John Stanko | On August 28, 2015

(Painted by Gerrit Dou) (circa 1630-1635)

“I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah”

– Psalm 81:6-7.

Notice the psalmist was writing in these verses, but he was not speaking. It was the Lord speaking His words through the writer – in the first person. This is another indication that God speaks to His people through His written Word, and you would do well to treat those words not as just another book, but as the special instruments they are. This ‘high view’ of Scripture was endorsed and taught by Peter himself, who wrote:

“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”

– 2 Peter 1:19-21.

Are you approaching the Scriptures like God is speaking to you? If you do, how often do you give Him a chance to talk to you through your reading? Do you rush through, or do you linger and savor God’s words to you? When you ‘hear’ something, do you act on it?

Today’s reading – Psalms 81-85

John Stanko

John Stanko was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Duquesne University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics in 1972 and 1974 respectively.

Since then, John has served as an administrator, teacher, consultant, author, and pastor in his professional career. He holds a second master’s degree in pastoral ministries, and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh in 2011.

John founded a personal and leadership development company, called PurposeQuest, in 2001 and today travels the world to speak, consult and inspire leaders and people everywhere. From 2001-2008, he spent six months a year in Africa and still enjoys visiting and working on that continent, while teaching for Geneva College’s Masters of Organizational Leadership and the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, John founded Urban Press, a publishing service designed to tell stories of the city, from the city and to the city.