March 18

DO NOT ERR
by Ray Prinzing

"Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."                                                          (James 1:14-16)

Err - to go astray, deceive, to wander, be out of the way.  There are many deceptions in the world today, many voices that are calling God's people astray, and then some, often unwittingly, wander away from the truth.  There are many secondary reasons why people wander away from the truth, but certainly one of the main reasons tis found in the statement of our lord, "Do ye therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?" (Mark 12:24)

Not knowing the scriptures..." True knowing is more than just giving mental assent to creed and tradition, it is more than a reciting by rote of scripture passages, it is where we become experimental partakers of the truth, and it is worked into us, illumined by divine revelation until we know what we know.  Then, "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation."  (Isaiah 33:6).  And then we can give the testimony of the Psalmist, "The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from Thy precepts." (Psalm 119:110).

Hebrews 3:10 points out, "They do always err in their heart; and they have not know My ways."  Again we find a lack of knowledge causes their wandering away from the right path.  This is in contrast to Moses, who earnestly prayed,  "Shew me now Thy way."  (Exodus 33:13.  God answered this heart-cry, so that we read,  "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." (Psalm 103:7). Israel beheld the display, the acts of His power, but as to the WAY OF THE LORD they were in ignorance, and thus were easily led astray.  Moses wanted to know the way of the Lord, and knowing that way, he followed on step by step, leading a whole nation into their promised land.  So also, God is preparing those who are steadfast in the truth, they will not err, and they will lead others into His life.