is that the Lord wants them to do. In the first place, God does not want anything. If God wanted, He would not be God. However, His commandments for our behaviour are so very clear. Most people say that they do not know what it is that they are supposed to do, when really they just do not want to accept what the Lord has commanded for us.

He plainly said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Are His commandments grievous? Most certainly they are not. Our Lord's direction is something that we need to seek constantly, and He has promised to hear our petitions and supplications. When I consider the greatest superiors that I have ever had in this world, the best "boss" cannot compare to the Master of the vineyard in which we serve. He never deals with us unjustly or unfairly. Many times, He is far more merciful than we could possibly imagine. He does exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think. His correction is easy to understand, but many times, it is hard for me (in the body of this death) to follow. The Spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak. Therefore, let us always heed the correction of our Lord and "not be weary in well doing." (Galatians 6:9)

In Hope,

Bro Philip