Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
I don’t know about you, but most of my co-workers believe that the existence of God is downright ridiculous.
Considering themselves to be tolerant and open-minded, they readily acknowledge that some people have “traditions” or “guiding moral principles.” But for someone to actually believe in a supernatural deity wielding absolute power and moral authority is uneducated, intolerant, or even delusional.
Psalm 19:7 claims that “The law of the Lord is perfect” and “the testimony of the Lord is sure;” however, when I worry too much about appearing “uneducated,” “intolerant,” or “delusional” to my peers, I quickly lose confidence in these declarations. Rather than boldly sharing the power and joy found in the Restored Gospel, I remain silent or stumble over elaborate responses designed to dodge, defend, or debate my spiritual beliefs.
This is when I take comfort in the last part of this verse, reminding me that God “makes wise the simple.” I not only interpret this to say that we are simple beings and that the Lord gives us spiritual wisdom, but also that the wisest among us are actually those who appear simple minded (foolish) in the eyes of the world.
I love the story of the blind man from birth found in John 9. His miraculous healing by Jesus defied social wisdom. At first, some derided him for being healed on the Sabbath. Some claimed he had never actually been blind in the first place. Others warned him that Jesus was a sinner. Not even his parents were willing to defend him. But finally, the man had had enough. To paraphrase, he basically exclaimed, “Whether that guy (Jesus) is a sinner or not, I’m not gonna argue with you. But one thing’s for sure. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25) How could anybody argue with that?
Let’s be bold in sharing our convictions and stop worrying about looking foolish! If we exhibit confidence, declaring Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel to others, we should have faith that “the testimony of the Lord is sure” and that God will back us up.
Stop thinking…
- “…I can’t offer to pray for that individual. What if their need isn’t answered?”
- “…I can’t mention the Book of Mormon. My Christian friend will think I’m crazy.”
- “…I can’t invite her to church. What if she thinks it’s boring?”
Start saying…
- “We’re having a baptism this upcoming Sunday. Have you even been to one before?”
- “God healed my sickness. Would you like a minister to come pray for you, too?”
- “Sorry, I can’t stay out late this Saturday night. I want to be at church early Sunday morning.”
So, let’s keep it simple and straightforward. Tell others that “God’s ways are awesome, Jesus changes lives, the Book of Mormon rocks, and if you don’t believe me, then come and see for yourself!” And with God’s help, just like this verse promises, our friends and co-workers will soon share this wisdom as well!
As promised, here’s today’s scripture graphic. You’ll see one like this at the bottom of every upcoming Psalm 19 article. Print it out, save it to your phone or computer, etc.
This article has undergone ministry review and approval.
Beautiful insight. Thank you for your enlightening perspective.
I am so sorry that where you work, people feel that way. Wow! I have been blessed to work with people that have strong beliefs. I truly enjoyed your blog!! It is an area I definitely have to work on. There will be times I try to share but the words don’t seem to be right. Sometimes I can see the blinders that come up on their eyes. An Elder once told me to do the best I can and let the Lord take care of the rest. 🙂